Tip #9 is a hard one. A very hard one.
If you are a smoker, drinker, or have some fix that you can’t do without, you will know quitting is just not easy.
I had a nasty habit and was a smoker for years. I tried quitting MANY times only to relapse and find myself smoking again. It was so SO hard to quit. Anyone that’s quit (or even tried to quit, knows).
Finally, one month after I got married, I woke up one day and decided that was it. I was not going to smoke anymore. I knew I wanted a family and I did not want cigarettes to be a part of that. For the first time in my life, quitting was easy.
By quitting, I was saving HUGE EVERY month as I was a pack a day smoker and that added up quickly.
My husband was smoking a carton a week. I *believe* that a carton costs about $40 these days and if that is correct, that equates to $2080 a year with a monthly average of $173 every month. That’s huge!
If you drink (as we did socially on the weekends back then), you are adding that much more to the financial mix.
What does a case of beer cost? Maybe $16? If you are consuming 2 cases a month, that’s an additional $384. This is if you are drinking at home. Consider the costs of drinking in bars or restaurants. It’s so much more!
While I don’t think you should cut out the things you enjoy doing, I do suggest you calculate just how much you are spending so you can see the true financial impact.
With smoking, the costs go beyond the trip to the store each week. Life insurance is considerably higher and it does not drop the moment you stop smoking. Some policies state you have to be smoke free for 5 years to get a non-smoker rate. FIVE YEARS! Then, consider health insurance. Some policies are starting to charge more if you smoke. The effects have a domino effect that might be enough to convince you it’s a great time to kick that habit if you can.
There are so many tools out there to help these days and the support of those who love you goes a long way. If you find the time has come (as I did over 6 years ago), ask for help and make it happen! I know you can do it!
Your loved ones and your wallet will thank you!
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Hey now. You’re not supposed to figure the total of beer consumption. Here’s the math I like better. Assume that those beers are $3 a bottle if you have them at the restaurant or bar. That would be $1728 for the year. So at drinking at home and enjoying your backyard only costs $384. So you’re SAVING $1344. ;P