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Dry January calculator: what will a month off keep?
Put in a normal week of drinks, at home and out. See the money, calories and units that 31 days without alcohol would keep, from your numbers, not an average.
Quick answer. Take what you drink in a normal week, divide by 7 and multiply by 31. Example: 10 pints of 5% beer a week at US$7 is about US$310, 9,831 calories and 124 UK units kept over Dry January. Ten 175ml glasses of 12% wine at US$8: about US$354 and 6,997 calories.
Updated . Calories use NHS figures for standard drinks.
Your normal week
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Worked examples for Dry January (31 days)
| A normal week | Money kept | Calories kept | UK units |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 pints of beer a week at US$7 | US$310 | 9,831 | 124 |
| 10 glasses of wine a week at US$8 | US$354 | 6,997 | 93 |
| 5 pints + 5 glasses of wine a week | US$332 | 8,414 | 109 |
| 14 single spirits a week at US$6 (no mixers) | US$372 | 3,100 | 62 |
Prices are examples in US dollars; use your own. Calories for drinks are NHS "up to" figures (pint of 5% beer 222 kcal; 175ml of 12% wine 158 kcal; a 50ml double of 40% spirits 100 kcal, so 50 for a single; 275ml alcopop 154 kcal). Mixers, bar snacks and late-night food are extra.
How the sums work
- Money: drinks a week × price, divided by 7, × the number of days.
- Calories: the same for each drink's calories. Alcohol itself has 7 calories per gram, almost as many as fat.
- UK units: 1 unit = 10ml of pure alcohol. The UK Chief Medical Officers advise no more than 14 units a week. A chart for every common drink is in alcohol units explained.
- US standard drinks: 1 standard drink = 14 grams of pure alcohol. Shown for readers in the US.
Calories you don't drink don't turn straight into weight lost: what replaces the drinks matters. The honest picture is in Dry January weight loss. Want a yearly view of the money? Use the alcohol spending calculator.
Make the number count
- Move the money on 1 January into a separate pot, and watch it grow.
- Tick the days off on the free 31-day alcohol-free challenge checklist.
- Read the rules and the tips: what counts and 31 tips that help, or start at what is Dry January?
Free in January: 30 Quiet Days. One short email each morning from 1 January 2027, with one small thing to try. You don't have to be sober to join, and you can leave with one click. Save my free place
Safety first
- If you drink heavily or every day, talk to a doctor before you stop. Stopping suddenly can be dangerous.
- This page is not health or medical advice. It is a free tool for people taking a month off.
- Need support now? Find a free helpline in your country at findahelpline.com.
Questions people ask
How much money will I save in Dry January?
Add up what you spend on drinks in a normal week, divide by 7 and multiply by 31. At 10 pints a week at US$7 a pint, a dry January keeps about US$310.
How many calories will I save in Dry January?
Using NHS figures, a pint of 5% beer has up to 222 kcal and a 175ml glass of 12% wine up to 158 kcal. Ten pints a week is about 9,800 kcal over the 31 days of January; ten glasses of wine about 7,000 kcal. Mixers and snacks add more.
How many units of alcohol are in my drinks?
A UK unit is 10ml of pure alcohol. A pint of 5% beer is about 2.8 units, a 175ml glass of 12% wine about 2.1 units and a 25ml single of 40% spirits 1 unit. The UK guideline is no more than 14 units a week.
Does the calculator save or send my numbers?
No. It runs in your browser only. Nothing you type is sent to us or stored.
Is this health or medical advice?
No. It only does sums. If you drink heavily or every day, talk to a doctor before you stop, because stopping suddenly can be dangerous.
Sources
- NHS: Calories in alcohol (read 3 November 2026)
- GOV.UK: UK Chief Medical Officers' low risk drinking guidelines
- NIAAA: What is a standard drink? (14 grams of pure alcohol)
Thinking about a whole month away from it?
The Quiet Month is a calm month away for up to four guests, each in their own flat: slow mornings, daily movement, shared meals and long evening talks, with no alcohol, no smoking and no drugs. It is not medical and not therapy. The first month starts on 1 January 2027; the programme fee is US$10,000 and your flat is extra. Email me first at info@thequietmonth.com, apply (about five minutes, free, no commitment) or book a free 20-minute call.
The Quiet Month team