Monday, April 25, 2011

The Cost of Smoking and a Nifty Calculator

You know how much your cigarettes cost you - you shell the money out every time you buy a pack. In NYC, they cost $11/pack. Yipes. In Connecticut, they are $10/pack.
Look at what else your cigarettes are doing to your bank account and check out the calculator at the bottom:
The cost of your health
Life Insurance: Generally, your premiums are 3 times more if you smoke than if you don't smoke. Health Insurance and Medication: Many more health insurance companies are starting to charge more for health insurance plans that cover smokers. Smokers go to the doctor more; they have more heart attacks; they have more medical problems than non smokers. If you are going to the doctor more, because of your smoking habit, add in the cost of your co-pays and your prescription medication. For more on smoking and life insurance costs: http://money.msn.com/health-and-life-insurance/article.aspx?post=275e30eb-bad5-4884-929b-d459e2a823a1
Dental health: A yearly whitening costs $2-300. What about the mints and gum you buy to mask the smell of your breath?
The cost of your home, car and possessions
Home Insurance: Higher home owner's and car insurance premium payments.
Lower Value of Your Car, Home and Possessions: Many potential buyers are put off by the smell of tobacco in a home. It will be harder for you to sell your home. Same with your car. Used car sales people will knock off $1000 on your value of your car if you are trying to trade it in. (by the way, if your friends and family say they don't think your car/house smells, they are lying to save your feelings.)
Insurance on House and Car: Insurance companies know that smokers are more likely to start a fire in the house and more likely to cause a car accident.
Other costs
Getting a date: This is not a financial cost, but it's certainly a personal cost. Fewer people want to date a smoker and people find smokers unattractive. (Even smokers find smokers unattractive!)
Less Social Security: The average smoker dies at 66. So you would be paying in to Social Security or your pension, but you'll never have a chance to spend it.
Smokers Earn Less Money: Studies have found that smokers earn between 4% to 11% less money than their non smoking counterparts. Interesting.
Cleaning Costs: Cleaning your car or taking your "smoking coat" (the one you wear outside when you smoke in the winter) can add up to $100 a year.

The American Cancer Society Cigarette Cost Calculator:
http://ow.ly/4GPjW

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