One of the most motivating reasons to quit smoking is to save money, as smokers could be nearly £600 a year better off if they swapped to an alternative.
According to a survey of 2,000 adults by Philip Morris Limited, each smoker could save on average £566.80 over 12 months by switching to vaping or nicotine pouches.
They typically spend £1,950 per year on cigarettes, which amounts to £12 billion collectively across the UK.
Therefore, it is not surprising that three-quarters of participants said saving money is a ‘highly motivating’ factor for giving up cigarettes. In fact, it came ahead of wanting to improve health, with 72 per cent saying this was the most compelling reason to quit.
Managing director of the organisation Christian Woolfenden said: “As well as being bad for your health, smoking can also be very bad for your wallet. Quitting is obviously the best option for a smoker’s health as well as their bank balance.”
The study reported that smokers typically spend £120,900 on cigarettes over their adult lives. This is enough to pay for four new family cars, 15 Rolex Submariner watches, or even a mortgage-free property.
Those in Northern Ireland would save the most by quitting, as they typically spend £2,911 per year, or £39.50 a week. One-fifth of smokers here even spend as much as £60 every week, totalling £3,120 over 12 months.
People in the north-east spend nearly as much at £2,143 per year, while those in the north-west typically shell out £2,126.
However, switching to vaping could save the average smoker £842.40 over the year, which could pay for a holiday abroad.
Mr Woolfenden added: “In a time where consumers are tackling their finances, for those who don’t quit, smoke-free products can dramatically reduce the levels of harmful chemicals a smoker is exposed to, and are also a much cheaper option – so could save smokers thousands of pounds in the long run.”
More than two-thirds of smokers admit they know they are wasting money on cigarettes but many really struggle to quit smoking regardless.
In fact, one man found it so hard to give up smoking, he locked his head inside a metal cage to break the habit.
Ibrahim Yucel from Kutahya in Turkey wanted to quit smoking after losing his dad to lung cancer, but knew it would be hard to do so. Therefore, he decided to get through the tough first few days by creating a contraption made out of 130 feet of copper wire and putting it over his head.
After locking him in, his family took the key so he could not escape even if he wanted to. While he was able to drink water and eat very small things through the cage, he was not able to enjoy a cigarette.
It is thought that Ibrahim’s attempt to break the habit was successful, and he went from smoking two packets of cigarettes a day for 20 years to none at all, after trying several methods unsuccessfully first.
Of course, smokers don’t have to go to such lengths to save money or improve their health. Swapping to DIY vapes could boost their bank balance and help them break their habit.
