• chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      It’s really not. If you smoke half a pack a day, it can be cheaper than a starbucks coffee or craft beer. I’m not advocating for it, but as a former pack a day smoker, my budget didn’t really change after I stopped smoking. Honestly, it used to be more expensive, it feels like. Now everything is crazy expensive.

      • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Out here in Cali, a pack is $10. I just bought pounds of pipe tobacco and tubes, and rolled them. That would run me about $35-$40 a month.

        • errer@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Again though: half a pack is only $5. A can of craft beer is easily more than that. And any espresso drink easily runs you $5+ in CA nowadays.

      • ____@infosec.pub
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        6 months ago

        With ya. I smoke an odd brand that’s hard to get, in a state that (rightfully) taxes the shit out of them.

        Still costs me an even C-note every two weeks, same as always. Have I cut back, probably. But mostly because I’ve started to face my own bullshit instead of expecting smoking to fix it for me.

        I straight up enjoy my Kamel Reds, and while I don’t want to model that to the next generation, I’m the better part of thirty pack-years in.

        I can either take the risk, or downright break all the other mental health progress I’ve made. Since I have a wife and some folks I care deeply about in my life, imma go with the mental health.

        For unrelated reasons, I once was an unmitigated SOB in any interaction. On the rare chances I’ve been in hospital, I’ve been miserable.

        Right or wrong, I prefer to communicate with people rather than attack them, and quitting now would not help that.

        RJR can have my money, they won’t get the next genration’s money. We have dispensaries, video gaming, and casinos on every corner in my state. My choice of vice could be far worse, and I’m kind of grateful that I settled on smokes, and not gambling.

    • Akasazh@feddit.nl
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      6 months ago

      It’s a pretty nasty habit to kick. It becomes a bit like the metaphor of the boiling frog. Certainly in that your consumption gradually increases.