How to use the quit smoking savings calculator
- Enter the cigarettes you smoke per day, the number in a pack and the price of a pack including tax.
- Enter how many years you want to total. You can also enter a yearly return if you want to see the money as if it were saved.
- Read the cost per day, week, month and year, and the total for your chosen years.
- Use the table to see what a week, a month, a year and five years add up to.
Formula
Cost per cigarette = pack price / cigarettes in a pack
Cost per day = cost per cigarette x cigarettes per day
Cost per year = cost per day x 365
Cost per month = cost per year / 12
This is money arithmetic only. If a return is entered, the saved column assumes monthly deposits that grow at the yearly rate / 12.
Fifteen cigarettes a day
A pack of 20 for $9.00 costs $0.45 per cigarette. Fifteen a day is $6.75 a day, $47.25 a week, $205.31 a month and $2,463.75 a year.
Over 10 years that is $24,637.50. At a pack a day of 20 the daily cost would be $9.00, so change the first number to see your own figure.
What this tool does and does not do
The calculator multiplies a price by a quantity. It shows how much money a habit costs over a week, a month, a year and the years you choose. It does not make any claim about health, and it is not medical advice. If you want help with quitting, a doctor or a local health service can give guidance.
The price is the number you type. Prices differ by place and brand, and they can change over the years, so the totals are estimates for the price you enter.
Seeing the money differently
Large totals are easier to grasp when you set them next to something concrete. You could compare the yearly cost with a trip, a bill or a savings goal. The optional return shows what the same money would grow to if it were saved each month, with the caution that any rate is an example and not a promise.
To turn the yearly total into a plan, try the budget planner, see how it would grow with the compound interest calculator, or look at the latte factor calculator for other small daily costs.
Assumptions and limits
- A month is a twelfth of a 365 day year, and a year has 365 days.
- The price and the number of cigarettes stay the same over the years. Price changes and tax changes are not modeled.
- The optional return is a number you choose and is not a forecast.
- The tool only calculates money and gives no health information.
Frequently asked questions
How much does smoking cost per year?
Multiply the cost per cigarette by the cigarettes you smoke each day and by 365. At $0.45 each and 15 a day that is $2,463.75 a year.
How do I find the cost per cigarette?
Divide the pack price by the number of cigarettes in the pack. A $9.00 pack of 20 is $0.45 each.
Does this include other costs of smoking?
No. It only counts the money you spend on cigarettes at the price you enter. Other costs are not included.
Why is a month 365 divided by 12 days?
Months have different lengths, so the tool uses an average month of 30.4167 days, which makes twelve months equal one year exactly.