At 12.75 a pack its time to quit

Well its been 10 years and its finally time to quit cigarettes. Last August when I moved from CA to NY cigs were 4.50-6.00 in CA. I get to NY I'm paying 10.00 a pack now they hike up the price again and its 12.75. From a financial standpoint its time to quit @ 12.75 a pack at a pack a day that comes out to around 385 a month on cigs, thats 2-4 boxes of cigars a month.

Health wise I've seen my mile times go from 7.5 min to 9min and it really sucks. The tipping point came this morning when i was having my usual coffee and cig but almost yakked and that never happens, probably too much stimulants on a empty stomach but I'll take the hint.

[JaKaacH]

$12.75,WOW, that would buy a lot of pipe tobacco or a few good cigars.

[fhrblig]

Originally Posted by JaKaacH

$12.75,WOW, that would buy a lot of pipe tobacco or a few good cigars.

[Ogre]

Originally Posted by JaKaacH

$12.75,WOW, that would buy a lot of pipe tobacco or a few good cigars.

[bvilchez]

Like you said that's quite a few boxes of good smokes

And seeing that I'm the second reply..I'll make a gentlemen's bet that Mac is next

[kelmac07]

Ouch!!

i never even realized the hike came at the end of june until this morning. Its such a routine, go into cvs, ask for camel wide lights, swipe card, punch in pin and i'm out in 2 min time. This morning everything i didn't have my card out so it took me a extra second at the register and i looked up to swipe when i saw the 12.75. I had 6 left in the pack so i just told her I didn't want them anymore. Yea its ridonculous that its double what I used to pay and I know in some states its still 2-3 dollars a pack, but yea im done wont do it and i cant use the patch because the last time i tried it gave me a rash. ahaha so cold turkey is the only way to go

Damn!

[bsmokin]

That's way too much money. When I live in NYC for a year in 2001, a pack was like 5.50 I think... and I thought that was bad! I think you're making a very smart move.

[shilala]

If snuff ever gets to $12.75 a can, I'll probably have to resort to robbing kid's lunch money.
I'm so hopelessly addicted, I'd stick it up my ass if my lip falls off.
It's a shame.

[smokehouse]

$12.75 WOW. I quit right before they hit $5.00 in MI. Now I can't stand the taste or smell of them.

[Subvet642]

The only thing that I'd quit; is paying that much. Come on, it's NYC, isn't there someone selling smokes off the back of a truck?

[jonumberone]

Originally Posted by Subvet642

it's NYC, isn't there someone selling smokes off the back of a truck?

Not since a young Hendry Hill got pinched selling them.

[Eleven]

Originally Posted by shilala

I'd stick it up my ass if my lip falls off.

It's hilarious what you can do with selective quoting!

[shilala]

Originally Posted by Eleven

It's hilarious what you can do with selective quoting!

Dood, you're CNN!!!

[OLS]

Originally Posted by Chinogobraap

From a financial standpoint its time to quit @ 12.75 a pack

I can tell you from experience that money is only an object when it's time to make statements
about quitting. Your body will say "then go out there and earn mo money beyotch". There is
only one thing that I have found that completely kills the urge to smoke and that is cancer or
some other physical setback. I quit for a long time and had no symptoms. Then I went to
Mardi Gras and bought a pack, cause I knew I would want them. But that wasn't enough.
I smoked like a fiend for the next two months and at the end, I could not climb stairs without
being winded, had developed a wheeze and no matter how long I have been off em now, the
symptoms mostly stay put. My wind has improved with walking 3-5 miles a day 6 days a week.
But something is in there and when I am dead, they will find out what, I'm sure.
Don't kid yourself about the money. Money does not kill urges, nor will it control your trigger
behaviors. But good luck, sincerely.

[mithrilG60]

Originally Posted by OLS

I can tell you from experience that money is only an object when it's time to make statements about quitting. Your body will say "then go out there and earn mo money beyotch". There is only one thing that I have found that completely kills the urge to smoke and that is cancer or some other physical setback. I quit for a long time and had no symptoms. Then I went to Mardi Gras and bought a pack, cause I knew I would want them. But that wasn't enough. I smoked like a fiend for the next two months and at the end, I could not climb stairs without being winded, had developed a wheeze and no matter how long I have been off em now, the symptoms mostly stay put. My wind has improved with walking 3-5 miles a day 6 days a week.
But something is in there and when I am dead, they will find out what, I'm sure. Don't kid yourself about the money. Money does not kill urges, nor will it control your trigger behaviors. But good luck, sincerely.

I disagree, all that's required to quit is the actual desire to quit. It doesn't really matter what the stimulus for that desire to quit is, just as long as you want to give it up. I "tried to quit" several times before I actually quit, always for the wrong reason (usually for someone else) which is why they failed.

What tipped it for me was I just got tired of spending $12 a day (back in 2005, I've no idea what a pack costs now) to do something which I knew would eventually kill me. I did go the nicotine replacement patch route to help with the physical withdrawl, but ultimately it was the willpower to quit that actually did it as I didn't complete the patch therapy. My doctor put me on a regime that had me wearing the 21mg patches for 7 weeks then a gradual decrease via the 14mg and 7mg patches to nothing.

What ended up happening was the day that I was s'posed to drop down to 14mg was our 2005 provincial election and I had either enough time to go to the polls and vote or to the drug store to buy the next round of patches. I decided that voting was far more important and then just never got around to buying any more patches.

The physical addiction to nicotine ends 48 - 72hrs after your last cigarette, it's the psychological and behavioural addictions that are much harder, and take longer, to break. As long as you can remove yourself from the common situations were you would have normally smoked, or find a way to distract yourself for 5 min so the craving passes, you'll be fine.

OP, great decision and I wish you the best in your efforts to kick cigarettes. As I mentioned above, I quit 6 years ago and it was one of the best choices I've ever made.

Originally Posted by OLS

I can tell you from experience that money is only an object when it's time to make statements
about quitting. Your body will say "then go out there and earn mo money beyotch"

I will agree with that money shouldn't be the only factor i just recently started to seriously time my runs again and was surprised that I'd dropped to 9-10 min/mile from mid 7's-8. If I still enjoyed it the money wouldn't have mattered but i really just don't enjoy it anymore and noticed that i'm really smoking just as a routine like in the morning with coffee and after meals. Yea the biggest thing I had to deal with in the past when i tried to quit was getting out of the routine of smoking at certain times and activities.

[aich75013]

Wow. That's crazy. They're five something here. Not sure. I don't smoke them.

[bobarian]

Congrats on your decision to quit. Good luck with your efforts!