1.    Non-Alcoholic Drinks -- Holding a drink in your hand like iced tea, lemonade, orange juice, or 7-Up is a good way to keep people from bothering you about drinking since most will assume your drink contains alcohol.

2.    Light Drinks -- Stay away from high alcohol content drinks. The light version, or better yet the ultra light version, of your regular beer will be appreciated not only by your liver but your waistline as well.

3.    Mentally Prepare -- Be prepared before you go to your destination. Mentally rehearse your "no" before you get to your destination. Sometimes people say yes because they don't know what to say, especially when put on the spot under pressure from peers. Something simply like "Thanks, not tonight" or "Can't tonight, I have a big day tomorrow" should suffice.

4.    Set Written Goals -- Track how much you are drinking now and try to drink less next month. Going from a lot to zero in a month may be plausible for some, but for most folks a gradual monthly reduction of 15% - 30% may be more obtainable. So determine your current level, write down your goals for your month, and then put your goals where you'll see them everyday - perhaps on a mirror or on your dresser.

5.    Count Your Drinks and Set a Budget -- Keep track of your drinks compared with your drink budget. By counting your drinks, you'll naturally want to drink less so that you don't "spend" your budget as fast.  If you can't count your drinks because your too drunk to keep track, then your first written goal should be to stop drinking before inebriation.

6.    Reward Yourself -- If you start hitting your lower drinking budgets, reward yourself with periodic treats while you make your descent. A weekly trip to Dairy Queen or a weekly visit to the spa may do just the trick.

7.    Stress Less -- Many people drink to reduce stress. Try to find alternative ways to reduce stress -- perhaps a monthly trip to the spa, less hours at the office, or more frequent exercise may be just the ticket. Ask yourself the question before your start drinking "am I going to start drinking today because of the stress I'm under?". If so, think about alternatives.

8.    Track Your Cash -- If you count drinks, calculate for one month how much that costs based on your average drink costs. Then project what that level of drinking will cost you for the next year. This may motivate you to drink less and take your wallet off its diet.

9.    Track Your Calories -- If a thinning wallet doesn't motivate you to drink less, maybe a fatter midsection will. A six pack of Budweiser is almost 900 calories. And if you are the average person looking to run off those calories, you'd have to run 9 miles to work off that six pack. Sober.com has a calculator of alcohol content and calories for hundreds of drinks that can help.

10.    Start Late -- Don't head straight for the bar. Wait a little while before you start drinking. And by all means try not to "pre-party." If anyone asks you if you need a drink upon arrival, tell them you will get something yourself later.

11.    End Early -- No need to slam a beer before heading home. Instead, figure out when you plan on leaving and switch to water an hour or two before your planned exit. Your body which is being dehydrated anyway will thank you in the morning.

12.    Drink Warmer Drinks -- If you love chugging down cold beer but are loathed to drink a warm one, wait 10 - 15 minutes before consuming that drink. As the temperature increases, your motivation to drink decreases.

13.    Drink Slowly -- Try to limit yourself to no more than one drink an hour. If you plan on going to a party for four hours, make a mental goal of no more than four drinks that night.

14.    Add Spacers -- After a drink switch to a non-alcoholic drink like water or a soda before knocking down another alcoholic drink.

15.    Never Drink Alone -- Self-explanatory, but an important one. Drinking alone can lead to alcoholism. If you are worried about being an alcoholic, try Sober.com's Am I an Alcoholic? Assessment Test.

16.     Eat First -- Never drink on an empty stomach. The alcohol hits the body much harder if there is nothing in your belly. And if you are going to a destination where you are drinking, wait to drink any alcohol until after you have eaten. Everyone at the party will understand your logic.

17.    Keep Alcohol out of the Home -- You'll be much less interested in drinking at home if know that requires an inconvenient drive to the liquor store. And if you do go to the liquor store, don't load up on a three month supply -- just buy whatever you need for that occasion. Besides, do you really want your kids raiding your liquor cabinet like you did when your parents were out of town?

18.    Avoid People Triggers -- If partying with certain friends always results in binging like there is no tomorrow, try to limit interactions with those folks, especially in the beginning when you are trying to reduce your drinking. If you do get together and they blast you for not drinking as much as you, then you have good reasons for trying to keep your distance.

19.    Avoid Place Triggers -- If you know that you can't help yourself whenever the venue is the local watering hole, then try to meet folks somewhere else. A coffee shop may be just fine with your colleagues.

20.    Don't Quit -- Changing habits is not easy, so don't fret if you blow through your drinking budget for a month or miss some or all of the goals. The important thing to remember is you're on a journey, and there will be set backs along the way. Just don't get discouraged and try again.  Remember the famous quote "No matter your past, you have a spotless future."