The (insignificant) hidden financial cost of vaping

[craigb]

So like many others, one of the main reasons I switched over to vaping was to cut costs.

Yes, the first couple of months while you are getting up to speed, it can be more expensive than stinkies, but if you are working with an absolute budget imposed by the size of your bank account, you break even fairly easily.

I keep track of my expenses and savings in an android app and will break even (again) at 7h44 on the 8th of Jan. I've got what I need to build a few months worth of coils, and a small top up of nic and VG at the end of the month will still probably have me better financially than if I were still smoking.

But...

Who takes into consideration the cost of charging batteries? How could we figure that out?

Granted, I do most of my charging at work , but still do a fair amount at home and that is a definite cost that I do not know how to take into consideration.

I keep telling people it's cheaper for me to vape than smoke but is it really, or am I at least overstating my savings?

 

[Dietz]

In my opinion, it should not use more power than charging a phone. but cant comment as far as calculating exact usage? for that I guess you would have to start with How much current you draw per hour for charging, How long and often you charge to get a total current figure calculated with your monthly Electricity bill should give what you need?

 

[Stosta]

So I also started of my vaping career using one of those apps. I deleted it when every month my break-even point would be pushed back by three months. Vaping is definitely not cheaper than smoking for me, but has become the one and only hobby and that is how I justify the expense.

Like you, I also charge my batteries at work! The device I use on a Sunday night largely depends on what batteries I have available In reality though, they get charged at work because it is where I am all day. If I do 5% of my vaping at home it's a lot, weekends included.

I'm sure someone with a better understanding of electricity (and how much it costs, I just pay whatever the little paper says) than me will be able to pin down the cost of charging a battery for you!

 

[Raindance]

The conversion of Amps to Watts at fixed voltage is governed by the equation Watts = Amps x Volts
For example 1 amp * 110 volts = 110 watt

Therefore charging at .5 amps at an average voltage of (I guess) 4.2V for about six hours (R25 Samsung) = 12.6 Watt hours.
At R1.65 per Kwh (1000W/h) : (12.6 / 1000) x 1.65 = R0.02079. Say 2 cents.

And that is all I have to say about that.

Regards

(Edit: That is 100% charger efficiency but even at 50% it would be 3c.)

 

[Jp1905]

I will help you guys with this in a few seconds...father in law is a genius with this!


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[craigb]

So I also started of my vaping career using one of those apps. I deleted it when every month my break-even point would be pushed back by three months. Vaping is definitely not cheaper than smoking for me, but has become the one and only hobby and that is how I justify the expense.

Like you, I also charge my batteries at work! The device I use on a Sunday night largely depends on what batteries I have available In reality though, they get charged at work because it is where I am all day. If I do 5% of my vaping at home it's a lot, weekends included.

I'm sure someone with a better understanding of electricity (and how much it costs, I just pay whatever the little paper says) than me will be able to pin down the cost of charging a battery for you!

Yeah, I use the app as both a stick and a carrot. It is waaay to easy to do vape related retail therapy if you don't keep track.

And that is all I have to say about that.

And that is all that needs to be said. Thanks @Raindance , now I'll have to come up with something else to ponder during the wee hours when I cannae sleep.

 

[Rob Fisher]

I'm going to say that vaping for me is a dash more expensive than when I was smoking despite the fact I was nailing 2 packs a day.

Charging of batteries is by far the least expensive part of my hobby.

 

[Jp1905]

The conversion of Amps to Watts at fixed voltage is governed by the equation Watts = Amps x Volts
For example 1 amp * 110 volts = 110 watt

Therefore charging at .5 amps at an average voltage of (I guess) 4.2V for about six hours (R25 Samsung) = 12.6 Watt hours.
At R1.65 per Kwh (1000W/h) : (12.6 / 1000) x 1.65 = R0.02079. Say 2 cents.

And that is all I have to say about that.

Regards

(Edit: That is 100% charger efficiency but even at 50% it would be 3c.)

Sorry I missed this post,you got it...


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[craigb]

I'm going to say that vaping for me is a dash more expensive than when I was smoking despite the fact I was nailing 2 packs a day.

Charging of batteries is by far the least expensive part of my hobby.

lols, you are in a class if your own @Rob Fisher

I know it seems like a petty thing, but with the economic climate as it is, and with my complete lack of knowledge, it seemed like something that might have been an issue, but at say R6 over the lifetime of a battery.... meh.

 

[RichJB]

For the majority of vapers, I would guess that vaping is more expensive than smoking. I am at the point now where I can vape for under R200 a month (smoking was costing me around R600) but it's cost me about R10 000 to get there. The other question is that even if I can vape for under R200 a month, will I?

 

[craigb]

even if I can vape for under R200 a month, will I?

I will until the income:expenses ratio improve, then I can raise the limit

 

[Authentic Alchemist]

Lets just say if my wife finds out what i spend on vaping i might not see daylight for awhile. It's an addiction!

 

[Raindance]

I will until the income:expenses ratio improve, then I can raise the limit

That is why I am avoiding @Rob Fisher 's HE posts like the plague. I know I will love what I get to see there and where desire enters, reason leaves. Really intend to stick to my new years resolution of no new mods so I am avoiding temptation!

Now I must just ween myself off the Bumpety Bump thread...

Regards

 

[Silver]

So like many others, one of the main reasons I switched over to vaping was to cut costs.

Yes, the first couple of months while you are getting up to speed, it can be more expensive than stinkies, but if you are working with an absolute budget imposed by the size of your bank account, you break even fairly easily.

I keep track of my expenses and savings in an android app and will break even (again) at 7h44 on the 8th of Jan. I've got what I need to build a few months worth of coils, and a small top up of nic and VG at the end of the month will still probably have me better financially than if I were still smoking.

But...

Who takes into consideration the cost of charging batteries? How could we figure that out?

Granted, I do most of my charging at work , but still do a fair amount at home and that is a definite cost that I do not know how to take into consideration.

I keep telling people it's cheaper for me to vape than smoke but is it really, or am I at least overstating my savings?

Interesting thread @craigb , thanks

Several of us have jokingly commented that vaping is actually way more expensive than smoking. For enthusiasts, it's probably many multiples more expensive - given our enthusiasm for trying out all the new gear and juices.

But I suppose if one sticks to a few tried and tested reliable devices, builds coils and does DIY it can be quite a bit cheaper than smoking.

However

There is another part to the cost discussion that should not be forgotten. The avoided potential health costs.

The cost of smoking related diseases can be astronomical in comparison to the cost of our vaping gear. A widely quoted statistic is that 1 in 2 all-time smokers will unfortunately eventually die from a smoking related disease. So those are quite high odds.

The cost of getting cancer (other than potentially your life) is major. The numbers get very big very quickly. And even with a good medical aid, there is a good chance you end up paying sizeable amounts that are not covered.

These figures are in the hundreds of thousands of Rands which dwarf the cost of what many of us spend on our vaping gear above what we spent on smoking.

So to the extent that vaping is healthier than smoking and helps us to avoid a smoking related disease in future, the saving on vaping is potentially massive!

 

[Gizmo]

If you become a enthusiast / hobbyist then to be frank this "hobby" is far more exspensive then smoking.. However, I feel if you upgrade once or twice a year with a normal commercial tank and coils ( worst case scenario ) it should come around the same price if not slightly cheaper then smoking. On the flip side however, vaping prices are continuing to drop so there is that.

As for charging batteries and how much it costs that has never crossed my mind, but I would assume it would less then R10 a month..

 

[Gizmo]

Actually I do have one of these Smart TP-Link plugs

Wi-Fi Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring HS110 by TP-Link

I could test it for a month if you would like

 

[Rob Fisher]

There is another part to the cost discussion that should not be forgotten. The avoided potential health costs.

And right there you are spot on Hi Ho @Silver... Your Honour I rest my case!

 

[craigb]

This wasn't meant as a enthusiasts vs nic addicts vs hobbyists discussion.

If it makes you happy and doesn't shove you off the fiscal cliff, go for it. When I can afford it, that's exactly what I will do. So @Rob Fisher et al, you guys go to the expense so that I don't have to

It was just seriously something I wondered, how much did it cost to charge a battery - answer being next to feckall.

And @Silver , absolutely spot on with the health costs... can't argue against that. Especially seeing as my maternal grandmother had a horrid last few years of life as a result of bad circulation (which I have inherited) made only worse by decades of smoking. Double leg amputation was only the start.

 

[JsPLAYn]

If I may add .. I appreciate the idea of 'health cost' .. but I'd say in all honesty if anyone is so set on that.. then why even smoke or vape at all????

Do what I did and I'm proud to have been able to achieve it as I've smoked for nearly 20 yrs and only vaped 1 yr and was able to combat smoking finally and after a yr of vaping I was able to pack up and be happy.. health wise I feel brand new.. I must sneak in the fact that vaping over this year had severely messed up my sinuses to a point that I ended up on a daily sinus medication and since quiting vaping I've been off the meds and no issues whatsoever.

So all in all vaping is more expensive than cigs taken into account all new mods and tanks and that time u use to visit vape shops and spend and spend and never really finding what u looking for and also since the mega and 24/25ml tanks has come out to play..the juice has been flying off the shelves as they quite thirsty.

Just and little contribution from my side

 

[Authentic Alchemist]

If I may add .. I appreciate the idea of 'health cost' .. but I'd say in all honesty if anyone is so set on that.. then why even smoke or vape at all????

Do what I did and I'm proud to have been able to achieve it as I've smoked for nearly 20 yrs and only vaped 1 yr and was able to combat smoking finally and after a yr of vaping I was able to pack up and be happy.. health wise I feel brand new.. I must sneak in the fact that vaping over this year had severely messed up my sinuses to a point that I ended up on a daily sinus medication and since quiting vaping I've been off the meds and no issues whatsoever.

So all in all vaping is more expensive than cigs taken into account all new mods and tanks and that time u use to visit vape shops and spend and spend and never really finding what u looking for and also since the mega and 24/25ml tanks has come out to play..the juice has been flying off the shelves as they quite thirsty.

Just and little contribution from my side

I am really glad to hear that you are health again. Some people it hits harder then others & some not at all. But even if you got sick it is better than cigs & i have to agree with you that if you wanna be health leave both but Vaping is just so damn ENJOYABLE

 

[Dietz]

Lets just say if my wife finds out what i spend on vaping i might not see daylight for awhile. It's an addiction!

I hear you there, With my last hobby that was Remote control planes, helis and drones. My wife's understanding was that about 45% of what I have or brought home I got "for Free" from a buddy

Vape replacing smokes for me... Yes the initial startup might be more, but the return on investment for me is definately a win with Vaping VS Smoking.

BUT, its definitely a different thing when its a hobby, Im sayings yes its more than smoking if its a collector or hobby thing, BUT its still not more than I was spending on remote control for me so its a saving on hobby and smoking for me!!

 

[Stosta]

I hear you there, With my last hobby that was Remote control planes, helis and drones. My wife's understanding was that about 45% of what I have or brought home I got "for Free" from a buddy

Vape replacing smokes for me... Yes the initial startup might be more, but the return on investment for me is definately a win with Vaping VS Smoking.

BUT, its definitely a different thing when its a hobby, Im sayings yes its more than smoking if its a collector or hobby thing, BUT its still not more than I was spending on remote control for me so its a saving on hobby and smoking for me!!

Haha!

I think if all of our significant others got together, they would soon realise that there must be 20 competitions won a day on here in order for all of us to have received our "prizes"!

 

[Authentic Alchemist]

Haha!

I think if all of our significant others got together, they would soon realise that there must be 20 competitions won a day on here in order for all of us to have received our "prizes"!

I have to say my wife is very understanding and i like making jokes but i have to admit that i have an addiction so lets start a VA(Vapers Anonymous)

 

[JsPLAYn]

Il also add that if u only vape as a hobby then take into account that hobbies are meant for enjoyment and if u can't afford the hobby don't do it ... but don't rain on someone elses parade by complaining about costs etc just because of ur lack of financial contribution towards enjoying it on the same level as someone without that limitations of finance enjoys it. I've seen this happen on many hobbiest forums and it creates a certain amount of doubt in others minds as to limits on spending in order to enjoy it thoroughly

So in conclusion. DONT RUIN UR OWN BUZZ BY OVERTHIKING UR SPENDING AND IN STEAD FOCUS THAT ENERGY INTO PROPERLY ENJOYING IT AND MAKE IT UR MONIES WORTH

 

[gdigitel]

When I add the bills my chest closes just like it would when I chain smoked a box of stinkies. Then when I take my Athena in my hand and take that first puff, it's like a nebulizer, instantly relieving the tight chest.
Then I see another HE post and I start to drool, I become totally obsessed - or possessed. Intensive researching ensues.
Needless to say my brake even point of the stop stinkie calculator is jumping further away in leaps and bounds.



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