Call for Feedback: Financial Stress while Quitting

[CommunityAdmin]

Finances are a source of stress, worry, or anxiety for many people. This is a thread to discuss quitting and money. Feel free to use this thread to say what’s on your mind. Here are some questions to get you thinking.

• How has quitting affected you financially? Both positively and negatively.
• How much money have you saved by quitting? Have you noticed other financial benefits from quitting?
• What have you done with the money you would have spent on cigarettes, vapes, or tobacco?
• How did money motivate you to quit?
• What advice about money or finances would you give to someone who’s just starting to quit?

We're always looking to add to our content and feedback from our online community is an important way we ensure that we're covering what matters to the members here on EX. Thanks in advance for your contributions

[Barbscloud]

Good topic.   I still save my monthly cigarette expense for me.  I never saved it for one specific thing like a trip, but for whatever I wanted or needed.   Just used it tomorrow to  treat myself to a driver to a concert.

The cost of cigarettes was never a motivation for me to quit.  Over the years I changed to some cheaper brands, but the price of cigarettes never stopped me from smoking. Health is what finally did it for me.

For new quitters, it's a great way to reward themselves for quitting.   Rewarding yourself actually helps to increase dopamine lost from quitting smoking and reinforces behavioral changes.    Knowing that a reward is at hand,  can help your to stay focused.   

You earned it!

Barb

[CommunityAdmin]

@Barbscloud Thanks for sharing your feedback on the topic. If you see anyone else who seems to talk about stress or financial concerns please point them to the topic as we're looking for feedback from people at all points in their quit journey.

[chuck03104]

Like @Barbscloud, my reasons for quitting were not for financial reasons. I did switch to generics too. 

The point I want to make here has to do with lowering stress due to financial reasons. 

I wish someone had told me the following things when I was in my 20's:

1. Live within your means. This is one of those things that are easier said than done. When you live within your means you can start to have a game plan to pay off your debt, have three savings accounts; emergency, saving for short term goal, and retirement.

This is a plan that will take many months and years to pay off your debt and have money in each of your savings accounts. You can Google living within your means, game plan for paying off debt.

I have learned many things once I started to live within my means. Driving an older car and learning to fix it yourself. There are tons of helpful and free YouTube videos. You may even ask someone else who enjoys working on their car for help or guidance.

Cars made over the last 20 years are built better and last longer. The main advantage of having an older car is not having a monthly car payment. Another benefit is switching from having full coverage to only having liability insurance. Each state has different requirements but the cost is much less.

You can Google best ten year old cars or most reliable used cars or something else.

If you have questions, I don't mind trying to help. I'm not selling anything and there's no cost, other than your time!

[Livebetter2023]

• @CommunityAdmin I agree w Barb and Chuck that financial reasons were not a motivator to quit for me but I have always had a fun money “pot” that I’ve used to motivate myself to save and it certainly applies with smoking.  When my husband and I save money in any way, it can make it more fun to transfer it to the fun money pot.  For example we skip Starbucks and drink coffee at home, $10 goes in the pot.  We YouTube how to fix the disposal ourselves instead of calling the handyman $100 goes in the pot.  Now on a weekly basis I can calculate how much I saved by not smoking and it can go in the pot.  I always had a physical cash pot or physically transferred money to a different savings account.  Then that is guilt free money for fun things in life. 

[trish4801]

@CommunityAdmin before I retired March 1st the starter pack of Varenicline was free through my work place insurance. I had to refill it after I retired and it is now $328.57. I'm making less and paying more. What?!!!

My husband said that's how much without insurance and I said no that's with my supplemental insurance. This is for 28 days. I told him if I was smoking I'd have spent more and I won't be on this forever. He agreed.

So I'm making less, he was on workman's comp which just ended, this is financially a good time to quit. I know he has no plans to go back to work at 63/64 in June. I told him to take early retirement. I'm older I'll be 67 in September but I may go back part-time to catch up. Afraid the work place environment might push me off the cliff. I'm getting my knee replaced in May will be layed up for several months. I'm hoping if I go back to play catch up I'll be so far into my quit it won't matter.

[CommunityAdmin]

@Livebetter2023 @Barbscloud @trish4801 @chuck03104  Thanks for your contributions to this feedback opportunity. It is things like these that really help us evolve EX. We sincerely appreciate all of your experience and wisdom shared with us to help others.  We hope that you participate in future feedback opportunities.

@Livebetter2023 @Barbscloud Brava! You were chosen and are now featured on the page https://www.becomeanex.org/finances-stress-and-quitting/ . Even if your post wasn't chosen it did help us develop new content.

[Justdeda1]

Thanks for opening this topic, @CommunityAdmin.
For me, losing my income completely was the straw that saved the camel’s back.  When I told an old friend who still smokes that I had quit and why, she said “you’re gonna hate me—in Florida I pay $3.68.”  I was paying almost $14 per pack, and buying them one pack at a time (since 1989, when I fell off my first wagon), two to three times a day.  That simply doesn’t compute.  Until this moment, almost a month into my quit, I never considered…I could have easily smoked my way through my meager savings, on which I have to live until I start SS in October…and even then, almost but not quite enough to support my life.  I guess, even without thinking of the terrible potential consequences of continuing, the back of my brain knew that there would be no more smoking for this woman. Simply can’t afford it!

Thanks the for EXcommunity!

deda

[Liloan]

smoking adds up to our daily expenses. why not spend it on healthy ways that help for healthy life.