The Choices We Make
Most people understand the cost of smoking. These costs tend most often to be measured in years taken off a smokers life. For reasons I think you can understand, I prefer not to think of the costs of my 20+ years of smoking in these terms.
However, there are ways to appreciate the cost of smoking that not only I but my wine loving readers CAN appreciate: The financial outlay.
Let's assume I'm cheap and buy a pack and a half of cigarettes on a daily basis costing $4.00 per pack (and that is cheap her in California). This makes my annual outlay for smoking at $2,190.00. That number may or may not look like much to you. However, there are different ways of looking at what $2,190.00 represents to people like us:
1. Five Cases of 2006 Stony Hill Chardonnay
2. Two bottles of 1995 Chateau Petrus
3. Round-trip airfare to Paris, 7 day car rental, seven days in Bordeaux hotel
4. One VinoTemp 280-Bottle Wine Cooling Cabinet
5. Sixty one cases of Two-Buck Chuck
6. Antique Georgian Ship's Glass Wine Decanter c. 1795
7. Six Gifts of Monthly, 2-bottle Wine Club shipments
8. Two "All American Day Passes" to the Napa Valley Auction
9. 137 Shares of Constellation Brands stock
10. Two bottles of 1990 Krug Clos du Mesnil
I'm not sure which of these alternatives to purchasing 10,950 cigarettes I'd go for first. But at this point nearly all of them would do just fine.
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Quitting Smoking: Day 6 Update
I'm still a quitter. Though, I still think of myself as a smoker. That has to change. The past couple of days the cravings have gotten a bit more intense. Learning to embrace and feel the intensity of the cravings, observe them and watch them fade, giving me the strength to know I can overcome them when they return. Sleep is still not as sound as I'd like. Not too much weight gain yet. Becoming connoisseur of sunflower seeks. (prefer the larger variety).
The choice is obvious.
Hang in there, Tom. It takes 21 days to break a habit, they say. Are you rewarding yourself for each successful day? Don’t forget to take a walk in the nice Fall weather we’re having!
For me, it’s a tossup between the wine cabinet and the Krug. Who am I kidding… I’d take the Krug.
You are realizing the financial consequences of your habit. This is good.
Keep slugging, man.
I had a next door neighbor, she smoked three packs a day for fifty years; she lived to be 97. She was a tough lady, but you seem like a tough guy, Tom. Hold steady to your cause and you’ll have plenty of years ahead of you to redirect that money in ways my neighbor never could.
Just thought this was interesting, factual and funny so wanted to share.
Love you,
Glarisa
Glarisa
Same thing with gourmet beef.
How are you doing with quitting? I managed to stop for 2 weeks and I’m so mad at myself that I started again. Thanks for blogging about it. I made myself a website to try to help myself know the benefits of quitting, but I guess it still has not all quite sunk in yet.
Quiting smoking can be hard, but you need to believe in yourself and be dedicated. I use to smoke, and slowly I was able to finally quit.