While this post isn’t applicable for everyone, the principle behind it remains.

It is is a bad habit that a 2007 report states that about 4.9 million people worldwide each year die as a result of smoking. So not only does it place increased pressure on our health system but it also eats up the budget for groceries. If you consider the packets of cigarettes that you go through per week and multiply it by 52 to represent an entire year, you might be surprised to know how much you are spending. Multiply that again by the number of years that you have been smoking and it might be a massive shock for you.

Consider this: a 2 pack a day smoker who has been smoking for 5 years would have spent $18,200. This is using $5 as the baseline for a packet of cigarettes. However someone living in New York has to spend $11.90 on a packet and thus would have spent $43,316! If this is you, imagine if this had been put towards the mortgage. Or even now, you could purchase a small property in some states. We are talking some serious coin here.

If ever you should consider quitting smoking, it should be now. With the European economic fallout tipped to be GFC mark 2, the money that you can save now will help you in the future should things get really rough.

For more information about quitting smoking, check out these sites:

Smokefree.gov
whyquit.com
cdc.gov/tobacco/how2quit

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Anyone like to share any recent gold nuggets that they’ve discovered in the last couple of months when it comes to saving? I only ask because I think the US still has a long way to go before we experience any sort of positive growth.

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Today we have a guest post from Muzammil Bashir, the Senior Editor of freestuff.co.uk on how to save on household bills.

Many homeowners are frequently looking for ways to save money on their household bills. From utilities to groceries, bills can really pile up by the end of the month. To have more money in your pocket at the end of the month than you are sending out, here are the top ways to save money on your household expenses.

1 Get on a Budget

Most utility companies have budget payment plans. This is helpful no matter what season it is! By getting on a budget plan, your average bill is calculated for the whole year or a certain number of months. After your bill is calculated, this average becomes your set monthly payment. This is particularly helpful when you are trying to plan your monthly household budget as there will be no fluctuation in your utility bill(s). [Read more...]

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