OMG! Cigarettes

[joenali]

DH and I went on a bike ride yesterday. We took the ferry to an island across the sound from us. We stopped at a little mini-mart halfway through our ride.

The person that was in line before us bought a pack of cigarettes for $10!!!! Holy crap! That is so expensive.

I'm not sure if that is the going rate around here or if it was because it was on an island and things have to be shipped in and therefore ups the price a bit.

But geez!! Holy expensive disgusting habit!

[Miel]

It's close to that here in NY, I think maybe $9.50+ per pack? I don't know exactly because I don't smoke but I had the same thought yesterday as I was pumping gas and saw the advertisement for it.

[spunkypenguin]

I know when I moved out of RI, they were around $8/pack (in 2010) - I had friends who smoke. It would drive me crazy when they'd complain about being broke all the time.

I live closer to the south (AKA Tobacco country) now, so they're only about $3-$5/pack. It's still a huge waste of money!!

[statlerwaldorf]

They are around $6 in Ohio.

[jillybean222]

i think they are at least $8-9 here...my brother lives in FL and always brings extra when he visits b/c he knows they cost twice as much here.

[aeroluv327]

I used to smoke (hangs head in shame) and even back in 2001 they were close to $5 a pack in Texas. In NYC they had just gone up to almost $10 a pack. And just think about people who smoke like 2 packs a day!

[carilyn]

In WA they are $$$ because they tax the crap out of them. My husband smokes...ugh. The kind he prefers are $10 a pack. He can get the same for $6 over state line (ID). He could also get a cheaper kind here in WA, but doesn't like them. He's quit for several weeks, and even months at a time, probably a dozen times in the past 7 years...I'm hoping one of these days he'll quit for good...it is a very expensive and gross habit that we can't really afford.

[mrsmc08]

They are super expensive, especially if you aren't smoking a common brand (also harder to find). Luckily mom has only had half a cigarette since leaving the hospital. Thats almost 60 dollars every two weeks I'm saving!

[breezy8407]

Back in my day we bought cigs from the vending machine at the bar for $3, and that was expensive! ALL my friends smoked in college, so having a few while drinking back then was conservative. Having watched a few friends go through quitting, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It seems like the hardest thing they have had to do.

I want to say they are around $6 a pack here, but I haven't looked lately.

[tahiti36]

They are $10 here in Chicago and they are about to go up to $11

[hjohnson050711]

that is so expensive!! i don't smoke and i can't imagine spending that kind of money on something that was bad for me?

i will take this as even more justification for payring for my yoga on a paddleboard classes - expensive but good for you!

[Susie]

It makes the $$$$ that I spend on bikes and other tri gear seem completely and utterly reasonable.

[abramos]

$10?!?!?! Wow. I would imagine that CA is close to that. There is a measure to add an $1 tax for cigs on tomorrows ballot.
I am so glad DH quit five years ago. All that money he has saved (along with his health) is being towards better things like his gold prospecting gear :-)

[Deleted]

I think they are about $5-$7 a pack here depending on brand.

If I must get cancer I would prefer not to purchase it. I have a co-worker who between beer and cigarettes spends AT LEAST $25/day. He always conplains about being broke. I finally told him that when he quits smoking and drinking then I will listen to his money problems until then STFU.

[jennipea382]

They're $5-6 here in MN. FI smokes about a pack a day and I'm at about a half pack. I keep reminding myself if we quit, that's about $60/week and over $3000 a YEAR! We're trying to save for our wedding and eventually kids and a house - this is something we NEED to do! But as someone stated earlier - it's the hardest thing EVER. I went on Chantix and it worked for about a week, but FI stopped taking it and kept smoking. It's seriously impossible to quit when you live with someone that also smokes!

Not to hijack the thread, but if anyone has some tips, let me know.. I'm sick of it!

[megalicious]

Not to mention how much time I spend everyday trying to teach people to swallow again who have had parts of their mouth or throat resected because they smoked 40 years ago... I spent an hour today with a guy who can't even swallow his own spit yet and has been stuck in the hospital for 3 months because of it.

[mrsmc08]

My mom smoked for 51 years. She has cancer and its not lung cancer. So just because someone smokes doesn't mean they will get lung cancer.

[jennipea382]

Jun 5, 2012 12:35:20 GMT -5 mrsmc08 said:

My mom smoked for 51 years. She has cancer and its not lung cancer. So just because someone smokes doesn't mean they will get lung cancer.

You know, this is true. My FI's grandma never smoked a day in her life and she's always been pretty healthy, and now she is battling stage 4 breast cancer. It's not lung cancer, but it goes to show that it can happen to anyone. Same thing with my great aunt and uncle. Both died from cancer, neither ever smoked.

Although on the flip side, my grandpa and his brother both smoked and died of lung cancer when I was young. I barely knew my grandpa. I keep telling myself that I don't want that to happen to me. I want to know my grandkids! I knew him a very short time and I only remember him being sick. He has two more grandchildren he never got to meet. I keep trying to remind myself of this but the cravings are too strong most of the time. Short term vs. long term I guess...

[sadlebred]

My MIL smokes and has had breast cancer. My mom smokes and has had numerous cancerous polyps removed from her throat over the years. Both have been smoking since they were teenagers. Cancer doesn't run in either family.