We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Wine in big bottles

Options
[Deleted User]
[Deleted User] Posts: 0 Forumite
10 Posts
edited 22 June at 6:47AM in Food shopping & groceries
Hello my mother buys big wine bottles and occasionally opens one and one glass becomes a whole bottle and waking up the house at 2 am having finished the whole bottle. Then regretting it next day.
If I drunk beer I wouldn't buy a 5 pint bottle, I'd buy 250/330ml bottles and have one at a time.
Why can't wine be the same so people have more chance of controlling intake, not finishing a whole bottle to themselves and waking the house up on their way to bed ?
«13

Comments

  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Posts: 22,911 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Cashback Cashier
    You can buy wine in 250ml cans. Check your local supermarket.
  • jackieblack
    jackieblack Posts: 10,493 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Also in small bottles, usually 18.7 or 20 cl
    2.22kWp Solar PV system installed Oct 2010, Fronius IG20 Inverter, south facing (-5 deg), 30 degree pitch, no shading
    Everything will be alright in the end so, if it’s not yet alright, it means it’s not yet the end
    MFW #4 OPs: 2018 £866.89, 2019 £1322.33, 2020 £1337.07
    2021 £1250.00, 2022 £1500.00, 2023 £1500, 2024 £1350
    2025 target = £1200, YTD £690
    Quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur
  • beckstar1975
    beckstar1975 Posts: 650 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper
    Many supermarkets have a decent range of cans/small bottles to try and get around this.

    Though maybe your mum might be better trying abstinence for a bit first -though I realise you can't force anyone to. I used to get little bottles from Aldi when I used to drink that tasted fine and didn't cost much
    :eek::eek::eek: LBM 11/05/2010 - WE DID IT - DMP of £62000 paid off in 7 years:jDFD April2017
  • BridgetTheCat
    BridgetTheCat Posts: 119 Forumite
    100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Most everyday wine these days comes in a screwcap bottle so that you can put it away for another day.

    I think you have a bigger problem than just the bottle size. With me it’s crisps. I can’t have them in the house. If I open a ‘sharing size’ or a multipack I can’t stop until they’re done. If I buy 3 bags intending them to last 3 days, I will eat them all that day. Now my problem doesn’t affect anyone else, and only affects me in terms of my weight, but I do recognise it as a form of addiction - an inability to control myself where crisps are concerned. It sounds to me like your mother might have a similar problem with wine. You don’t have to be drunk all the time to have a problem with alcohol.
  • Emmia
    Emmia Posts: 5,576 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 23 June at 2:19PM
    Hello my mother buys big wine bottles and occasionally opens one and one glass becomes a whole bottle and waking up the house at 2 am having finished the whole bottle. Then regretting it next day.
    If I drunk beer I wouldn't buy a 5 pint bottle, I'd buy 250/330ml bottles and have one at a time.
    Why can't wine be the same so people have more chance of controlling intake, not finishing a whole bottle to themselves and waking the house up on their way to bed ?
    When you say "big bottles" do you mean standard 750ml bottles or the more unusual 1.5l (or bigger options) that a few wines are available in? Or wine boxes which go up to 3L?

    Smaller bottles/cans of wine are one option, and there's also alcohol free or low alcohol wine* - but there is fairly limited selection of both in comparison to 750ml bottles. Small bottles are likely to mean she just opens more of them, and the truth is, opening multiple cans/mini bottles is pretty easy - I doubt your mum is just swigging from the bottle, she's probably just refilling her glass.

    The reality is, your mother needs to (a) realise herself her drinking is out of hand, and (b) really needs find a booze free alternative that she enjoys (tap water isn't going to cut it). For example there are good alcohol free "Gin" options now which make a great "G&T", and alcohol free beer is substantially better than it was even 5 years ago. 

    *Depending on what she's drinking, alcohol free wine can be as expensive or more expensive than actual alcoholic wine. And of the alcohol free options white or rosé are definitely better than red. Sparkling is probably the best option overall - M&S do a good 0% pink or white "prosecco" called Fizzero for £6 a bottle. (The pink is better than the white IMO)

    If possible you should remove all alcohol from the house, but that might just turn her into a secret drinker, and it depends on how others in the house, who can enjoy alcohol in moderation feel about not being able to have a glass of wine or beer themselves.

     It's also really important not to be judgemental, people drink for lots of reasons - they like the taste, the buzz or relaxed feeling, to numb pain or mask a deeper unhappiness... Try to be kind to your mum, lectures and finger wagging aren't the way forward.

  • soolin
    soolin Posts: 74,073 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 23 June at 2:19PM
    Hello my mother buys big wine bottles and occasionally opens one and one glass becomes a whole bottle and waking up the house at 2 am having finished the whole bottle. Then regretting it next day.
    If I drunk beer I wouldn't buy a 5 pint bottle, I'd buy 250/330ml bottles and have one at a time.
    Why can't wine be the same so people have more chance of controlling intake, not finishing a whole bottle to themselves and waking the house up on their way to bed ?
    I realise it has already been said but I don’t really understand the question or point being made at all. People control their own drinking , if your mother has issues then seeking help for her, or rather encouraging her to address her issues is the way forward, not demonising bottles of wine. 

    I like wine, I regularly buy a crate to store to drink over a month or so, but I also often buy the 20cl small bottles of prosecco as I prefer it fresh and no one else in the house particularly likes it and I prefer it ‘fresh’ rather than try and keep a full size bottle for a few days. 

    Bars of chocolate are my down fall, if I buy a bar I eat the lot, rather than a little every day. Do I blame the manufacturers for making bars too big and tempting me, or do I buy smaller bars or buy none at all? Just because I can’t control myself doesn’t mean I want ‘something’ done about it. 
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • x_raphael_xx
    x_raphael_xx Posts: 4,409 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 23 June at 2:19PM
    Hello my mother buys big wine bottles and occasionally opens one and one glass becomes a whole bottle and waking up the house at 2 am having finished the whole bottle. Then regretting it next day.
    If I drunk beer I wouldn't buy a 5 pint bottle, I'd buy 250/330ml bottles and have one at a time.
    Why can't wine be the same so people have more chance of controlling intake, not finishing a whole bottle to themselves and waking the house up on their way to bed ?

    You are obviously able to control yourself. The issue isn't the size of the wine bottle.
    People will regularly go out for a night out and have 5 pints or more. Does it matter if its in 5 bottles or one single bottle?

    I can open a bottle of wine, have one glass and not touch the bottle again for a week.

    Please seek help for your mother.
    Debt Free as of 17/01/2009 Turtle Power!!

    EF Challenger #3 £1543.72 / £5000
    MFW 2024 #100 £1300.00 / £10,000

    MFiT #40 Jan 2025 Target - £99,999.00
    Mortgage at 30/09/22 £113,694.11 | Mortgage at 24/01/23 £110,707.87
    Mortgage at 21/04/23 £107,701.01 | Mortgage at 20/07/23 £106,979.65
    Mortgage at 04/10/23 £106,253.77 | Mortgage at 10/01/24 £105,324.57
    Mortgage at 01/04/24 £104,424.73 | Mortgage at 01/10/24 £103,594.98
  • But she only does it occasionally maybe once a month and gets very offended at the mere mention of binging on wine! 
  • MattMattMattUK
    MattMattMattUK Posts: 11,136 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 23 June at 2:19PM
    But she only does it occasionally maybe once a month and gets very offended at the mere mention of binging on wine! 
    To be fair drinking one bottle once a month is hardly binging.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.8K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.8K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 257.1K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.