# Reducing costs without going full DIY



## Silver (13/2/15)

Hi all

Just thought i'd share something for those that are cost conscious and want to save a bit on the juice budget. 

Here's an idea

*Find a good local ready made juice and get it in 18mg. Then dilute it down with PG/VG to the strength of your choice. Add some other flavour drops to your taste. *

My final juice is coming out at about R2.50 per ml, which is a great saving.

Am thoroughly enjoying my Strawberry Menthol mix in my Lemo. Lovely menthol burn and just the right amount of strawberry flavour in the background. 

I mix it in a 10ml bottle and dilute the 18mg down to 9mg. 
- 5ml of Vapour Mountain Strawberry 18mg ready made juice (at R4/ml)
- 3ml of VG (at 12c per ml)
- 1ml of PG (at 12c per ml)
- 1ml of VM Menthol concentrate - about 20 drops (at R4/ml)

So that gives me 10ml of juice which costs me R24.48. The R4/ml local juice is halved by the dilution and then a bit added for the additional menthol drops and very little added for the PG/VG. 

I think one needs to find a good local juice that has enough flavour to start so that when you dilute it, the flavour isnt lost. VM Strawberry does that very well for me. And the menthol adds to the throat hit for me, giving me a great vape despite it being only 9mg. (I usually vape 18mg.)

I know that full blown DIY is a lot cheaper, but I am chuffed with the results and at this price, vaping about 6ml a day (R15) is really affordable.

Reactions: Winner 5 | Informative 1


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## Derick (13/2/15)

Silver said:


> Hi all
> 
> Just thought i'd share something for those that are cost conscious and want to save a bit on the juice budget.
> 
> ...


Adding/Diluting ready to vape liquids is a great way to start to DIY - gives you the confidence to eventually try out full blown DIY.

Another way to reduce costs is to find a supplier that sells their flavours in 0mg (where their 0mg is cheaper) then buy a bottle of 24mg and a few bottles of 0mg - then use the 0mg to dilute your 24mg down to the nic level you want. That way the flavour concentration stays the same

Reactions: Like 2 | Informative 1


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## Alex (13/2/15)

Silver said:


> Hi all
> 
> Just thought i'd share something for those that are cost conscious and want to save a bit on the juice budget.
> 
> ...



I fully agree, been doing exactly the same for a few months now.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Silver (13/2/15)

Derick said:


> Adding/Diluting ready to vape liquids is a great way to start to DIY - gives you the confidence to eventually try out full blown DIY.
> 
> Another way to reduce costs is to find a supplier that sells their flavours in 0mg (where their 0mg is cheaper) then buy a bottle of 24mg and a few bottles of 0mg - then use the 0mg to dilute your 24mg down to the nic level you want. That way the flavour concentration stays the same



I hear you @Derick, but the saving depends on how much cheaper the 0mg is. And being able to get a 24mg variant. 

Most of the local vendors only go up to 18mg and the ones I have seen dont charge a heck of a lot less for the 0mg, if available.

Reactions: Like 1


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## rogue zombie (13/2/15)

And right now there's a real abundance of GOOD local juices!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Silver (19/7/21)

Bringing up this thread from 2015
Found it while searching for something

I think it can add value to those on a budget and who like a particular juice but its quite pricey.

Just try diluting it with PG/VG/Nic and see how it goes. You might find that the flavour is still very good even when diluted down - especially on juices that are quite strong in flavour.

I do this on a few of my juices and it works very well for me. Especially some of the stronger tobaccoes

Reactions: Like 3 | Winner 3 | Informative 2


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## Stranger (20/7/21)

Sho I see this thread is from 2015. At that time I was taking Liqua double mint, Liqua peppermint and Hell high menthol and mixing all three together to get the MTL juice that I wanted. It cost a fortune to do it this way. What you are saying makes a lot of sense. It took me about two years to perfect the DIY juice that I use as an all day vape.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Silver (20/7/21)

Stranger said:


> Sho I see this thread is from 2015. At that time I was taking Liqua double mint, Liqua peppermint and Hell high menthol and mixing all three together to get the MTL juice that I wanted. It cost a fortune to do it this way. What you are saying makes a lot of sense. It took me about two years to perfect the DIY juice that I use as an all day vape.



Great that you have perfected a DIY juice

I have just gotten used to several commercial juices that I love - so this technique helps to reduce the cost and allows me a little bit of tinkering - sometimes I blend more than one juice - and I always have my menthol at hand!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Stranger (20/7/21)

Not so long ago, I posted this, alongside your recommendations this could also be a money saver, dependent on what one shots you like. 

I ordered a Bamango one shot from Blck

30 ml @ R120 = R4 per ml

10 ml = R40

pre mix 80/20@3 mg nic = R120 per litre = 0.12 per ml

10 ml one shot = 40 plus 0.12 x 90 ml = 10.80

so R50.80 for 100 ml

seems too good to be true, check my math please.


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## Puff the Magic Dragon (20/7/21)

Or even a better deal with 500ml from a 30ml one-shot :

*"Icee Lychee One Shot (VS)*
Regular priceR 140.00 R 120.00 SALE

Size
30ML



*ICEE LYCHEE*

Refreshing chilled lychee which will leave you coming back for more!

HELLO SUMMER: 30ml Makes 500ml Eliquid

Best mixed between 6% with 70vg/30pg

Steeping time: 3-4 days for full flavour"



This is a good refreshing vape juice created by @Rude Rudi . I have made it often.

Recipe created by: *Rude Rudi*

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 3


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## Neal (20/7/21)

_"vaping about 6ml a day" _Hey @Silver, just wondering if that is still the case? I was vaping around the same amount of liquid back then but is much increased now (closer to 20ml). Still using Dolly Varden to dilute at around 15% on some liquids, certainly kinder on the wallet.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Viper_SA (20/7/21)

I've been down this rabbit hole before. There's always just that one concentrate you need for a recipe, and then to justify shipping costs you buy more and more. If I ever go down the DIY route again it will be strictly one shots.


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## Silver (20/7/21)

Neal said:


> _"vaping about 6ml a day" _Hey @Silver, just wondering if that is still the case? I was vaping around the same amount of liquid back then but is much increased now (closer to 20ml). Still using Dolly Varden to dilute at around 15% on some liquids, certainly kinder on the wallet.



hi @Neal 
I think I was mostly MTL then
I then included DL style in my vaping - my juice consumption shot up prob to about 15-20ml pd

but in the last 18 months I’ve switched back to MTL, don’t know why but it just happened
So my consumption now is probably around 8-10ml pd

Reactions: Winner 1


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## Puff the Magic Dragon (21/7/21)

Another way to make mixing easier and cheaper is to mix single flavours. 

Wayne of Diy or Die gives suggestions on several flavours which can be used on their own. Almost like a one-shot.

I have tried the Banana Nut Brerad and enjoyed it.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 2


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## ace_d_house_cat (21/7/21)

Puff the Magic Dragon said:


> Or even a better deal with 500ml from a 30ml one-shot :
> 
> *"Icee Lychee One Shot (VS)*
> Regular priceR 140.00 R 120.00 SALE
> ...



I have been mixing one shots for a few years now and it's had its ups and downs. I vape desserts exclusively and my wife only fruit e-liquids. The ONLY dessert one shot I've mixed that I haven't wasted my money on is a bubblegum milkshake, not as good as the big names but a decent ADV. The rest are all disappointing and/or flavourless. 

When it comes to fruits, my wife's favourite e-liquids are litchi and mango juices from one shots. They are so easy to mix, require almost no steeping time and work are so economical it's unreal. I've recently mixed 500ml of Mango 3mg e-liquid for her for under R500.

Reactions: Like 1


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