Quit Smoking - How Much is it Costing You?

There are many warnings that are publicised by the government and media about the health costs associated with smoking. These warnings are effective to some degree however, there is no clear evidence if this kind of messaging works. One problem is that these warnings are seen nearly every day by smokers that they begin to lose their impact especially if they are communicating the same message.

Trying to quit smoking can be one of the toughest things to do especially if you have been smoking for a long time. Your dependency on nicotine can create intense cravings when the source of that nicotine is removed. Therefore you may need a number of strategies to strengthen your resolve or even help you with the decision to give up in the first place. One way is to work out how much smoking cigarettes is costing you. This is not in terms of the cost to your health but the cost to your pocket. For some people finding out how much they spend on trying to ruin their health is a great motivator to kick the habit once and for all.

Many people do not realise how much money they spend on cigarettes. When they do work it out they are shocked with how much they are wasting.

The idea is to work out how much you spend on cigarettes and relate that to what you could have bought such as something you have always wanted. Work out your monthly cost and multiply that by 12 months to arrive at an annual cost. You can even times the annual total by the number of years you have been smoking to give you an estimate of the total financial cost. You may find the final total is very sobering.

When you have worked out the weekly or monthly total relate that cost to an item that you would like to buy in the future such as a CD player or a pair of designer jeans.

When you are in the process of giving up then everyday that you do not smoke make a note of how much you have saved and put that towards the item that you want to buy. You can be creative with this method by setting yourself daily, weekly and monthly rewards to keep you motivated.

As the prices of cigarettes are getting more expensive it will not take to realise how much you can save by not buying cigarettes.

With over 3 years writing experience, James Mako writes about topics that fascinate him. Currently he has a new site that provides information and advice on the polar f11 and the pink heart rate monitors and other fitness products.