January 31st means two things: firstly, the dreaded day on which your self-assessment tax return is due. And secondly – and probably more cause for celebration – is the fact that it’s the final day of Dry January. For those who gave up alcohol for the month, tonight – being the last day of January – is the last day that they need deprive themselves any longer. (Let’s face it: you might need a drink after wading through the long-winded HMRC process, after all).
But is the whole ‘Dry January’ thing a gimmick? Perhaps, to a certain extent. On the other hand, it certainly won’t do you any harm. There’s a wide array of health benefits to giving up alcohol – and just think about what going sober for a month might mean for your wallet. Research from Macmillan Cancer Support showed that the average Briton spends around £787 per year on alcohol, which works out at just over £65 per month – if you’re classed as ‘average’, that is.
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