For me better and not even mainly because of the money spent on booze. I did not run into financial problems while drinking but really neglected dealing with my finances and thinking about improvements. I bought things without investigating alternative options, never been a compulsive shopper but just to be done with any necessary purchase quickly and have more time for drinking. I bought a lot of crappy expensive food. I even neglected getting some of my business trips reimbursed, just because I was lazy. Now I am dealing with these things and it shows in numbers, despite of actually allowing some "luxury" things like regular spa visits.
I think this outcome will depend on individual situations.