Lose the inches by dropping the drink
Saving money and losing weight is something most of us are looking to do at one time or another, especially in the run up to Christmas, but many of us don’t realise just how much we could save - or lose - by cutting back on the amount we drink.
That’s why this autumn Change4Life have released a free online tool, which not only helps you keep track of what you drink, it also tots up the calories and cost to your wallet too.
More than a third of us want to cut back on alcohol either to lose weight or save money but, though we might know the cost of a pint or calories in a glass of wine, it can be easy to lose track over the course of a week.
Even drinking slightly more than the lower risk guidelines (not regularly drinking more than 2-3 units per day for women, and 3-4 for men) by having either two standard 175ml glasses of wine, or two pints of beer or cider, really adds up. Were you to drink this amount three times a week:
•Two glasses of wine three nights a week clocks in at over 750 calories a week – that’s over a third of a woman’s daily calorie amount – and it could cost you around £18 too
•Two pints three times a week costs around £15 pounds which, if saved between now and Christmas, would cover the cost of a full Christmas dinner for up to 10 people - around £140
•Or, if you pooled together savings as a couple, by Christmas you’d be able to save around £300 – enough to buy an iPad mini, a 40" TV, or even a weekend away for two
And it’s not just the cost to your wallet or your waist; what may seem like just a little more alcohol can do a lot of harm to your body.
Regularly drinking more than one large glasses of wine or a pint of strong beer every night, or most nights, will increase the chances of doing serious harm. It’s that extra glass or two in the evening, most evenings, that can do the damage - whether drinking at home or out.
So if you want to get trim and save some cash in time for Christmas, why not think about cutting back on the booze?
To find out how much you’re drinking in units, cash and calories, give the drinks checker a go and find tips on cutting back, search Change4Life online.