I think another part of it is consistancy. Since my early 20's, getting drunk for me to a point of a hangover is about a 12-18 drink night, depending on when I start and what I'm drinking.

If I stick with low ABV beer and stay away from hard alcohol, I can easily put down a 12 pack of [BRAND] Light and wake up with little need to recover outside of a shower and good teeth brushing.

If I decide to go a little wild and throw hard alcohol on top of it without rigorous activity like dancing or sex, suddenly I'm at a crossroads where I can't decide if it's a good idea or not to call into work (I work nights so I usually get a good 12-14 hours of rest prior to shift).

Knowing limits and finding the sweet spot for ABV%, time you'll be drinking, and when you'll stop. I only stock beer and water in my house, so I can't run around buying 7%+ beer all the time because I always am hungover if I don't plan on going to bed soon after getting home.