How the fuck do people afford to smoke?

[StrongerThanIThought76]

Let me start by saying I've never smoked. Never even tried it. My mum did, from her teens, all through my childhood, through some serious health issues and finally stopped after a smoking related cancer. Of course there are a hundred reasons not to smoke these days - health, social exclusion etc etc.

I worked out that over 50 years she's spent almost £150k on fags, conservatively basing that on 20 a day.

She's never had any savings, only been on a few holidays and still harbours resentment that my dad has a much wealthier lifestyle (bigger house, better car etc since they divorced 30 years ago).

So with the cost of a packet of 'premium' fags costing in excess of £10 a pack AIBU to think that smokers have got their priorities massively wrong money-wise?

I worked out that over 50 years she's spent almost £150k on fags, conservatively basing that on 20 a day.

Are you basing that all on current prices? Or is it adjusted?

It’s just a luxury that people allow themselves. No different to the people who buy a coffee everyday or buy a lunch rather than making a packed lunch.

£150k smoking 20 a day at todays prices.

Even using current cost, I don't understand how people can afford 20 a day - £3650 a year!

So with the cost of a packet of 'premium' fags costing in excess of £10 a pack AIBU to think that smokers have got their priorities massively wrong money-wise?

Oh, are you being serious or not? It's hard to tell.

Because one of the famous things about addiction is its impact on financial priorities

Both my parents smoked. My dad smoked 40/60 a day and my mum 20. They afforded it by cutting down on food, clothes, toys, holidays, days out... The unimportant stuff. The fact that my youngest brother was very asthmatic didn't stop them, the cost wasn't going to stop them.

I live near Dover, in the UK In Tesco I will pay around £20 for 50g of Tabbaco, so what I do is, I take the ferry over to France, drive 20 mins and I'm in Belgium, I pay £7 for 50g there, so I stock up for a few months and I just repeat that every couple of months

For me, if I smoke too much whilst stressed, it's at the expense of anything else (food, clothes).

I'm not sure many people realise it tips into addiction and that it affects mental health.

£150k smoking 20 a day at todays prices.

Well they've gone up a lot. Way above inflation.

Twenty years ago, when I dabbled they were about £2.60 for twenty.

So that's a good health promoting tax, but it scuppers your calculation. She'll still have spent a small fortune, of course.

I wouldn't recommend smoking for many obvious reasons, but you could use the "priorities" argument for so many things. If it wasn't so unhealthy and antisocial, spending money on something you like is not wrong.

I know people who spend a fortune on take away, on expensive mobile contracts and tv contracts, others who spend a fortune on hairdressers, nail technicians etc
My luxury is my holidays, I like to go away 3 or 4 times a year at least but others see that as wasteful.

My point is that it's not the money argument that I would use against smoking.

The cost has massively risen so your calculation is way out.
I agree that these days cigarettes are very very expensive due to taxation but addiction is a strong thing.

I guess it’s just priorities. I have never smoked and can’t stand it. My mum, Dad and Gran all chain smoked. Literally 40 - 50 a day. I remember growing up that money was super tight, literally going down the back of sofas to find money for dinner at some points, and as I got older I remember seeing the till ring up at the Tesco tobacco counter and seeing £250 etc on it and wondering why they wanted to spend that on smoking .... !

To me it’s an awful waste of money but then some would say that about my own awful sugar addiction (I eat a LOT of crap).

Obviously people have different income levels. Someone on £200k a year could easily afford a tenner a day. Other people prioritise fags over nights out or holidays. Others buy cheap foreign knock-off fags illegally.

I really couldn't care less - smoking is for mugs however they pay for it.

I am being serious Battleax - I fully understand the effects of addiction - my childhood was frugal at best because of the proportion of our household income that was spent on cigarettes plus the health scares that despite being blamed solely on smoking weren't enough to kick the habit. My siblings and I spent years begging for her to stop.

Oh yes, i do understand the effects of addiction.

Totally depends on your income. I don't smoke any more but can afford to.

Because it's an addiction, people will forgo other things in order to get their fix. It's no different from any other drug.

But I do think that increasing prices has had an impact on the number of smokers, or at least on the number of people taking up smoking. The average pack in Australia now is around $25. There is a present political debate about increasing the price to over $40 over the next few years. This, comprised with decades of vigorous anti-smoking advertisements, plain packaging, graphic packaging, restricting methods of sale etc. have led to a significant decrease in the number of smokers and an even bigger decrease in the proportion of people taking up smoking.

Because a shop near me and im sure pleanty more sell tobacco and cigarettes knock off under the counter £3.60 for twenty rather than £10/packet

I think your figures are a bit of a nonsense.

40 years ago, it was around 60p for 20 cigarettes.

Well saying that that smokers have got their priorities massively wrong money-wise? is slightly missing the point isn't it? Or only scratching the surface. Or something.

According to google it cost 20p for 20 cigarettes 50 years ago which at a guess would be maybe £1 of today's money.

These threads always end up with people insisting smoking is an 'addiction'. Like it gives it kudos. As if it's an 'addiction' and can't be helped, so leave the poor smokers alone

It's her money.... She can spend it how she likes?

I smoke but rarely drink or have big nights out. I manage to save and I'm not on a fantastic wage.

Each to their own.

@RunningOutOfCharge but smoking is an addiction. Of course it can be helped (I quit from smoking 20 a day in 2012) but by god it's hard and you really have to be in the right frame of mind to do it.

Because it's an addiction. I stopped smoking three years ago when they were about £8 a packet. I smoked 20 a day. I struggled to afford it, but I did even when in debt and seriously struggling with money because it is an addiction. Now I have quit that seems ridiculous.

My parents always smoked.

I know ex h is struggling with money. He still smokes 20 a day and probably doesn't even think about it. Smokers don't see it as a luxury. It is a necessity which is crazy at today's prices

These threads always end up with people insisting smoking is an 'addiction'. Like it gives it kudos.

Are you feeling alright running?

Kudos? Since when?

It just goes some way towards explaining behaviour that would otherwise be deranged.

I think the highly addictive properties of nicotine are undisputed anyway, but I CBA to check.

There's no kudos in being addicted.