To wonder how people afford to smoke?

[paintingbutterflies]

I know addictions are just awful. But so many people seem to be struggling with money and smoke. I wonder where the money comes from. Do people just go without basic things?

I don't smoke or get my nails done.

But I don't think they are comparable at all!

cushion the original post was about people who struggle with money but smoke.

My post was to prove you can struggle with money but still smoke and not deprive your children with what they need based on what others had posted.

My parents went without new clothes, new cars and holidays abroad but we had a roof over our heads, food and clothes and non essential items.

I don't have a lot of disposable income but my vice is crocheting. Like my parents I budget for that 😄

i think alcohol might go the same way

be regulated for sale in shops.....but too much money would be lost in restaurant/bar businesses, so will still be sold freely there

Different kettle of fish to tobacco though. People can’t grow their own tobacco plants at home but they can brew their own beer.

But with regards to smoking, I used to smoke but stopped in about a decade ago as it was just far too expensive for me. And I was young enough that cost rather than wallet concerns rather than health concerns were my driving force for knocking them on the head.

I do think that smokers have become the whipping boy for people who like to moralise though. You see it on here, hysterical reactions to simply walking past a smoker on the street. Once the smokers have gone I wonder who they’ll move on to next.

'And I was young enough that wallet concerns rather than health concerns were my driving force for knocking them on the head.'

^^

Bad what you described sounded like a lovely upbringing but I think the point of the thread is about families where the adults find money for cigarettes at the expense of other family members needs and wants.

Yep. I mean, nobody's disputing that there are people who can afford to smoke. Especially vaping which seems pretty cheap as vices go.

@Badcat666 AMEN, sister! 😉 Loved your comment!

I don’t see why people are throwing crap at the OP here...

You always see people who are on the dole, rent a council house and struggle to afford food, etc. but still smoke up to 20 per day.

Someone’s gotta make a sacrifice for to make that happen. Money to fund the smoking has to come out of somewhere.

Setting aside the issue of affordability (and clearly smoking takes its toll on the family budget, which if you're not well off means DC going without), I don't get how people smoking with young DC can live with themselves - the impact on health from second and third hand smoke, the terrible example you're setting them, the risk to your own health meaning you're much more likely to die young or need years of extremely expensive care... I know this might happen anyway but WHY would you increase the risk? I'm sitting here holding my newborn DS and even the thought of someone exposing him to smoke or me dying and leaving him makes me tear up (disclaimer: newly delivered and therefore v hormonal!).

Yep and for pets as well second hand smoke must take a toll.

My partner smokes, we're a one income family (with a sn child) and we definitely don't go without in, we even have enough left over to save at the end of the month I hate the blanket idea that everyone who smokes must be depriving their kids

I should add tho- he only smokes at work so is no where near the kids and it only works out at £60 a month.

I often wonder how people can afford gym membership. Not that I want to go to the gym (I'm too fucking lazy for that). Still it's none of my business what people do with their money.

I don't think I could justify paying astronomical gym fees, even if I wanted to go. I guess it's the same with non smokers wondering how people can afford to smoke.

It's nobody's business what other people do...

We're low income and smoke. Rollies are cheap and my folks go away constantly and get me baccy duty free anyway. After I've gone through what they got me last time I plan to give vaping another shot as I'm learning to drive and could probably do with freeing up some funds to run a banger.

My kids have plenty of clothes, toys, good food, a warm house, a garden to play in, a family dog, playschool places, get taken to toddler groups/park/softplay/local events. What else do they need at 2 and 3?

I don't think that everyone who smokes is depriving their children, but working in a school with a high percentage of children who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, I can certainly see that some kids of smokers (and drinkers) do go short.

My sister earns a lot less than me. She has a council house.
She smokes.

I spend more on critical illness and life insurance each month than she does on cigarettes.

Because if I lose my job tomorrow through illness, I'm a bit fucked. Mortgage to pay, big salary drop to get used to.

If she can't work - well, she's PT minimum wage so there income drop won't be as large. And her housing is pretty secure. So she doesn't need the expensive critical illness cover that I have decided I do need.

The money she spends on cigarettes is coming out of the "could be spent on insurance" fund, not "could be spent on her kids" fund.

painting the problem is a lot of parents buy things their children WANT but don't really need.

Kids don't NEED an iPad or pricey pc, they don't NEED the latest phone or games console, they don't NEED pricey designer clothes and shoes or holidays abroad or pricey trips out ffs.

There a weird idea, especially on mn that you HAVE to buy children everything they want these days to make them happy.

You don't!

As a child growing up and teenager I wanted the latest gadgets and consumer crap like any other child but my parents just said no as mostly they were eye watering expensive. If I wanted something badly enough I saved my pocket money and Saturday job cash to get it. Normally after I'd saved up I didn't want it anymore.

Was I a deprived child because my parents didn't bend to my every whim and my father spent money on cigarettes instead of the latest "now that what I call music" tape for me? No I bloody wasn't nor were my siblings.

My nieces and nephews were bought up the same as we were ("does my child really need the latest toy/ trainers/ etc") and my brothers and sisters had a lot more disposable income. They in turn are bringing their little ones up the same.

Just because a child WANTS something, doesn't mean they should get it.

What ever happened to just saying no?

Painting why should parents buy their children everything they want? You seem to think that all disposable income should be spent on the children and the adults shouldn't have anything to spend on themselves.

I think spending choices are relative though. In asda today my dd was whining after a princess dress. She's already got several so I said no. When she asked why I said I haven't got enough money today. True in itself - I don't want to spend it on tat that will put more clutter in our house. At the till, DS wanted a magazine with cheap shit attached to it. I told him no, all for the same reasons as above. People in there were probably judging the crap out of me when I came out and got in my brand new, top of the range, much hated on Mumsnet brand of huge car. Probably thinking I was prioritising that over my dc. No. I drive 50+k a year and want to do it in comfort, DS didn't need the mag tat and dd didn't need an Elsa dress. Besides, they've already had their own weight in treats this holiday. Today was a snapshot. I don't see it as prioritising myself over my dcs and I expect many who smoke feel the same about buying their cigs.

Well I smoke.
I have 3 kids and married. No-one goes without in my house!
I buy the kids what every they want.
Cuz they already got what they need.
I don't socialize with people (cuz most people are horrible) I dont drink cuz i don't like to drink.
The only treat I ever get is 50g of gold leaf which is £16 which will also last me over a week.
I dont drive so I'm not wasting my money on petrol.
I don't own my house I rent it (which I pay for)
I spend over £200pound a week on food and nappies ect.
I have never been in debt. I dont owe a penny to no one. If I couldn't afford to buy my kids something I would do without simple. I don't go buy posh expensive make-up or cloths. I don't buy designer thing. My kids eat healthily maybe once a week they will eat crap.
So think what you want. Your all perfetic.
So NO not all kids do without.

Of course it's up to people what they spend their money on, but loads of kids in low-income families go without what their friends take for granted because their parents smoke their money away, and it's such a shame. My brother can never afford emergencies or a holiday unless our family pays. We end up paying his way and then feel like we're subbing his habit (while the kids have to live with the health problems). It wouldn't make it any better if he could afford it, but how can you not judge?

I wonder the same about Sky subscriptions, branded sportswear, and football season tickets.

It's called budgeting!

perfetic

perfetic! life imitates art