Stopping smoking - yes again!

kimbo_kim

hi everyone
finally it was time to open my tin (put money away each week for a trip away with bf it was money i would have spent on cigs) so after 25 weeks of saving i had .........




£680.00
i nearly fell over all that money would have been burnt away. so pleased bf was pleased too he's never smoked in his life and is very pleased i stopped. still going to save for the next trip away.

RichyRich

Kim, I'm completely made up for you! Nearly £700, you could go away for ages with that! Get the megabus to somewhere nice and stay in a £15 travelodge room! Just cos you've stopped smoking doesn't mean you're not a moneysaver any more!

kimbo_kim

na just going to dublin for a long weekend.
all paid for by very happy bf so i'll try and not spend to much of my 400 euros (did get my hair done also a little spree in new look) left £200 in the tin for next time.



sorry should say not been away for nearly 8 years so i think i can spend a bit.
just this time

Ragtimeplayer

I wanted to wish every one luck in their quest to stop smoking, I have been stopped over 8 weeks :j

I had a conversation with my sister in law tonight who had made a half hearted attempt at stopping at the same time as me, I was just telling her how wonderful it is for me personally to be a non smoker and to know for sure that I will never smoke again.

She was quite inspired by my obvious pleasure, I think I swayed her into having another go at stopping

I am still buoyed up on a day to day level about how happy I am to be free of it.


The only thing that scared me in the early days were what I thought might be possible triggers for a cigarette urge.

I am usually so weak willed and I think in retrospect that if I had had a bad urge at any time, I would have given in to it without too much hesitation.

I was lucky however as I took on board everything in Allen Carrs book and stopping for me was incredibly easy, just as he said it would be.


I thought it might help other smokers trying to quit if the people who have successfully stopped wrote down a few reasons as to why they did it and most importantly, the benefits they have gained since stopping.

For me personally, the most important bonus has been the freedom.

1. Wherever I went, I was tied into having a smoke before doing what I wanted to do, be it entering a shop, going to the cinema, visiting non smoking friends and not having to smoke 3 cigs before I went into their house to get my nicotine levels up!

2. The total lack of dust in the house , seriously, we have a glass topped table and every day it was covered in dust. It was only when I stopped that I realised how much less dust there was on all the furniture!

3 Not having to open windows when its freezing outside, not have (what I thought at the time) snide comments from other members of the family about leave the door open, it stinks in here! etc etc

There are lots more but I must say I am 1000% happier as a non smoker than I could ever have been as a smoker.

It just makes me sad that I waited 23 years before I even attempted to stop smoking

suki43

Good Morning Guys!

Firstly, Kimbo - well done you! Nearly £700 in 25 weeks in just incredible. You don't realise how much money you spend on cigs as it's just £5 here and there. I am truly inspired by your post and many congratulations on stopping!

Ragtime, thank you also for your interesting post. It really does help to read other people's experiences and partic. the positive outcome.

I really do appreciate all your support, as I do not have the strongest will in the world, so coming here each day really spurrs me on.

I'm kinda using this a stop smoking diary, if you all don't mind. It is something for me to do each day to mark another day on non-smoking.

Today is Day 5 - at 4.15pm I shall start Day 6. Saved £13.60 so far based on 10 a day. I'm not physically putting it into a jar, for the simple reason I haven't had to get cash out of the ATM for a few days, but I think when I get to £50, I shall pay off some of my student loan.

Cravings are still minimal. Had another restless night last night, though, but I understand that this is normal - although it could be my wedding plans keeping me awake!

I think Ragtime, you hit the nail on the head when you talk about the freedom aspect of not smoking. I mentioned in another post, that I was starting to feel a bit down because I smoked, the last few months, and I could not understand why, as I know people can feel down after they stop.

For me, I think I now realise I felt down because I knew with every cig in my hand, that I was not in control and this habit had me well and truly hooked.
I'm starting to feel a bit of that freedom, and starting to enjoy my food more. When I smoked, I almost rushed through a meal as I was dying for the post-meal cig!

Got a wee tickly cough, but nothing to write home about and my chest isn't wheezy in the morning, and dare I say, my mouth feels cleaner!

Ragtime, I noticed that you smoked for 23 years! So if you can do it, there is no reason why I can't after 6 years of smoking.

This is the longest time I have gone without a cig in 6 years! Oh my God!

Report back tomorrow, in the meantime, the "fog" is lifting...

Thanks, all.

Suki
xx

Ragtimeplayer

Brilliant post Suki, you sound like you have everything under control and most importantly, you have the right "mindset".

Well done so far and keep it up!

suki43

Hello Guys,

Well today is Quit Day 6. Yesterday was hard. I had a really bad craving in the afternoon, and somehow managed to knock it on the head by going for a quick walk.

Feeling very pleased that tomorrow will be my first full week of not smoking.

Saved £16.32 so far.

It is about having the right mindset, Ragtime!

Thank you for your support.

Suki
xx

franny

Afternoon all

Didn't Allen Carr die of lung cancer?

Listen to this, I smoke 1 cigarette a day, that's right, why??? Every day, I have 1 cigarette at lunchtime and do not feel the urge at any other time of the day.

Can I stop that 1 a day habit though, not yet I can't because that's just it, it's habit and I gotta change mine or will always have that 1 a day.

I feel a buerk when I smoke it but I guess it's better than having 40 a day. Trust me, it baffles me aswell.

Ragtimeplayer

franny wrote:

Afternoon all

Didn't Allen Carr die of lung cancer?

Allen Carr lasted another 20 years after he stopped smoking and then found out he had lung cancer, in his opinion, he wouldn't have lasted another year if he hadn't stopped when he did.

Lots of people think it was because he spent the last 20 years sitting in on the counselling sessions where people were allowed to smoke that contributed to it.

I personally think he is a genius and thank him (posthumously) from the bottom of my heart for making it so easy for me to stop smoking. :T

Don'tskipit

suki43 wrote:

How long have you not smoked for Don't Skipit?

Suki
xx

Hiya suki
Stopped on 15 Oct last year. :j
I got big help from local radio station - gave up with one of their presenters.
Had to go to the studio for 7am (6am train for me!!) to go 'on air'. I was dead nervous and in a situation where I would be dying for a fag - but oddly enough, I didn't want one. I'd had my last fag at 7pm the previous night.

They sent me to a hypnotherapist and I found that helpful. Had a reporter with me and she recorded the session, edited it, and was played on the radio the next morning.
I didn't dare smoke 'cos they'd ring me once or twice a week live on the programme (at 7am!) to check up on me. It was a really good incentive.

Previously I've quit for 6 months then had the deadly 'I'll just have one'. Don't go there please. You'll get hooked again as I did.

I nearly succumbed last night. A friend came round, wanted a shoulder to cry on with her problems. We had a couple of glasses of wine and she was smoking. I really, really wanted one of her fags. I was so tempted - had that 'one won't hurt, devil on shoulder' feeling. Thank goodness I resisted. Got up this morning and my living room reeked of stale tobacco. Yuck!
Stay positive suki and all :T