I’ve been somewhat of a drinker/partier all through my 20’s, yet after I turned 30 (two months ago) my body is struggling to cope. I don’t mean heavy drinking sessions like two day benders either – I had four pints last night and today I feel exhausted. I’m finding it hard to come to terms with, so just wondered what age everyone stopped going out often and how you felt about it?
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When everyone started to get jobs that required them to be sober and awake at 6am, which was before we got physically too old to do it.
Kids.
I used to have a group of people I would go out with most weekends. Bars, shows, sometimes clubs depending on who was going.
Then kids happened and they don’t care that daddy was out until 3 am with his friends because the comic hung out at the bar after the show and he was hilarious, they’re awake at 7 am and they want breakfast regardless of how hungover I am.
Prior to kids closing a bar on a weekend wasn’t super common, but it also wasn’t something too notable.
After kids it’s notable if I go out at all.
It differs for everyone. I’d like to think I made it farther than most (About 33 or 34 IIRC.)
Now if I drink hard one night, it HAS to be on a Friday and I need Saturday and Sunday to recover or It’s gonna be bad lol.
I still go out on the weekends, but don’t drink as much and don’t stay out as late as I used to.
At about 29 or 30. I met the woman that would become my wife, we both started winding down on the bar scene after that. Then had a kid, bar activity pretty much stopped. Even before covid, I’d meet a buddy at a bar once or twice a year after that, and it was their suggestion, not mine. I’m perfectly happy to grab a six pack cheaper than two pints costs, plus you can bbq, fish, whatever.
When the hangovers started taking more than a coffee, greasy sandwich, and a shower to cure.
Now that a bender takes 2 days to get over, it’s not really as much fun.
When my wife got pregnant with our first it was a pretty quick decline in nights out. So when I was 34. Now I generally see my friends for daytime activities – golf, kids’ birthdays, going to football games, etc. We still tend to drink a decent amount when we get together though.
Mid 30s
Four pints? Dear lord that sounds like a hangover and bloated next day
Late 20s, or basically after I started dating my now wife. Everyone has a different age. My aunt is divorced in her 50s and she still is out until 2 am at their local bars every Friday and Saturday night.
I haven’t! Turned 40 this year and still go out regularly. I also don’t have kids and don’t plan to so I think that’s a pretty big factor.
Mmm never? Lol just not as frequent
Never started.
Been to a handful and that’s about it.
Mid-20s honestly. My prime drinking years were actually rather short–from around 19-25 or so. But unlike most, hangovers have ALWAYS been a bitch for me. I didn’t really notice them getting worse as I got older because they were always so bad. I just got tired of dealing with them. Especially once I started working full-time M-F. Wasting an entire Saturday or Sunday, or even half of one, was too high of a price to pay.
Initially it took restraint on my part but now my drinking is quite self-limiting. I don’t have nearly as much of a taste for it and start to feel crappy after about 3 light beers or a couple of glasses of wine.
About 30.
Then I realised
1. Hangovers lasted 2 days and REALLY hurt.
2. Drinks out are really expensive
3. Alcohol does nothing good in your body
4. I put on weight much easier than I used to
I’m living a bit different of a life than many, I guess. I’m 40, partner is 36 and we’re child free. She has a marketing business with a lot of events.
When we met 6 years ago, we went out and partied all the time for 2-3 years. Then we really got bored of it and now don’t drink too much at all. The big exception is going up to the lake in the summer. Pontoon, cabin, chips, insane amount of drinks.
I stopped much earlier, but it was because I worked in the industry. Once you realize it’s a colossal waste of money, it loses it’s luster.
I’m not talking about going to grab a few pints with the boys, I’m talking about getting bottles and shots in a loud club atmosphere. Partner that with knowing the manipulation game (that girl talking to you is trying to sell your table shots, not get your number), and your body just rejecting the alcohol more (Used to be a Tuna Melt+Coffee could fix any hangover for me) and it’s not really fun anymore.
I’m 32 and I go out more now than I ever did in my 20s
I stopped when a pint of ale in a pub started to cost more than a 6 pack from a petrol station. I still go out from time to time. But I’m 34 now and prefer when the friends get together at someones house. Having some friends over tonight for Tacos, a few bottles and cans, and a horror film.
When I found out the person I was seeing was an alcoholic. If you can’t get your life together for yourself, the next best thing is someone else.
Work decided that for me. Late 20s.
I was just preoccupied with going to work and back
20 YOA.
The drinking age back then was 19YOA. So, I went on one hell of a bender the year following my 19th birthday. After about 8 months, I had had enough–same thing, night after night. BORING. I’ve been drunk maybe 3 times in the following 50 years.
Never started, since I don’t like alcoholic drinks that much.(they always have this horrible chemical aftertaste).
Eh… late 20s when everyone besides me got married and started a family. I then started drinking alone at home… like an adult.
*sobs*
I stopped partying for many reasons in my 30’s.
– friends all married with kids
– don’t want to be around kids in their early 20’s at the bar
– body can’t handle the hangover
– most importantly I realize how bad alcohol is for me (us), even just the odd drink here & there can have bad long term effects
I’ve replaced partying with new adventures like rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, and just all around taking care of myself & nurturing relationships with people I care about.
Now that I’m 51, I literally can’t have more than one drink without feeling terrible the next day.
Most likely because I used to drink a six pack daily from when I was 30 to 40.
Not sure if my body is just worn out from those years, or it’s medication interactions… but the sooner you cut down, the better.
It sucks not having a choice any longer.
how regularly is regularly in your mind? I still go out drinking with friends twice a month at 35.
Stop? Never did. #antisocial4lyf
Eighteen. I got married
Age 27
I3ts when you have kids and you need to be sober early.
There’s a window where you can’t get away with it for a while.
Oh jeez I’m 23 and I stopped like a year or two ago. I just dont find any utility in it. I love spending time with my friends but I prefer doing things without alcohol now. I’ve watched too many people I love get too out of hand and end up hurt or hurting someone else
Around 30-31, job responsabilities and start developing a strange taste of dinner at home with one more couple, drink all the wine, beers etc and go to sleep ^^
The first time i stopped was when i became a project manager who had to be on job sites at 7am but needed to go to an office beforehand, meaning I’d wake up at 530am give days a week. I was 25.
Then i became a uni prof at age 28. Got back into it.
At age 35, stopped completely when i moved to a country where I knew the culture and language enough not to be a foreigner, but not enough to be a local– and work online– so i have no friends or acquaintances to go out with.
Pretty sure I would have stopped on my own anyway. It was getting around the time when i started feeling like it was a waste of money
Most of my friends have never stopped and we’re all in our early 40s.
Most of my friends are functional alcoholics though. I’ve never been a big drinker and stopped drinking entirely about 5 years ago.
this question makes a couple unfounded assumptions.
When I realized that staying out late is just borrowing happiness from tomorrow, with interest. Honestly, I can see the appeal of staying out late with friends, BUT I can’t see the
trade off of losing the energy to do stuff the day after. And I lose more the second day than I gained the night before.
Now I just go to bed on time like a weeknight, wake up at the same time, and then gets started and do fun stuff right away on weekends. I might be hiking, biking, weight lifting, playing video games, or whatever by 8am
It’s funny, now in my mid forties they actually started again after nearly a decade.
My girl and I found a ground of 35+ year old we meet for Friday night drinks regularly.
I haven’t gone potty on a Friday for drinks and stayed out until 11ish doing it in a loooooong the.
The difference though is before we’d start at 5, and by 10 have 9-10 drinks and be drunk. And Saturday feeling sluggish and bleh.
Now we start at 5, go until 10 or so, and have 4-5. Come home feeling fine, wake up feeling fine. Go about our Saturday as per normal.