Author Topic: The tax is too damn high! (Read 8629 times)

komnaes · « **on:** February 23, 2011, 11:59:00 pm »

With the new govt budget here in Hong Kong, they have again increased the sale tax on cigarettes 3 years in a row. The price is still not as high as, say, San Francisco where I used to live or even Singapore; it's about US$7 a pack, but it may finally make the decision for me.

I tried twice to quit since diagnosis - first with Chantix but the side effects for me (losing sleep, anxiety, etc) were too much, then last year I tried cold turkey and ceased for like a month, the longest ever since I started smoking 20 years ago.

I decided to try again since last night.. cold turkey again, hope it works out..

Shaun

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #1 on:** February 24, 2011, 12:01:31 am »

Good luck, Shaunie

leatherman · « **Reply #2 on:** February 24, 2011, 12:06:33 am »

good luck!
it was the finances (when OH was putting on another tax hike) rather than any health issues that caused me to stop smoking too. Buy a big bag of lifesaver wint-o-green or pep-o-mints and take using those whenever you have a craving.

Ann · « **Reply #3 on:** February 24, 2011, 06:31:57 am »

Good luck, Shaun!

How much are ciggies in the States? The brand I buy is one of the cheapest here at £5.25 ($8.50) a pack, but brands like Marlborough are well over £6.00 - closer to $10.50. Most of that is tax.

Jeff G · « **Reply #4 on:** February 24, 2011, 08:21:49 am »

Good luck Shaun ... I am 4 months cigarette free here and feel better for it . I went cold turkey , still think I want one some time but for me the reward of not smoking outweighs going back .

Where I live cigarettes cost about $46.00 dollars for a carton of 10 , not as bad as some other places but bad enough that it was a factor in my quitting.

GSOgymrat · « **Reply #5 on:** February 24, 2011, 08:22:18 am »

Each week you should put the money that you would have spent on cigarettes in a clear jar and place it where you will see every day. Set a goal for yourself that if you don't smoke for a period of time, say 3 months, you will spend that money on something fun. Good luck!

woodshere · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2011, 09:40:58 am »

Quote from: Ann on February 24, 2011, 06:31:57 am

Good luck, Shaun!

How much are ciggies in the States? The brand I buy is one of the cheapest here at £5.25 ($8.50) a pack, but brands like Marlborough are well over £6.00 - closer to $10.50. Most of that is tax.

I smoke Camels and they are around $4.50 - 4.75 (remember I live in Kentucky, the state with one of the highest rates of lung cancer in the country and tobacco was once King. We're not big on improving our health obviously). Sometimes can they are sold with $1 off coupon, so a real bargin...

I need to quit for no other reason than money, figured I could raise my salary by over $1800/year. Tried to quit one time, put on 10 lbs in a month. Have had Chantix in the cabinet for almost 3 months just won't start, not sure I could handle the stress at work without a cigarette.

Hope you are successful!!!

Woods, who is heading out for a smoke.

komnaes · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2011, 10:34:11 am »

Somehow I always have the impression that average prices in the Bay Area are much higher, though I have to say I am not entirely sure now. I want to say around USD$8 but it could just be around 6. What I would always do in the past was to buy a carton or two of duty free Camel Light (my brand for two decades.. sigh... ) in the airport before arriving.. so unless I stayed more than 2 weeks, which I rarely did, I would always have enough.

So it seems the price here now is definitely higher.. and prices in London/UK and New York are just freaking ridiculous really... even as I am trying to quit.

Oh well, I manage to hang on for a total of 24 hrs now..

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #8 on:** February 24, 2011, 10:56:25 am »

A pack is $5-$6 in Philadelphia. 90 miles up the road they are $11-$12 in NYC. Since beginning steep rises in prices in NYC almost a decade ago they've cut the smoking rate by 20%, and now only 15% of the adult residents smoke. Philadelphia, however, has more non-adult smokers than any other major US city.

AlanBama · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2011, 11:04:08 am »

Good luck! I hope you are able to successfully quit smoking !

denb45 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 24, 2011, 11:05:03 am »

Quote from: jg1962 on February 24, 2011, 08:21:49 am

Good luck Shaun ... I am 4 months cigarette free here and feel better for it . I went cold turkey , still think I want one some time but for me the reward of not smoking outweighs going back .

Where I live cigarettes cost about $46.00 dollars for a carton of 10 , not as bad as some other places but bad enough that it was a factor in my quitting.

I'm 15 yrs. smoke free,

nasty fucking habit, isn't it

drewm · « **Reply #11 on:** February 24, 2011, 11:42:30 am »

My partner pays $9.00 for two packs. He smokes Marlboro. I used to live in Indiana where it seems like everyone smoked. My dad died of lung cancer, started smoking when he was 11. It stinks, it's gross it is a nasty, nasty habit but I certainly understand the power of the addiction.

I hope people that want to stop are able to kick it.

wolfter · « **Reply #12 on:** February 24, 2011, 12:26:06 pm »

Here in Ohio, we pay about $6.50 for name brand cigarettes. I too did the Chantix thing for 3 months and it did nothing. I'm in the process of moving back to my home and plan on quitting again. I've quit many times, the longest was 3 years. I didn't start until my diagnosis thinking no harm no foul. Little did I think I'd still be around a couple of decades later.

I'm currently living with my mother who is a living chimney and it'd be too difficult to quit now. Good luck and good patience.

leatherman · « **Reply #13 on:** February 24, 2011, 01:28:59 pm »

Quote from: wolfter on February 24, 2011, 12:26:06 pm

I didn't start until my diagnosis thinking no harm no foul.

well smoking does increase the cd4 slightly, so that wasn't the worst thing you could have done after being dx'ed. LOL

Quote from: wolfter on February 24, 2011, 12:26:06 pm

Little did I think I'd still be around a couple of decades later

my doc back in Oh and I used to "chat" about this frequently. I only had two vices - drinking too much Coke and smoking; and since I was "dying" I sure didn't see any reason to stop doing what I enjoyed. But then those yrs kept going by and I kept not dying

, so I lost the moral high ground for my objection. I haven't smoked in 759 days now; but I'm still chugging the Coke.

mecch · « **Reply #14 on:** February 24, 2011, 05:55:06 pm »

5-7 USD in Switzerland.
Duty free in Switzerland is rock bottom.
Course nothing beats those prices in Egypt!

Good luck quitting.

WillyWump · « **Reply #15 on:** February 24, 2011, 07:43:54 pm »

I pay $6.98 for my Parliament Lights 100's. Luckily I'm down to a pack every 2 days.

-W

phildinftlaudy · « **Reply #16 on:** February 24, 2011, 08:10:16 pm »

Here in South Florida, at the corner store by my house where they are cheapest, I pay $6 for a pack of Newports (up from $5.35 about a year ago ---- two price increases in the last year). Down on South Beach they run $8.00 a pack and at the store by where I work in downtown Miami I pay $7.50 - if I am stupid enough to run out and have to buy a pack there.

Even the Indian reservation - which used to have the lowest price, implemented their own tax (as they are not required to put federal or state tax on them) -- they now run about $5.60 a pack.

I figured it out, and at $6 a pack - I'm spending $2,190 a year. I'm gearing up to quit --- I quit about 10 years ago cold turkey and was off them for 4 years --- then started a new job where all my colleagues smoked and picked it back up again having those smoking meetings outside.

Nasty, dirty, smelly habit ----

I just joined Bally's two days ago --- so, it now makes even less sense to keep smoking....

wolfter · « **Reply #17 on:** August 05, 2011, 07:38:05 am »

Shaun, how has the smoking issue gone? I'm on day 3 myself and am still in the total bitch aspect of it. Man, I forgot how hard those first few days are.

bocker3 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 05, 2011, 07:48:26 am »

Quote from: wolfter on August 05, 2011, 07:38:05 am

Shaun, how has the smoking issue gone? I'm on day 3 myself and am still in the total bitch aspect of it. Man, I forgot how hard those first few days are.

Well, here's hoping this is the last time you have to experience these first few days. Good luck!

Mike

spacebarsux · « **Reply #19 on:** August 05, 2011, 08:01:26 am »

Here in India you can buy loose cigarettes for Rs. 5 each. Its so hard to give up!

David_CA · « **Reply #20 on:** August 05, 2011, 04:27:42 pm »

I quit back in Dec '90. I did it kinda planned out / kinda cold turkey. I cut out all caffeine about two weeks before a randomly chosen quit date. At the time, I was smoking about two packs a day. The day of my quit date, I went out and bought two more packs. After around 5:00, I forced myself to smoke as many as I could. I chain smoked like you wouldn't believe. I actually made it through about three and a half packs that day. I finally had to quit lighting them, as I could barely breathe. The next day, even the thought of a cigarette made me feel sick; their smell was even worse. I started back with the caffeine at that point - stimulant for a different stimulant. For a long time, thinking about smoking one would bring back memories of how bad I felt that night.

The result - I haven't smoked since. I know that if I try even one, I'll likely start back. It's exactly like an alcoholic who can't get started with even one drink. My ex, on the other hand, can have a cigarette every now and again without starting back... bitch!

My advice... don't even go through the motions of quitting if you are not going to quit. I did not give myself the option to smoke ever again. Good luck to those who are trying to quit.

spacebarsux · « **Reply #21 on:** August 05, 2011, 04:37:29 pm »

Quitting smoking is eeeeeezy. I do it everyday.

Inchlingblue · « **Reply #22 on:** August 05, 2011, 05:30:27 pm »

I live in NYC and was with a friend when he was buying a pack at one of those Korean delis and it was $12.50. He's rich enough that it would not make a difference for him unless the price went up to about $50, and even then he might not care.

WillyWump · « **Reply #23 on:** August 05, 2011, 06:30:22 pm »

Good luck Wolf, Im on week 10 and it's eazy breezy. I was home free after about 3 days.

Of course, there is that extra 19 pounds I have put on in 2months. But I needed it

btw, I've saved $717.50 since I've quit. Thats not chump change, and when you think of the money it makes it easier to quit.

-Will

leatherman · « **Reply #24 on:** August 05, 2011, 06:36:34 pm »

Quote from: wolfter on August 05, 2011, 07:38:05 am

I'm on day 3 myself

dang! I was hoping to hang out with you some in Seattle for the 2nd-hand smoke.

Good going though and good luck!!!

james3000 · « **Reply #25 on:** August 05, 2011, 07:09:13 pm »

I live near an Indian reservation the last time I looked at the price you can get a bag of 200 smokes for $10 CAD or the more upmarket ones were $18 CAD for a carton of 200.

wolfter · « **Reply #26 on:** August 05, 2011, 07:33:27 pm »

I think that even my dog is thinking I'm the bitch. The first Friday night in ages that nobody is asking me do something.

WillyWump · « **Reply #27 on:** August 05, 2011, 07:50:27 pm »

Quote from: james3000 on August 05, 2011, 07:09:13 pm

I live near an Indian reservation the last time I looked at the price you can get a bag of 200 smokes for $10 CAD or the more upmarket ones were $18 CAD for a carton of 200.

Damn, where were you when I was smoking?

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #28 on:** August 05, 2011, 08:54:47 pm »

Quote from: WillyWump on August 05, 2011, 06:30:22 pm

Good luck Wolf, Im on week 10 and it's eazy breezy. I was home free after about 3 days.

Of course, there is that extra 19 pounds I have put on in 2months. But I needed it

btw, I've saved $717.50 since I've quit. Thats not chump change, and when you think of the money it makes it easier to quit.

-Will

I don't spend that much I'm quite sure. I guess I'm allowed to smoke until I'm in my 60's like Catherine Deneuve.

leatherman · « **Reply #29 on:** August 05, 2011, 09:47:48 pm »

Quote from: WillyWump on August 05, 2011, 06:30:22 pm

btw, I've saved $717.50 since I've quit.

I wouldn't doubt that. I have saved $3,489 a year by quitting smoking 922 days ago.
($4.78 a pack X 2 packs a day X 365 days a year)

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #30 on:** August 05, 2011, 09:54:57 pm »

At what point does one stop counting every single day? Seriously honey, you're about to reach a thousand.

leatherman · « **Reply #31 on:** August 05, 2011, 09:59:12 pm »

Quote from: Miss Philicia on August 05, 2011, 09:54:57 pm

At what point does one stop counting every single day? Seriously honey, you're about to reach a thousand.

ok then, call it nearly two and a half yrs ago.

counting the days is easy though. I planned it out so my 47th day w/o cigs was my 47th bday. So it's been 2 yrs and 145 days plus 47 days.

buginme2 · « **Reply #32 on:** August 05, 2011, 10:08:00 pm »

I got ya beat leatherman, I quit 3 years ago (THANK YOU CHANTIX)

Smokes are $9 a pack here in Seattle, Average a pack every 2 days..thats almost $5000

Best investment I've ever made. Yes its rediculous<<< But its still fun to calculate it.

leatherman · « **Reply #33 on:** August 05, 2011, 10:17:43 pm »

Quote from: buginme2 on August 05, 2011, 10:08:00 pm

THANK YOU CHANTIX

I couldn't afford the cigs anymore after OH raised the taxes again, so I used Chantix for only 4 wks and haven't smoked since. (although I admit that I do hang out with the smokers when I can to catch some of that sweet, sweet 2nd-hand smoke LOL)

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Author Topic: The tax is too damn high! (Read 8629 times)