$154.00 saved so far in costs, hoping it gets much more....

I'd say that's something to
I'd say that's something to be proud of. Now, tell your hubby you'll give HIM that $154.00 if he'll quit for the same amount of time. If he sees it as a challenge he might bite. Tell him he'll have $300.00 if he can quit for X amount of days that he can spend on anything accept cigaretts. Cold hard cash can speak volumes. You guys might just beat it easier together. But I know it's gonna be tough...
Good luck
Chris

herdizziness said:

LMAO
I love the cha ching!!! So far I've already been spending the money on landscaping my yard. I too was 2 1/2 pack a day, and for about 37 years now, and at $52.00 a carton, I figure I should be saving some big money!!!
Just one day at a time, saw my onc today, and he asked about it, and told him yep haven't smoked in nine days, except for one or two at night, he said well somebody here's been smoking, and looked at my still smoking hubby. He then informed hubby it's really hard if the other doesn't quit.
Since I don't think he's about to quit one way or the other so I just got in the mindset, that I won't nag him about it, and I'm just that much stronger in mind in resisting re-joining him in our heavy habit.
Only thing is I LIKE SMOKING. Oh well.

Hey Dizz
Being a former 32 year smoker, up to 2 packs/day, I quit about 7 years ago. To tell you the truth, I don't even remember what year it was, but I know it was at the end of January when I came home from Hawaii. I took my usual 2 cartons of Duty Free ciggies with me and when I came home with still an unopened carton, I said to myself, "Aha!! If you can go on vacation with the same amount of ciggies as you always go with and come home with a whole carton, then girlie, it's time to quit!"

Now... let me point out... I am NOT one who can stick to a plan If I had the willpower to do that, I would have gotten rid of this weight years ago and stuck with a plan so that it never came back. After a lifetime of dieting, exercising, more dieting, more exercising... and no success, even my doctor has said "There comes a time when you just have to give up beating yourself and accept that you are never going to be skinny" You had to be there to hear him say that... he's been my GP since I was 21 yrs old and he KNOWS how hard I've tried, but not succeeded (don't anyone even begin to tell me about a diet plan... seriously, I've been on all of them and then some made up ones)

Well, smoking was the same thing for me. I knew that if I didn't attack quitting 100%, I was not going to quit... so who was I fooling?? If I tried to quit when I didn't want to, then obviously I was doing it to impress others... but would only end up disappointing them when I started again, which I knew I would. So I never even attempted to quit... there was no point. But something tripped a trigger for me ... and that trigger was when I came home with a full carton of unopened ciggies.

So, yes, I decided I was going to quit. Rumour has it, when you try to quit smoking, you end up quitting/starting 5-10 times before you quit for good. Well, I'm a bit of a stubborn rebel and refuse to be a statistic in anything I do, so there was no way I was going to put myself through quitting/starting/quitting/starting/etc. If that was going to happen, then I may as well just continue smoking since, I really and truly did enjoy it! I was never one of those smokers who said, "I HATE it but I can't stop!" Me? I LOVED smoking and had no idea if I could stop because I had never tried... why quit something you really enjoy??

But then I did get informed and the day came where I couldn't argue the facts. Not only is smoking really bad for me, but it also is hurting anyone around me so why would I be doing this to my friends and loved ones? But, I still was stubborn enough that I didn't want this to be a "Oh ya, I've quit" one day and then, "Ya, it didn't work, I started smoking again." I know a lot of people who did that so by the time they got to their 4th or 5th time of quitting, we didn't even listen to them anymore... knowing full well they would start again (how supportive is that??? LOL!)

Yes, I did quit cold turkey. Yes, there were times I craved a cigarette! They say those cravings only last 17 minutes and then they will pass, so it's a matter of getting through that 17 minutes. When I quit, I put the unopened carton of ciggies up on the fridge and told myself... "You know where they are. You are either going to quit, or you are going to smoke... there's no option of quitting and smoking. If you crave one, then do whatever you have to do to work through the craving. If you really and truly can't handle it, and you take a ciggie, then no matter how long you have not been smoking for, that all goes up in smoke (hahaha... get it??) and you have to start all over again at Day 1. You can't say, "Oh, I've had 1 ciggie in 25 days"... no, you can't even mention the 25 non-smoking days, they no longer count. Now you have to start over and say I'm 1-day smoke free.

Hahaha... have I mentioned before how lazy I am?? I just couldn't be bothered to start all over!! So when I really, really needed a ciggy, I kept telling myself, "Noooo... you have to give up the smoke free days and start over!" and with some convincing I managed to make it through.

Like I say, I seriously forget what year that was, but I think it was about 7 years ago. In the first 3 years, there were definitely times when the urge would come up for no reason... but for the most part it doesn't bother me at all and I have literally zero desire to have a puff. Mind you... funny story.... I was used to going to Hawaii every January for 30 years or so. Another friend and her husband would be there at the same time, so Peggy and I would sit on the beach for HOURS talking away and catching up with each other. We both smoked too, so inside our beach bags were our towels, suntan lotion, frozen bottled water and ciggies. I think it was about 3 years ago, we were on the beach, soaking up the rays, realizing how wonderful our lives were that we had the opportunity to go to Hawaii whenever we wanted and while we were talking, I reached for my beach bag and was rummaging through it :::rummage rummage rummage:::, still talking up a storm. Finally, Peggy said to me, "Cheryl... what ARE you looking for???" I told here... "Just looking for my ciggies". And she said, "Why?? You haven't smoked for years... did you start again?" And I looked at her and said, "Wow... you are right! I'm a non-smoker... no wonder I couldn't find my ciggies!" LOL!! I blame it on chemo brain (I had only been off chemo for about 3 months at that time)... but that was so surreal to just go back to an old habit and then when reality hit, I realized, not only was I a non-smoker, but I actually had no desire for one... I was just going through the motions out of habit!!

Anywho... sorry to take up so much time on your topic... but thought you'd like to know there are a lot of people who are in the same boat as you and they made it out of the tunnel, smoke free. And, I think you are being incredibly forgiving/patient of your husband. You HAVE to stop smoking for your health, he should too, although that is really up to him and when the right time is to quit. But the least he could do in support of you is NOT smoke in the house, NOT smoke when he is in your presence, and NOT smoke in the car/truck when you are in it. Oh, boo-hoo, if he has to have a cigarette if he isn't driving....he doesn't HAVE to have one, he WANTS to have one... there's a big difference between "wanting" something and "needing" something. So no, he does not NEED to smoke and out of love, respect and support for you, he should curtail his wants. That's not to say he has to quit... he can go outside, he can go driving by himself... he can do whatever... as long as it's not in your presence.

The above paragraph is my "rant" But you go, girl... you CAN and WILL quit smoking... and be so glad you did (and what drugs are you on giving the saved money to he who is still smoking??? You KEEP that money for yourself and buy special treats for YOU! If he wants in on the treats and spending money, then he can quit and get the money he would be saving. But no, no, no... he doesn't get to gain with rewards because YOU quit, and he gets to still smoke!!

Cheryl