Some people switch from cigarettes to e-cigs (or PVs, for personal vaporizer) because it’s cheaper. Here’s why.
1. Cost per week. You may have to pay $40-$80 to get a good quality PV setup, but once you do, you’re no longer bound by the cost of a pack.
E-liquid refills last people different amounts of time; there’s no way to say how much liquid equals one cigarette. But the cost per week for many people is $5-$15 in liquid. How long will $15 last you in terms of packs of cigarettes?
2. Fewer taxes. Currently e-cigs aren’t taxed in the same way tobacco is. Everyone from roll-your-own cigarette users to pipe smokers have been hit by increases in taxes. But with a PV or refill liquid, typically you just pay sales tax like you would for any other consumer product. (You will need to be 18 or older, of course.)
3. A quick alternative to snacking. If you’re in the mood for anything from a pear/cucumber salad to a chocolate-covered raspberry, you can vape that flavor. E-liquid isn’t subject to the flavored cigarette ban, so you can have nearly flavor you want. Some people stick to tobacco, some people mix it up.
4. Fewer household costs. E-cigarettes don’t ruin your blinds or leave a lasting smell in your furniture. Replacement costs on those kinds of things can add up.
And finally,
5. Vaping forces you to plan ahead. When you’re smoking, another pack of cigarettes is only a few dollars and a run to the store away. We’ve all been there.
But with electronic cigarettes, you need to purchase hardware to start (I recommend spending two weeks’ worth of cigarette purchases in advance on your initial purchase), as well as e-liquid refills. Most people order off the Internet rather than use novelty gas-station e-cigs that barely work at all. So you have no choice but to plan your purchases.
None of this means you’ll necessarily spend less on e-cigs than you did on cigs. Some people turn vaping into a hobby, and collect hardware. It’ll depend on you and your choices. Which is what this is all about, after all.
(If you’d like to learn more about electronic cigarettes, our primer course is here.)
