Brits spend £50k on booze in a lifetime

The average person in the UK spends nearly £50,000 on alcohol in their lifetime, a charity has estimated.

In a survey conducted by Onepoll on behalf of Macmillan Cancer Support, it was revealed that on average, Brits will fork out £49,581 on booze throughout their life, while 1.3 million will spend more than triple that amount, splurging £167,000.

Londoners are the most indulgent according to the figures, spending an average of £886 a year – nearly £100 more than the rest of the UK (£787).

Men were also found to be the bigger spenders, affording an average of £934.44 per year in comparison to the £678.60 spent by women.

“It’s not just the price of buying booze that costs, it’s the fact when we drink we lose our spending inhibitions too – we all know the cheap night out that turns into a pocket killer,” commented Martin Lewis from Moneysavingexpert.com.

“Even going sober for a month could save you a significant amount – so it’s worth a thought, especially as this way you’ll not only be saving cash but helping people affected by cancer – and you can’t put a price on that.”

The study also looked into people’s alcohol preferences and discovered among 18-24-year-olds the preferred alcoholic drink was spirits (42%), while those aged over 55 favoured wine.

Macmillan Cancer Support published the findings to coincide with the launch of Macmillan’s Go Sober for October, which is encouraging consumers to get sponsors and ditch the booze for a month.

“By taking part in Go Sober for October, abstaining from drinking alcohol for the month of October and being sponsored to do so, you’ll save money, reap the health benefits and raise vital funds to support people affected by cancer so they don’t have to face it alone,” added Hannah Redmond, head of national events marketing for Macmillan Cancer Support.