U CAN Stack up the Cash When You Quit Tobacco

Is your cell phone so old you can’t even text? Have you had your eye on a new car or motorcycle for a while now? Or maybe you’ve been wishing you could afford to move into your own apartment and ditch that annoying roommate? Whatever your reason, we all wish our bank accounts had some extra digits in them so that we could afford more of the things we want. When you quit smoking and chewing tobacco, you can make that wish a reality by saving money and creating disposable income right away, not to mention making a bigger impact on long-term cost savings.

The average smoker saves over $1,600 a year by quitting, and that number goes up each year as the prices of cigarettes and chew continue to rise. Think about it. If you quit now, by this time next year you could have enough money saved to book a vacation and spend the holidays on the beach with your feet in the sand. Or use the savings to splurge on a flat-screen TV, an engagement ring for your girlfriend, a down payment on a new motorcycle, or gifts for your family.

Use our savings calculator to estimate how much money you can save by quitting smoking or chewing.

Now that you know the amount, it’s time to think big. How would you like to reward yourself for quitting? After the first two weeks, you could buy yourself Madden 10 or treat yourself to an afternoon at the spa. A month later, you could buy an Xbox 360 and stop using your roommate’s. Two and a half months could earn you a third-generation iPod. How great would it be to have enough money for a down payment on a GSX-R or a Waverunner by summer, and know you’ll be able to pay it off in 5 years with the money you save by quitting? You can make it happen! And just as importantly, you deserve it for your hard work quitting!

Start today, and watch your savings grow, literally. Some people find it motivating to get a large jar or Ziploc bag and use it to stack up the savings. Why not give it a try? Here are some tips to get you saving when you quit:

Calculate your daily and long-term savings from not buying tobacco products.
Be sure to add up related costs, too—things like gas you would have used to drive to the store and white strips to keep your teeth bright.
Set goals for the things you want and deadlines for when you will buy them.

Now that you have your plan, visualize it!

Each day you stay tobacco free, add the savings to your stash, and watch the cash stack up.
Each time you crave that cig or dip and resist, drop a quarter into a rainy-day fund, then reward yourself for quitting by splurging on something fun.
Use our Quit Tools widget to keep track of your savings and to let everyone else know how much you have saved.

What about the long-term impact of smoking? Smokers should expect to lower the resale value of their cars by about $1,000 and much more for their homes. Cigarette smoke penetrates car interiors, walls, window treatments, carpeting, and furniture. No one wants to sacrifice a security deposit on cleaning, either.

The health-care savings also become more significant as you get older. The longer a person uses tobacco, the more the costs add up for tobacco-related medical issues. Sure, the military may be paying for all your medical expenses now, but what about after you get out? That’s about the time that the health effects of years of smoking really set in. Costs like extra dental care for receding gums and treatments for infertility and impotence not covered by insurance.

There are more important things to spend your money on than tobacco—like your family, your friends, and yourself. When you are ready to quit, we’re here to help you quit tobacco and stack up the cash.

Quit Tobacco—Make Everyone Proud.

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