Article Contributed on: 4/10/2009 9:14:03 AM
By now, you've learned that the government has raised the taxes on a pack of cigarettes to $1.00. A DOLLAR! Can you believe it?
The government has also instituted a "Stimulus Package" that will "give" each worker (forget those who are self-employed, they don't count) a few more dollars in their paychecks. One small item: eventually, that money will be taxed.
What if you had a REAL Financial Stimulus? Money that you won't have to be taxed extra for, money that you already earn. If you smoke one pack a day, you could save, or at least not spend, $365 in a year. And, that is just the taxes. That doesn't count the balance of the cost of a pack of cigarettes. If you pay $4 a pack, that would be $28 a week, $112 a month, or $1,460 a year that you would have available for something else. If you smoke more than a pack a day, or if your brand costs more, you would have even more in your pocket.
So, if you look at it on a purely financial basis, stopping smoking is a wise financial decision, with added health benefits. Speaking of which, your health and other insurance costs would be reduced over time as well (check with your agent). You will feel better, look better, and be able to do more.
I was a 3 pack a day smoker when I used a combination Stress Management and Stop Smoking program to stop. That was 20 years ago, and was the second best thing I ever did (the first was marrying my wife), and boy did I save money (not on the wife). You can, too!
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