We are all well aware (or at least should be) of the significant health risks associated with smoking cigarettes, however most smokers don’t consider the amount of money they are losing on the habit.
The cost of a pack of cigarettes has increased greatly in the last 5 years due to litigation and taxing of tobacco companies. While some people may remember a pack of cigarettes costing barely two dollars, the new reality is seven to ten dollars per pack. Let’s take a look at what it would cost to smoke a pack a day for one year at $8 per pack:
$8/pack
x 365
—————
$2,920
It costs nearly $3,000 dollars per year to smoke a pack a day at $8 per pack, and that’s not the end of the story. If you took that money and simply placed it in a savings account with 3% interest, you could gain another $90 on what would normally be up in smoke.
Last but certainly not least, is the cost of health care for a smoker. If you contract any of the common lung diseases related to smoking such as Emphysema (now commonly known as COPD), Asthma or lung cancer, you could be in for literally millions of dollars in medical costs over your lifetime, not to mention the lower quality of life you may lead due to illness.
We’ve all had to face addiction problems at some point in our lives, and while it’s never easy, it’s quite simple to see that your wallet can be harmed as much as your health when it comes to smoking.
