When I stopped drinking, I found, not surprisingly, that I was saving a fair bit of cash. £10 a bottle doesn’t half add up.
I repurposed some of that money for an “alcohol-free drinks” budget category, and some to a “sober rewards” budget category to mark milestones.
I bought myself treats. Little ones, like a gold star badge from doodles by Ben for day one, a monthly delivery of the fancy chocolates because why not, but my ultimate goal was a new sewing machine, and a couple of weeks after my one year anniversary, the nice DPD man brought me this, without even once grumbling about having to carry it up the stairs.
I have not been anywhere near as extravagant in the last seven months, but I firmly believe that treats, rewards, distractions, whatever you want to call them, are important. I still get the fancy chocolates delivered. I make sure that I have a fridge that’s well stocked with drinks I like. There are days when learning how to live without pouring alcohol over everything is hard, dammit, and if you do a hard thing you deserve a reward. So buy the fancy chocolates. Have a bath with candles and music and a book. Sack off the cooking and slummock on the sofa in front of David Attenborough and a meal you had delivered. Explore the non-alcoholic drinks space and the interesting stuff that’s happening there. Experiment. Enjoy. Have fun.