Times are tough right now, and that means we’re all looking for ways to cut back on our spending. For some people this means it is a terrific time to quit smoking. There are plenty of reasons to quit, of course, but when it comes down to purely financial issues many people find it’s the right motivation they need to stop smoking for good.
The motivation comes when you start to pay closer attention to your budget. Whether you have been laid off, had your salary cut, or simply want to be more careful about how and where you spend your money. Then putting together a budget is an excellent first step for you.
As you make your budget and write down your categories of spending, set out a separate category just for cigarettes instead of including them in a broader category such as groceries, entertainment, or the like. With cigarettes separated out it’s easier to see just how much money they are costing you each month which in turn is much more likely to get you motivated to quit.
Another way this can be useful is that it allows you to take some or all of the money you’re currently spending on cigarettes and put it into different categories instead. For instance, if you cut your cigarette spending in half you can put the money saved into a category for something fun like movie rentals, eating out for lunch, or the like.
If you’re saving up for something special you can put your cigarette savings into that category and watch how that extra money gets you closer to achieving your goal in a shorter amount of time.
If you’re still struggling with giving up cigarettes as part of your budget, switch tactics a bit and find ways to make the actual purchase of cigarettes more difficult. For example, make a rule for yourself that you will only use cash to buy cigarettes instead of paying for them on a credit card as part of other purchases. Just the act of having to open up your wallet, count out the cash, and give it to the clerk can be a powerful motivator in your efforts to quit smoking. When you use your creativity and imagination, you’re much more likely to come up with ways to take advantage of tough economic times as an opportunity to quit smoking for good.
To your success,
Dr. Howell, M.D.
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