Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I have been such a Fool !!

For those who follow this blog you may remember my New Years Declaration post. Well, I have been doing some thinking about it and thought I would run some numbers just to seen how much I have wasted and how much I will save by making these changes. I am focusing on Cigarettes and Pop in this post. To my way of thinking I will be more devoted to the task when I see how much money I can save since my health obviously hasn't mattered much to me. The numbers nearly made me hit the floor although I should have hit the roof after seeing my wasteful ways. And here I am trying to live a life with less consumerism. Check out the stupidity below.


20 cans of Diet Coke per day = 7300 cans per year = 608.33 Twelve packs per year @ $3.18 = $1934.49 per year or $161.20 per month or $40.30 per week.


1 1/2 pack of cigarettes per day = 547.5 packs per year = 54.75 cartons per year @ $27.56 per carton = $1508.91 per year or $125.74 per month or $31.43 per week.



Savings of quiting both


$3443.40 per year

$286.95 per month

$71.74 per week

$10.25 per day


Kinda knocks ya off your feet don't it !! I hang my head in shame looking at the amount of money that I have wasted that could have gone to improve the life of my family. Just think of the amount of food storage that represents........the upgrade to solar power that would make us independent of the energy company's (and a few years of this budget would do that).........the debts that could be satisfied and gone forever..........the money that could have been saved away for emergencies. Keep in mind also that this is a conservative dollar amount too. There are times (many of them too) that I run out of these that I have bought at a (bargain?) and had to run out and pay even more for these items of destruction at close by convenience stores. So the amount shown is actually more. Now add to that the fuel cost for these addiction runs and it's even more!


Well that all stops on January 1, 2009 !!! No longer will I be controlled by my addictions !! No longer will I be money in the bank to those that manufacture and sell these products !! No longer will I smoke and drink away the future well being of my family !! The Buck Stops Here !!

12 comments:

Patricia said...

Lobelia is good for quitting the smokes. You can maybe find a tincture in an herb store or capsules. Or buy some bulk lobelia from an online herb place (I like mountain rose herbs, myself) and make a tincture. It's one of the best herbs for smoking addiction. Good luck. We smoke too, but we roll our own for a big savings. Still, that's money we don't need to spend. Good luck with quitting!

To make a tincture, mix 3/4 cup of cut herb or powdered herb with a pint of brandy or vodka or run. Put it in a glass canning jar. Shake it twice daily for sixteen days. During a full or new moon, strain the herb through cotton or a coffee filter. Take 5-7 drops beneath the tongue a few times a day. It'll help.
HM

Anonymous said...

Wow!That gave me goose bumps! Money is a great incentive isn't it? Well, you have the determination. I will be praying for you. (Yes, I think you will need some help, but we all do!:-)) Have a great day! Gen--IL Homesteader

Pintura Springs said...

Good for you!! It really makes you stop and think when you get down to the daily and weekly savings.

TEAM HALL said...

That's a lot of beans, bullets and band-aids, my friend!
Cath

Marie said...

Hey, the extra money will be nice to have, but I bet your family is even more excited about the positive health effects than they are about the positive cash flow when you kick these habits. After all, just like you said about Katie, I'm sure they would say that any price on YOU no one could afford. The monetary price will hopefully help motivate you to keep kicking the habits, but use it for you, not against you...hey, you're quitting, and this will no longer be an issue...and I say, good for you.

Anonymous said...

Bravo! I think seeing those numbers are a step in the right direction...you have motivation now, not just someone telling you to quit smoking or whatever. You'll do it!

Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

Mama used to nag Daddy about smoking cigarettes, how much money he was wasting on those cancer sticks. Well, after years of smoking, he finally quit, all were so proud.

Then, his blood pressure shot up, and the blood pressure medicine cost more than the cigarettes. :-)

The Scavenger said...

Patricia, thank you for that, I will try to find some of those capsules for sure. I quit last year for 3 months using the patch. But I fell right back into my habit, not gonna let that happen again.
The tincture sounds great but, I ahve to stay away from the 'drink', been down that long long road too. One drink and I'd be back to a 1/5 a day. lol

Gen, I am determined for sure. I am planning my attack. I need all prayers, thank you.

Spinner, those numbers will wake ya up for sure. Makes it easy to see the waste and the posible savings. That works best for me to see it like that.

Cath, you got that one right honey, alot of good preps gone to waste over the years. The end is near though.

Marie, sorry to say that I have other health problems that I am told will just get worse with time no matter what. But hey, I'm gonna have to feel a little better so it will all be alright. For now I will dwell on the bad things these habits are causing, makes me see them as the enemy.

Warren, you got it buddy, Those numbers don't lie either.

Joanna, now that sucks. If that were me and she nagged me all those years, I couldn't help but smile a little when the subject was brought up again. hehehe!!!

Well, what a support team I ahve here. You guys are better than AA. lol Thank you all for your great comments and I hope if you have something that is robbing you of a better life, you will use this post as a way to look at them a little closer. What are they costing you and yours?? I really didn't know until I put it down on paper. WOW !! What an eye opener, try it and see your waste or savings and let me know. Thank you all so much for taking time to encourage me, You're the BEST.

Chris

Amy said...

CONGRATULATIONS! I also quit smoking on March 16, 2007. Jim and I both smoked and by my estimates we now save over $80 per WEEK. You will be so glad you made the decision to do it.

I'll be honest with you. Quitting cold turkey was the way for me to go. I just had to make the decision to do it and stick to it. It was painful and it affected my ability to sleep but after almost two years I am still smoke free. Jim & I are both glad we quit, and so are our boys. Our clothes smell nice, our hair smells nice and we feel great.

I didn't feel really in control of my addiction until about 6 months had passed. Every once in a while I still get the urge, especially after dinner when I have my coffee. But I refuse to give in and let the addiction beat me.

You WILL succeed Chris. People like you don't accept anything but winning! If you need any help or just a shoulder to lean on you can count on me. I have been where you are right now and I'm here to tell you that YOU CAN DO IT!

The Scavenger said...

Amy, you got me to feeling good about this thing. I know I can do it. I quit last year on new years and went 3 months without a smoke. It was really easy there at first, but then I had a lot of pain and had to go to the Dr. and get some shots in my back. I'm talking about railroad spike kinda shots, 4 of 'em. Thought I would die before I got home (3 1/2 hour drive). I was shakin on the inside it hurt so bad, my nerves snapped and I had to have a smoke, just one to calm me down a little. Well you know the rest of the story. I'm glad you and Jim are still smoke free and I know you are too. I am commited and I will make it this time. Thanks for the encouragement and kind words, means a lot to this old boy.

Chris

I drive my tractor in pearls... said...

Last February I gave up Dr. Pepper - actually all carbonated beverages. It gave me a headache for 1 day until I discovered coffee and I never looked back.

Just in regards to my stomach, it has made all the difference. I no longer have a yucky feeling at the end of the day, my skin is smoother (I drink more water now) and I just feel so much better.

I cant imagine how GREAT you will feel giving up the coke and the cigarettes!

You wont look back and YOU CAN SO DO IT!!!

The Scavenger said...

I drive my tractor in pearl, first let me say that I love that name, it's too cool....lol I too need to give up all my soda drinks, I know that stuff is killing me. The smokes aren't helping much either I'm sure. Thanks for your comment and thanks for stopping by, hope you come back often.

Chris