The average person in Britain spends almost £50,000 on alcohol during their lifetime, a charity has warned, calling for people to abstain from drinking in October.

Macmillan Cancer Support found each Briton spends around £787 a year on alcohol, with London’s concentration of drinkers spending sizably more. The research, conducted by Onepoll, surveyed 2,000 over-18s. Men spent an average of £934.44 per year, the data found, compared with women spending £678.60.

Martin Lewis from Moneysavingexpert.com said: “It’s not just the price of buying alcohol... it’s the fact when we drink, we lose our spending inhibitions too – we all know the cheap night out that turns into a pocket-killer. Even going sober for a month could save you a significant amount.”

The charity is calling for a month of abstention in October to raise awareness of the health benefits and financial savings. Hannah Redmond for Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “By abstaining for the month of October and being sponsored to do so, you’ll save money, reap the health benefits and raise vital funds to support people affected by cancer.”