7 Things to Do With the Money You Save By Becoming Smoke-Free
Congratulations on becoming smoke-free! A whole new era of opportunity has dawned for you. With the money, you save on healthcare costs, cigarettes, and damage to your home, vehicle, and personal belongings, you have some important decisions to make. What do you do when you suddenly have hundreds of extra dollars available each month with the money you save by becoming smoke-free?
Quitting no doubt took a lot of time, possibly some setbacks, and you may have continued to use nicotine in the form of tobaccoless chew like Black Buffalo or nicotine gum/patches. It doesn’t matter how you quit; what matters is that you’ve left behind cigarettes forever, and you can now focus on your personal health and your financial future. Here are seven things to do with your extra money!
1. Go On Vacation
Quitting smoking can save you around $3,000 per year—and that’s the low end of the spectrum. $3,000 can buy you a cruise or a pretty nice vacation package, like one of these under $5,000. Always wanted to visit Yellowstone? Niagara Falls? Grand Teton? Now you can! And, as a bonus, you won’t be limited by your habit to certain areas of the parks. Most national parks don’t allow smoking, and you wouldn’t want to contribute to polluting the air of the nation’s greatest natural treasures.
Invest
When people hear the word invest, their first thought is usually the stock market. Let’s be honest; the stock market isn’t exactly a friendly place to the average Joe. Investing there requires specific skills and knowledge, and even the best investors lose money.
That’s not to say any investment is 100% safe, but there are certainly more secure investments than others. For example, you could begin investing in yourself by using the extra funds to pursue training or education. Or, you could start a retirement account. You could even fund emergency savings account for any unplanned disasters that life throws your way.
Pay Off A Debt
If you’re in over your head with debt like so many other Americans, it probably feels like you’ll never be free from it. The truth is, anyone can get out from under their debt, but it might take some time, sacrifice, and plenty of discipline. You quit smoking. You beat one of the most addictive substances on the planet; surely, you can conquer your debt.
The money you’ve been spending on cigarettes can go directly to your total debt balance. Start with your smallest debts first (it’s called the snowball effect) and work your way up. The more debts you conquer, the more confident you’ll feel, and the greater your determination will be to conquer the larger debts.
Upgrade Your Living Situation
Could you afford a better apartment or house for an extra $500 dollars per month? For most people, that would be quite the upgrade. Imagine adding an additional bedroom and a few hundred extra square feet of space. You might turn it into your new office, gaming room, or study. You might even expand your family and have another child or add your first one.
A few hundred extra dollars per month can make a huge difference and can help you leave behind bad neighborhoods and your smoke-filled home. If you smoked in the house, you’d probably want to move, as cigarette smoke tends to linger and is incredibly difficult to eliminate entirely.
Upgrade Your Diet
The prevalence of obesity in the US is around 42% and continues to rise each year. That means that nearly half of the population is obese. Part of that trend is linked to our poor diets. We eat diets rich in red meats, sugary drinks, starchy vegetables, and plenty of carbs and fat. We’re seriously lacking in good, healthy foods, and the problem continues to claim the lives of thousands as heart disease remains the #1 killer of adults.
Perhaps it’s time to make a real investment into what you’re putting into your body. You’ve already rid yourself of active poisons from cigarettes, why not take another step and upgrade your diet?
Hire A Personal Trainer
Now that your heart is beginning to recover from the effects of cigarettes, you can start working out again. With your extra money, maybe you can hire the personal trainer you’ve always dreamed of and get into the best shape of your life.
Personal trainers can help you go the extra mile when you want to give up. They’re like your personal support group, helping to hold you accountable for dietary and exercise decisions and keeping you on track to meet your goals.
Learn A New Skill
COVID has provided a catalyst for online training. Sites like Udemy and Khan Academy have seen record numbers of new users since the quarantine began. Learning a new skill can open up a new world of opportunity and improve your skillset. Not to mention, you’ll be able to afford it now that you’ve stopped smoking! Enjoy all the money you save by becoming smoke-free.
