Cut Down Drinking Planner
Enter how many drinks you have now, your target and how many weeks you want to take, and get a step-by-step plan.
Free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded
How to use the Cut down drinking planner
- Open the Drink dropdown and choose a preset, such as beer 12 fl oz can 5%, or pick Custom drink.
- Enter the Size and choose the Unit that matches it.
- Check that Strength (% ABV) matches the label on your drink.
- Enter the Carbohydrate (g per 100 ml) from the label. The planner uses it for calories.
- If you want a money figure, enter your Price per drink. It is optional. Then choose a Currency symbol.
- Enter your Drinks per week now.
- Enter your Target drinks per week. It must be no higher than your current number. A target of 0 gives a plan that ends at no drinks.
- Choose Weeks to get there, from 1 to 52.
- Read the headline at the top, then scroll to the table “Your drinks per week, step by step.”
The Copy link button saves your settings in the page address. Keep that address to open the same plan again later.
Fewer weeks mean bigger steps and more weeks mean smaller ones. The Price per drink box is optional: leave it empty and the money column is left out of the table. The Currency symbol box only changes the symbol shown.
Press Copy link to keep the plan in the page address.
How many weeks should a cut-down plan take?
The planner does not pick a length for you. You choose anything from 1 to 52 weeks. A longer plan spreads the same reduction over more weeks, so each weekly drop is smaller. A shorter plan reaches the target sooner, with bigger drops each week. Try a few lengths in the planner and compare the weekly numbers before you settle on one.
Can I cut down in equal steps?
Yes. The plan is a straight line, and each week drops by the same amount: (current - target) / weeks. The result is not rounded. Going from 14 to 7 over 7 weeks drops by 1 a week. Over 14 weeks the drop is 0.5 a week, so some weeks end on a half drink.
Example: 12 fl oz cans of 5% beer at 5 each, from 14 to 7 a week over 7 weeks.
| Week | Drinks | Fewer drinks so far | Money not spent so far |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 12 | 3 | 15 |
| 3 | 11 | 6 | 30 |
| 4 | 10 | 10 | 50 |
| 5 | 9 | 15 | 75 |
| 6 | 8 | 21 | 105 |
| 7 | 7 | 28 | 140 |
Each can is 1.77 UK units and 149 kcal. Week 1 (13 cans) is 23.1 units and 1,938 kcal. Week 7 (7 cans) is 12.4 units and 1,044 kcal.
How much money will I save by drinking less?
The money not spent equals the drinks not had multiplied by the price you enter, totalled week by week. In the example above, 28 fewer drinks at 5 each comes to 140 over the 7 weeks. Staying at 7 drinks a week instead of 14 after the plan adds 364 fewer drinks and 1,820 not spent over 52 weeks at 5 each.
Units and calories are worked out separately. Units = drinks x strength (% ABV) x ml / 1,000. Calories = 7 kcal per gram of alcohol plus 4 kcal per gram of carbohydrate.
Is it safe to cut down quickly?
The planner does not decide how fast anyone should cut down. A shorter plan means bigger weekly drops, and a longer one means smaller drops. If you drink every day or drink heavily, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor before making big changes, and use the planner’s pace only as a starting point for that conversation.
How do I make a plan to cut down my drinks?
Pick a target number of drinks per week and a number of weeks, then lower the number by the same amount each week. Going from 14 to 7 drinks over 7 weeks means one drink fewer each week. The table is that plan for 12 fl oz cans of 5% beer at 5 each, with units, calories and money not spent.
| Week | Drinks | UK units | kcal | Not spent so far |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | 23.1 | 1,938 | 5 |
| 2 | 12 | 21.3 | 1,789 | 15 |
| 3 | 11 | 19.5 | 1,640 | 30 |
| 4 | 10 | 17.7 | 1,491 | 50 |
| 5 | 9 | 16 | 1,342 | 75 |
| 6 | 8 | 14.2 | 1,193 | 105 |
| 7 | 7 | 12.4 | 1,044 | 140 |
How this tool works and where the numbers come from
Each week’s drinks = current - (current - target) x week / weeks, a straight line from now to the target. Units = drinks x ABV x ml / 1,000. Calories = 7 kcal per gram of alcohol + 4 kcal per gram of carbohydrate. Money = drinks not had x price.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Can I set a target of zero?
Yes. Enter 0 in Target drinks per week and the plan ends at no drinks. The weekly drops still follow the same straight line, so a target of zero from 14 drinks over 7 weeks drops by 2 a week.
Does the planner keep my numbers?
The numbers stay in your browser and are not sent anywhere. If you use Copy link, your settings are saved in the page address, so you can return to them from that address.
Why does a week show a fraction of a drink?
The plan is not rounded. When the drop per week is not a whole number, the table keeps the exact figure, such as 0.5 a week over 14 weeks from 14 to 7.
How do I track how it actually goes?
The planner shows the plan, not your results. To record the drinks you have actually had, use the alcohol tracker and compare it with the weekly numbers here.
What if I miss a week of the plan?
The planner does not record your weeks, so nothing changes in it if you miss one. Carry on from the next week in the table, or enter your current drinks per week again and set a new target.
Does the plan round the numbers?
No. Each week is a straight-line step, so a week can show a figure such as 12.5 drinks. Round up or down to fit your own days.
Related tools
- Alcohol tracker: Record the drinks you actually have and compare them with your plan.
- Drinks per week calculator: Work out how many drinks you have in a typical week before you set a target.
- Drink-free days planner: Plan which days of the week to skip drinking.
- Alcohol cost calculator: Find out how much your drinking costs over a week, month or year.
- Burn off alcohol calories: See how much activity it takes to burn off the calories in your drinks.
- Money saved not drinking calculator: Estimate how much you save by drinking less over a set period.