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Save Money and Find Some Smoking Alternatives

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One of the leading causes of unpleasant statistics is smoking. Smoking kills 480,000 Americans annually. Secondhand smoke kills 41,000 nonsmokers annually. Smoking is a vice, its continuous long-term practice is detrimental to your health, and it is not cheap. Most smokers do not appreciate, or willfully ignore, the long-term financial costs of smoking. Depending on how often you smoke, and the brand you smoke, you could end up paying over $39,000 over a decade just on cigarettes. How much of your financial future are you willing to mortgage against a vice? You’ll save tens of thousands of dollars with smoking alternatives like nicotine gum, patches or even smokeless Swedish Snus.

Before we talk about how much money you can save by indulging in alternative smoking practices, let’s talk about some unpleasant statistics concerning employment and money.

Over 44 million Americans are unemployed. The average salary is just under $50,000. About 76% Americans have at least one regret when it comes to their finances. Over 56% of Americans regret not saving enough money or any at all.

Responsible personal finance practices require budgeting, living below one’s means, saving money, and planning for future finance goals.

Improving one’s financial standing, and financial future, requires the personal conviction and disciple to continually perfect one’s own personal finances.

Nothing breaks conviction and disciple when it comes to finances like indulging in vices.

Americans waste over $18,000 annually on nonessential and indulgent spending.

There is nothing more financially indulgent, and consequential, than smoking cigarettes.

Finances, Regret, and Vices

A natural human reaction after indulging in a vice is immediately regretting it after indulging in it. It’s counterintuitive, but it’s human nature. People habitually smoke when they know they shouldn’t, and knowingly waste money when they know they shouldn’t.

Depending on where you live and the brand of cigarettes you smoke, the average pack of cigarettes cost anywhere between $6.30 to $10.70 per pack.

So, imagine spending over $320 a month, $3,900 annually, or $39,000 over a decade on cigarettes.

Believe it or not, that is a conservative estimate.

There are many ancillary costs connected to smoking that most smokers don’t realize.

Smokers pay more for life insurance, health insurance, and medical care than nonsmokers.

Homeowner insurance is more expensive since smokers are statistically more likely to facilitate a fire.

Smokers pay more money for dental care, cleaning, and laundering because of their vice.

The typical smoker may actually spend over $10,000 on a smoking when considering such ancillary costs.

Smoking might cost you $100,000 over a decade.

Imagine spending $100,000 on smoking just to regret it later because of the health consequences. Then, spending even more money to deal with the health consequences of smoking.

That’s a lot of money to spend on a vice you’ll ultimately end up regretting.

You can certainly think of better things to do with $100,000.

Smoking Alternatives

Nicotine gum can cost $55 for 160 pieces.

28 nicotine patches can cost $27.

Swedish snus is a moist tobacco pouch that is placed behind the upper lip and in front of the upper teeth. It is relatively safer for use than traditional tobacco. Premium Swedish snus pouches cost $40 a month, or, about $480 annually.

How much you want to pay for a vice like smoking is up to you.

It just shouldn’t bankrupt your financial future.

Image source: Muzzi Katz.


So, what do you think ?