Hello & A Newbie Diary

[tizerbelle]

Hello All,

I hope it's okay to post a sort of diary here as a noob charting my e-cig introduction.

My “problem” is that I love smoking, not just the nicotine hit but the actual act of smoking – as proven by the failure of various NRT products I’d used in the past. I don’t just crave the nicotine hit; I crave the ritual of smoking. But as a 40+ cigarettes a day smoker (who has been smoking for 25 years) I know it’s killing me, it’s affecting bone density and my body’s ability to heal itself, it’s turning my house yellow (I hate yellow walls – even when they’ve been deliberately painted that colour); it turns your light fitings yellow; everything smells. Don’t get me wrong I love the smell of fresh tobacco smoke, it’s the stale smoke that lingers that I don’t like; even as a smoker if I’ve had a heavy smoking night in the lounge, even I hate the stale smell in the morning.

And to cap it all it’s costing me so much – ignoring the more expensive premiums for all types of insurance as a smoker e.g. life; home etc, the immediate cost of buying cigarettes is putting me into debt! 40 cigarettes is just shy of £12.50 a day, that’s £87.50 a week, £4550 a year – that’s a lot of money – it’s getting scarily near to 20% of my take home pay. That is so wrong - £1 in every £5 I spend is on cigarettes!

So after spending many hours of the day yesterday browsing this and other e-cig forums and websites and feeling very confused much of the time, I finally took the plunge at 10pm last night and ordered a RIVA 510 starter kit and 3 different flavour juices. They’ll be delivered by first class post so hopefully I’ll receive them Tuesday (but I think I’m being a tad optimistic).

I’ve created a spreadsheet this morning to keep a check on how much I spend on e-cigs and stuff and how many cigarettes I don’t smoke to see what savings I get in the long term. I only have to “not” smoke 120 cigarettes to break even on the cost of the order – that’s just 3 days. I hope I like e-cigs! Actually I’m praying I love them.

Putting the health issues aside, which smokers normally do – according to Allen Carr for those of you that haven’t read his book it’s not because we are ignorant of the risks or uneducated; it’s because we realise what it’s doing to us only too well but the stress and anxiety it creates in our mind just causes us to reach for another cig to calm ourselves – catch 22!; I just can’t afford to keep smoking regular cigarettes. I’m only a few hundred pounds away from getting into debt each month and by debt I actually mean breaking my overdraft and credit card limits – I want to get back to being in credit at the bank not living on an overdraft and not having a balance on my credit cards.

So I’m compiling this diary to “keep me strong” and provide a record of why I’m doing this - £1 in every £5 used to kill myself. I could do so much more with that money and who’s to say it would stay at that level, what if my consumption of analogues increased and as likely cigarette costs continue to increase it could be £1 in £4 / £3 / £2!!

Bizarrely I’m feeling very nervous / anxious right now – I wish the e-cig was here already, I dread it arriving and me deciding I hate it and it was all a waste of money; money I haven’t got to waste because I’m wasting what I do have on analogues.

Sorry for the waffle - I do tend to do that!

[womble]

Hi and welcome

I'm very new here myself and have just made the swap over from analogues to e-cigs, I feel so much better already.

Don't give up if they don't work for you straight away and don't be afraid to spend a little extra on some new bits if you think it may help. Your health is the most important thing, once you get the combo right, that's when you will start saving money.

I think though, 3 juices is being a little optimistic, I ordered 4 the first time, liked a couple a bit, but went on to find much better ones. I've tried about 30 now.

[VE Jason]

Hi Tizerbelle and welcome.

You've already got past the first and biggest hurdle by taking the plunge.

You certainly won't hate your e-cig kit, but you will need to be patient and prepared to get used to it and try a few different combinations.

Also, be prepared to ask lots of questions

[River]

hi Tizerbelle and welcome
can i ask you to vote yes so we can see a pic of jason please

[tizerbelle]

womble and VEJason, thanks for the welcome.

I'm sure there'll be lots of questions that I'll need to ask in the coming weeks, months (possibly even years!) and no doubt some really dumb ones as well.

But nothing ventured, nothing gained and I won't know if it will work for me if I don't give it a go. Fortunately I am a bit obsessive about new activities/hobbies and will work really hard at them until I'm good at it so hoepfully by the time the obsession fades (if it does - some things I stick with for years), vaping will have become second nature.

Fingers crossed for a speedy delivery - have had an email to confirm they've been despatched so I'm in royal mail's hands now. (Starts drumming fingertips on desk in an impatient manner)

[tizerbelle]

Sept 26, 2011 18:44:40 GMT River said:

hi Tizerbelle and welcome
can i ask you to vote yes so we can see a pic of jason please

Err - vote? where? what?

As a newbie would voting be a good or bad thing? Is Jason an uber-lord with multitudes of dark minions who will all make my life a living hell if I vote yes or would voting yes be a good way to ingratiate myself with the forum?

[AndnAnge]

Hello and welcome Tizerbelle, enjoyed reading your diary and hope you can make the change, it isn't easy but learning is half the fun.
Lots of good people in here to help.

[River]

tizer just read the post...should jason post his picture...its just a bit of fun
thats the beauty of this forum...we all have a good laugh

[Perpetua]

Sept 26, 2011 18:51:04 GMT tizerbelle said:

Sept 26, 2011 18:44:40 GMT River said:

hi Tizerbelle and welcome
can i ask you to vote yes so we can see a pic of jason please

Err - vote? where? what?

As a newbie would voting be a good or bad thing? Is Jason an uber-lord with multitudes of dark minions who will all make my life a living hell if I vote yes or would voting yes be a good way to ingratiate myself with the forum?

Don't give Jason ideas purleeeeeeeease Tizer, he's a job keeping in check as it is . . . although one of our most lovely & helpful Supplier's who posts on the forum.

( Don't tell him I said that though. )


Hello & a warm welcome, make yourself right at home . . . and any questions, just ask away.

[nicky]

Sept 26, 2011 18:44:40 GMT River said:

hi Tizerbelle and welcome
can i ask you to vote yes so we can see a pic of jason please

rofl

[VE Jason]

Out the bath then

[Sue (AKA ) milosmum]

Hi Tizerbelle & welcome! I too am pretty new to the e-cig & forum. I also loved smoking (think we all did?) but i never smoked in the house my hubby is an ex smoker & detests it, so i was one of those smokers who stood at the back door shivering like a poacher's whippet! I also bought the Riva 510 & i love it it's my new bestest friend in the world Because i'm not long off the analogs i am vaping a tobacco & menthol mix that i bought from Jason at Vape escape. I have tried a couple of flavours but because my taste buds are changing with not smoking & i'm craving the tobacco taste i didn't really enjoy them i'm just going to gradually take my time & try flavours & find the ones i really like So dont be put off if you try flavours & dont enjoy them at first. Give yourself time to adjust to the e-cig i was one of those smokers who tried everything to give up patches,gum,inhalater,lozenge,pills......doc was sick looking at me & i failed everytime & to be honest i had resigned myself to always being a smoker:( then i had a week in hospital....no cigs! so when i came out i looked into e-cigs & got the Riva & here i am:) it will be 4 weeks on Wed since i had my last analog I feel great not smoking & am really enjoying vaping especially when you have all the lovely people on here to help & support you along the way i have to say they are amazing!!! so good luck & we are all here for you

Sue

[tizerbelle]

Sept 26, 2011 19:06:34 GMT Perpetua said:

( Don't tell him I said that though. )

Your secret is safe with me.

Just think if Jason had added to his welcome post to me - please vote no, I would have done - wanting to make a good impression and all!

[nicky]

Sept 26, 2011 18:51:04 GMT tizerbelle said:

Sept 26, 2011 18:44:40 GMT River said:

hi Tizerbelle and welcome
can i ask you to vote yes so we can see a pic of jason please

Err - vote? where? what?




As a newbie would voting be a good or bad thing? Is Jason an uber-lord with multitudes of dark minions who will all make my life a living hell if I vote yes or would voting yes be a good way to ingratiate myself with the forum?

Noooooooooooo.

It's a sort of boys v girls and football and x factor.....etc etc read the post i think it's in the members lounge

[nicky]

Forgot to say Hi and Welcome