I don't want to go to drinking parties—is there anyone else who loves drinking at home too much?

When you're a working adult, the event known as a "drinking party" is something you can't avoid.
Of course, there are times when it's fun, and I'm happy to go with friends. But that's not always the case. There are days when I'm tired after work, and honestly, days when I think, "I just want to spend time quietly today."
Even so, there's a sense that it's hard to turn down, or I end up worrying unnecessarily, thinking “It might be rude if I don't participate.”

When I sorted out my feelings about this, there was one thing I knew for sure.

I do not want to participate in drinking parties.
The reason is—I love drinking at home.

I'm going to talk about a few reasons why I don't want to go to drinking parties. It might sound like a bit of a monologue, but I'd be happy if there's anyone who can empathize and say “I get it...!”

The merits of drinking at home

Isn't drinking at home the best?
First of all, I can wear whatever I like.Whether it's sweatpants or a worn-out T-shirt, no one will complain. In fact, you could say it's the formal attire for drinking at home.

And, I can eat whatever I want, as much as I want.
When ordering out, you often think, "This much for this price?" but at home, there's zero worry about that.
If I want to pile up fried chicken and douse it in lemon, no one can stop me. I don't have to worry about food pairings, and if I get full, it's no problem to leave the french fries and eat them the next day.
Because there are no eyes on me.

Furthermore, it's not noisy around me.
When drinking out, the excitement in the restaurant can be abnormal, or the background music can be excessively loud, making it impossible to hold a conversation.
My voice doesn't carry very well, so I get even more exhausted.
If I'm drinking at home, it's not noisy, and I can drink at my own pace while watching a movie, playing a game, or talking to someone. If I drink at home with a friend, I won't be bothered by noise.
“Being able to drink while doing what I love”—that alone is a win.

The demerits of drinking out

On the other hand, there are too many demerits to drinking out.
First, it's expensive.
Recently, due to rising prices and low wages, it's a big blow to an average person like me. If I don't order all-you-can-drink, it can cost three, or even five times as much as drinking at home. It makes me sad to find myself calculating, "How many cans of chuhai could I buy for this one drink?"
I'm the type who only needs alcohol and barely eats food. It feels like people like me should just stay home, but it's hard to adjust for that.

And, it requires preparation.
Choosing clothes, fixing my hair, putting in contact lenses. Worrying about the time and leaving the house. At this point, as someone who prefers drinking at home, I'm already exhausted.
It's common to feel depressed the day before, or even a week before.

Furthermore, the outside is noisy.
I have to raise my voice to be heard, and I have to worry about finding topics to talk about. If I were drinking at home, silence would be allowed.
Outside, I have to draw boundaries on what I can talk about, and I don't have to worry about being complained at for getting too rowdy.

And the biggest hurdle is the timing of when to leave.
Even if I want to go home, I have to read the room and go along with it. Even if I think, "It's about time...", someone starts a new topic or orders more, and I can't leave.

Adding insult to injury is the hassle of getting ready for bed after returning home.
When I come home after drinking out, there's so much to do: taking a shower, doing chores, preparing for the next day. If I were drinking at home, I could just dive into bed when I got sleepy.

When I list it all out like this, I think I just "love drinking at home too much."It's not so much that I hate drinking parties, but that I love drinking at home too much.
The appeal of drinking at home is so overwhelming that drinking out just can't compete.

In conclusion

Of course, there is nothing wrong with drinking parties.
I am grateful to those who invite me, and I do have fun when I go. However, it is also important to prioritize the feeling of wanting to choose time that makes me feel comfortable rather than forcing myself to participate.
For those who feel the same way as I do, I love being at home too, so we are comrades.

Thank you to everyone who read until the end.

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