Go me!
Well, it's that time again. As of today, it's been three years since I quit smoking. There's a calculator on the web that shows all the vital statistics.
Time since quitting:......Three years, 20 minutes and 51 seconds.
Cigarettes not smoked:.....43840 (-3 cause I was drunk, but I paid for it)
Money Saved:..............$16,659.41.
Life saved:................21 weeks, 5 days, 5 hours, 20 minutes.
There've been hard days for sure, but the hardest days to not smoke are the days that I'm bored. Invariably, I'll see someone smoking or smell a freshly lit cigarette and then I'll just want one. The key is... I don't have one. I don't buy. I don't bum. I just don't have one. I quit to save money, and I can see where most of that money has gone. It's sitting in my retirement fund, waiting for me to buy a house with it and then eventually, retire on it. I used to spend a hundred dollars a week on cigarettes. Now I spend that money on ensuring that I can enjoy my retirement.
I don't think anybody who reads my blog smokes (at least among people who comment and I know), but the best advice I can offer on quitting is this:
When you're ready, it'll happen. Not before and not until. It'll be hard, too. Certainly the hardest thing I've ever done. Hell, I spent the first week pretty much in tears because it was such a shock to the system. Still, it was worth it. Be good to yourself. Find a nice little treat that you can go to when you really want a smoke. For me, it was baby carrots in hot sauce and wine gums (think really sour ju-jubes). As time goes on, it'll get easier till one day, you don't have to have that cigarette. You'll want it, but you don't have to have it. You can do it.
- edit -
Also know that you don't have to do it alone. I had a lot of great friends who help me quit just by being there for support. =) Thanks Kiy and Lythrum. =)
Time since quitting:......Three years, 20 minutes and 51 seconds.
Cigarettes not smoked:.....43840 (-3 cause I was drunk, but I paid for it)
Money Saved:..............$16,659.41.
Life saved:................21 weeks, 5 days, 5 hours, 20 minutes.
There've been hard days for sure, but the hardest days to not smoke are the days that I'm bored. Invariably, I'll see someone smoking or smell a freshly lit cigarette and then I'll just want one. The key is... I don't have one. I don't buy. I don't bum. I just don't have one. I quit to save money, and I can see where most of that money has gone. It's sitting in my retirement fund, waiting for me to buy a house with it and then eventually, retire on it. I used to spend a hundred dollars a week on cigarettes. Now I spend that money on ensuring that I can enjoy my retirement.
I don't think anybody who reads my blog smokes (at least among people who comment and I know), but the best advice I can offer on quitting is this:
When you're ready, it'll happen. Not before and not until. It'll be hard, too. Certainly the hardest thing I've ever done. Hell, I spent the first week pretty much in tears because it was such a shock to the system. Still, it was worth it. Be good to yourself. Find a nice little treat that you can go to when you really want a smoke. For me, it was baby carrots in hot sauce and wine gums (think really sour ju-jubes). As time goes on, it'll get easier till one day, you don't have to have that cigarette. You'll want it, but you don't have to have it. You can do it.
- edit -
Also know that you don't have to do it alone. I had a lot of great friends who help me quit just by being there for support. =) Thanks Kiy and Lythrum. =)
posted by Serdic at 08:28
7 Comments:
Congratulations Serdic! I'm proud of you, I know it's not easy and that it'll still tempt you forever. Stay strong :)
Serd! Boy, do I remember when you first started. I am so proud of you too, and inspired. My friend, if you can kick those - you can DO ANYTHING! Go You. :)
Kiy
**Finance geek alert**
how much money will I have if I don't smoke?
rate = 5% (conservative)
nper = 12 (monthly) x # years you want to solve for
pmt = $ you spent on cigs/month
pv = 0
using Excel:
=FV(rate, nper, pmt, pv,)
You can do this with lattes too, but its too depressing :p
Grats Hobbes!
Yeah, that's very depressing. /cry I quit, so yay!
BTW - not sure where "your" calculator gets it's figures, but I am pretty sure the "Life saved:..............21 weeks, 5 days, 5 hours, 20 minute" is an extremely low guesstimate.
Yah, I thought so. I went to the American Lung Assoc's web site - direct quote: "Life expectancy among smokers who quit at age 35 exceeded that of continuing smokers by 6.9 to 8.5 years for men and 6.1 to 7.7 years for women. Smokers who quit at younger ages realize greater life extensions. However, even those who quit much later in life gained some benefits: among smokers who quit at age 55 years, men gained 1.4 to 2.0 year of life, and women gained 2.7 to 3.7 years."
Course, you are Canadian - and not yet 35. ;) Maybe those figures are just for Americans. (hehe) So, just think, we have YEARS and YEARS to enjoy your wittiness! <3 Serd, really - awesome and keep it up!
What? I'm witty? Nobody told me!
I'm always the last to know. =)
Man, that's awesome!
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