Quit Smoking - How Much Can I Save?

While the financial aspects of smoking shouldn't be the only reason that you should consider quiting, you probably aren't aware how much this habit is actually costing you. That's because when people talk about the cost of smoking, rarely do they go beyond the price of the cigarettes. A pack a day at a cost of $4.00 comes to just under $1,500 a year and it's left at that. While this is a large number that should get your attention, in reality it's just the tip of the iceberg.

There are a large number of hidden costs associated with smoking. These are costs that are rarely examined when people talk about how much their smoking habit costs. Some come in the form of higher payments due to the risks associated with smoking while others come from a decrease in an assets worth due to smoking.
The following are some of the additional costs associated with smoking beyond that packs you purchase to show how much you really can save if you kick the habit:

• life insurance Since statistics show that smokers die at a younger age than non smokers, the cost for life insurance is much more than for those who don't smoke - sometime more than double the premium. This can mean thousands of dollars a year more in life insurance premium payments.
• Health care While smokers pay more for their health insurance, they don't get any extra benefit over non smokers for doing so. Since smokers usually have more medical problems and more frequent visits to the doctor, they pay more each year for health care than non smokers.
• Dental care Smokers have more dental problems than non smokers. More trips to the dentist results in more money spend than non smokers. In addition, smokers often have to pay more for special toothpastes to keep teeth from yellowing and breath fresheners to hide the smell of the cigarettes.
• Earn Less Money There have been a number of studies which have found that smokers earn between 4% to 11% less money than their non smoking counterparts. In fact, you may be denied employment because you smoke. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) National Workrights Institute estimates that there are more than 6,000 companies in the US that refuse to hire smokers
  

Understand the real costs of smoking