Summary

The author shares their personal journey of quitting smoking after realizing the financial and health costs, the annoyance of others asking for cigarettes, and the false belief that smoking provides pleasure or relieves boredom, ultimately finding greater satisfaction in writing and investing.

Abstract

The article "Why (and how) I quit smoking" details the author's decision to quit smoking after a five-year habit that began casually in 2018. The author identifies the high financial cost of smoking, the intrusiveness of others asking for cigarettes, and the misconception that smoking is pleasurable as key motivators for quitting. They calculate the significant amount of money wasted on cigarettes that could have been invested for future financial freedom. The author also expresses frustration with the sense of entitlement from other smokers who ask for free cigarettes. Recognizing that smoking does not alleviate boredom or provide true enjoyment, the author has replaced the habit with more fulfilling activities such as writing and programming. The article recommends the book "The Easy Way To Stop Smoking" for its effective method of breaking the psychological addiction to nicotine by debunking myths about smoking's benefits and emphasizing the importance of replacing the habit with more enjoyable activities. The author concludes with a commitment to never smoke again, finding greater reward in creative expression and learning through writing and reading.

Opinions

Smoking is an expensive habit that diverts funds from more meaningful investments.
The author resents the sense of entitlement from other smokers who expect free cigarettes.
Smoking does not offer the pleasure or stress relief that many believe it does; these are withdrawal symptoms being misinterpreted.
Engaging in creative activities like writing and programming provides more genuine satisfaction than smoking.
"The Easy Way To Stop Smoking" is a recommended resource for understanding and overcoming the psychological addiction to smoking.
The author believes that stating their commitment to quitting publicly will help them adhere to their decision.
Smoking is seen as a mundane and valueless activity compared to the rewards of writing and personal growth.

Why (and how) I quit smoking

I knew it was time to make a change

As of the publication of this story, I no longer smoke. I have been smoking cigarettes since 2018. It all started when I was smoking marijuana with my friend. He rolled joints with tobacco in them. Thinking it was only a little bit of tobacco I had a few drags of these joints. Before I knew it I was buying cigarettes from the gas station.

I have been smoking cigarettes for five years. My father used to tell me how addictive cigarettes were and until I was 26, I never had a cigarette in my life. I really shouldn’t have puffed from my friend’s joints. That hit of dopamine the nicotine provided was very pleasurable. That little bit of tobacco gave a lot of pleasure. Five years later, I have smoked tens of thousands of dollars worth of tobacco and I haven’t had that same pleasure since.

So I thought enough was enough. This is a complete waste of money. Here’s why (and how) I stopped smoking.

It was costing too much

The biggest reason why I want to quit smoking is that it is costing me too much money. Money which is better invested. I was smoking up to two packs of cigarettes a day. A pack of cigarettes is $5. That’s $10 a day, which works out to be $3600 a year. That amount invested at a 7% return would yield around $50,000. That’s my down payment for the home I want to buy.

I keep talking about how I want to have enough money to have more freedom. $50,000 invested would create a decent passive income through index fund dividends. That’s enough to pay for a transcontinental flight each year indefinitely.

I was funnelling all this money to cigarettes. I have big dreams and I want to go big. But I have to walk before I can run. Quitting cold turkey today is a good first step.

Other smokers don’t try to change

One of the things I hate about smoking is whenever people see me smoking a cigarette they ask me for a cigarette. I need all the money I can get to invest if I want to achieve my goals. That’s why I don’t give people cigarettes.

Half the time I decline requests for a cigarette, people get angry. People are so entitled they think they have the right to my hard-earned cigarettes. I should at least be able to enjoy the illusion of the pleasure of a cigarette and not give it to someone else.

The way some of these losers act is they think they’re so cool they should get a cigarette from a random stranger flor nothing. And if you say no, they continue to bother me for cigarettes. Pay for your own cigarettes and stop bothering me.

It baffles me how people think they are so important they should be given cigarettes for nothing. Yes, I used to beg for money myself, but at least I’m trying.

Smoking does not fill a void, it causes it

I thought (and to some extent still do) that I got something out of cigarettes. All the cigarette does is feel relief from the effects of the nicotine withdrawal. I smoke a cigarette and a couple of hours later that hunger kicks in.

What you need to do to quit smoking is find something to do. I thought smoking cigarettes helps with boredom. It doesn’t.

For the longest time, I thought coding and writing felt more like a chore as opposed to something fun. It wasn’t until today that I realized cigarettes are not exciting at all. Writing and programming are vastly more exciting than having a drag. I know this is the case because whenever I start writing and programming, I get into it. The thought of having a cigarette enters my mind but I keep working on my article. This goes to show these activities are more fun than taking a drag.

The Easy Way To Stop Smoking

This is a book that I can’t recommend enough. If you want to stop smoking, this book has the information you need to stop smoking cold turkey. The key is to replace the old smoking habit with something equally or more enjoyable than smoking.

The book talks about a “big monster” and a “little monster”. The “big monster” is the brainwashing the tobacco companies subject us to convince us that cigarettes are pleasurable.. The “little monster” is the withdrawal pangs.

The book talks about common beliefs about smoking like it relaxing you, helping you with concentrating, relieving stress etc. The reality is these things are caused by smoking. If you stop smoking, eventually these things will go away.

Your body will crave tobacco but you need to remember that this is only because you smoked your first cigarette. Let that monster die and kick the smoking habit for good. I would recommend reading the book for more information.

Conclusion

After I publish this article, I will never smoke again. I feel if I state this to my readers, I am more likely to stick to it. It’s annoying people asking me for cigarettes. If I don’t smoke, people won’t ask me as often (although people have thrown fits at me even if I didn’t have cigarettes on me).

Smoking is not precious. There is nothing more mundane than smoking cigarettes. At least with writing, you get to talk about whatever you want. For me, it’s a bigger reward to see my follower count go up.

Expressing myself through writing and learning more about investing through articles by other writers on the platform is such a better investment than smoking For about the price of 10 packs of cigarettes, I am offered a vast wealth of information about whatever I want. I also love being able to listen to the article while reading it. Reading, comprehending, and commenting intelligently is worth it.

So here I go. I am quitting. ANd I couldn’t be happier.