Follow Us: Google+
 
Bankrate.com

smart spending

Quit smoking, save money

Quit smoking
Next
Slide 2 of 6
Back
Quit smoking

Cigarette prices vary by state, running from $10.06 (New York), to $4.50 (Missouri), according to a 2010 survey by Orzechowski and Walker, an Arlington, Va., consulting firm.

The average pack costs $5.95, according to the survey. Your savings on a pack-a-day habit amount to about $180 each month or more than $2,100 annually.

Quit smoking, and that money could buy an eight-day luxury Caribbean cruise or a 60-inch LED flat-screen TV.

The savings don't end there. Nonsmokers pay 14 percent less for health insurance, according to eHealthInsurance.com estimates. The only financial downside is you'll likely have to be smoke-free for 12 months before your premiums decrease, says Carrie McLean, consumer specialist for the company.

Women can save $45 a month or $540 annually, according to eHealthInsurance.com estimates. Men can save $21 a month or $252 annually.

For women, that could buy five half-day packages at a spa; a pair of Manolo Blahnik suede heel pumps (with enough left over for a first-class pair of running shoes), or an iPhone 4 with three months of unlimited service.

For men, that money could buy a pair of box seats at a Major League Baseball game or a Wii console plus three games.


Next
Slide 2 of 6
Back

 

advertisement

Show Bankrate's community sharing policy
            Connect with us
Compare Rates
advertisement
Most Read
  1. Beach towns with bargain homes
  2. 6 tips for successful yard sale
  3. Nick Nolte's house for sale
  4. 5 costliest tickets for car insurance
  5. 7 sedans for the young at heart
  6. 5 car models that lose value
  7. Ali Landry's house for sale
  8. Headlight requirements by state
  9. 9 gas-only, fuel-efficient cars
  10. 8 eerie ghost towns
advertisement
Partner Center
advertisement

Advertising Disclosure: Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Bankrate may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website.