I get paid
 

I get paid tomorrow and on thursdays ( pay day ) i alwaaaaaaaaays go to the pub and spend out on expensive ales and whiskey's, just scared so bad that im goona cave in and go to the pub! tomorrow will be day 4 so im still in the very early stages, any advice guys?

Yea; just Don't lol Seriously though I fully understand .. save the money for some new hobby .. Better still a nice sweater for your Dog ;) Take a different route home then you normally do to avoid the Pub .. Go get food instead .. just Don't take that first drink ;)

lol i dont think my dog would allow me to put the sweater on him lol

Im thinking of saving my money for travelling :) I just know tomorrow is goona be difficult tho!

Anything you have been wanting or needing for a little while? Maybe go buy yourself something.

The first week I stopped drinking I figured there would be extra money (I dropped about $20.00 each day at the bar stopping off after work for 2 wines. I remembered we needed some things for the house, and I needed new sneakers (for my new found desire to get healthy), so I went shopping:-)

I was thinking about buying some chilli extract which is expensive , i love super hot food so maybe i should invest in someof that instead :)

Hi, Chilled)

I am on my way to the gym- I'll be back in a few hours, and, maybe will come up with some advice)

Actually gym is a good idea! thats good thinking right there, i have a local stadium 10 min walk from my house :)

Make a concrete plan to do something else and stick to it. It doesn't really matter what it is, as long as it's not going to the pub.

If you simply plan to "not go" and have nothing else but idle time, it will be much easier to talk yourself into just going to get a drink.

I used to stop off every evening to buy beer. When I gave up I downloaded some podcasts (e.g. see XA Speakers) and listened to them on the way home. It was easier to drive past the supermarket when listening to an AA talk.

Maybe a movie night with some pizza and chery cola :)

Go to the bookstore & buy a recovery book instead :)

Oh im not good with books lol im really not! Thinking about loading my fridge full of orange juice!

THIS x 10!

NOW is the time, with the gift of the foresight that you'll be very tempted tomorrow, to make a definite alternative plan. I agree with Scott that it isn't enough to simply plan to not drink.

Hell, put your plan on paper and sign an agreement with yourself to follow it. I think a plan involving another person would be ideal.

I recommended container gardening to someone recently on another thread. Requires very little money, knowledge, or skill. Take your booze money, go to a home improvement center or a nursery, and pick out a few plants (just make sure they have similar sun/shade/watering needs), some potting mix, and an inexpensive pot, if you don't already have one. You can easily kill 30 or 45 minutes doing that. Then when you get home, pot your plants and clean up. That could take another 45 minutes. Then pour yourself a nice lemonade or soda and admire your handiwork. :-)

For that minimal investment of time and money, to get a nice, productive, therapeutic distraction/activity that leaves you with something beautiful to look at for your living space -- and no hangover. :)

Some tips:
Container Gardening - How to Start a Container Garden and Window Boxes - The Daily Green

What about inviting a friend or relative that you like who does not drink to have lunch or diner with you? Or if you have a nice coworker who is a non drinker, walk with them to the bank and ask them if they'd like a bite to eat (your treat).

Do an hr by hr plan today, from when you wake up til bed time.
Fill EVERY hr with something, anything... other than drinking.
Get some DIY done....excercise... ya know the usual. Spend the money on a computer game or something.

And remember just how CRAP you felt the other day??? Remind yourself of that.

When your addictive voice says lets go to the pub, talk to it like it's separate.
Sounds mad but works!
"1 pint won't hurt"
"i'm not feeding you a pint, that would be stupid and then you'd want more. I'm going to have some OJ and make a nice chile"

Make plans. I would make plans to do something during those difficult times. Also let us or someone else know what your plans are so that you can check in and let someone know how you did. If you drink away your pay, it is gone and you will feel like dirt. If you do something healthy, you will not have any regrets and you will feel much better on the inside as well as the outside!

Definitely make a commitment now to go home a different route where there is no place to stop for a drink. I agree going to a bookstore is a good idea even just to browse magazines, movies, or music. I also went to movies the first difficult days, ones that don't serve alcohol. Something to do that stills passes time. Or if being out is more of a trigger, rent some movies or clean out your closets. But you can get past this.

Thanks guys i appreciate the help i really do :) DEFO goona plan something for tomorrow!

Pretty much all my mates drink so inviting them round could be a bit of a problem,ive not contacted them all that much since quitting :)

MeSoSober that sounds like a fab idea :D

You might consider an AA meeting. And then doing something else you can look forward to.

I agree with what someone else said: make a concrete plan. Maybe you can tell us what it is specifically rather than "maybe I'll have a pizza". I mean, something like: 5pm - Leave work, 5.30pm call a friend, 6 - 7.15pm go to gym, 7.30pm arrive home, 7.45 - 8.30 cook and listen to radio etc etc

See what I mean? Something straightforward to keep you occupied.