We all know the health benefits of quitting smoking, and plenty of people quit because their family asked them to. But do you know one of the main reasons Queenslanders quit smoking?
Money.
Smoking is more expensive than ever. If you’re a regular smoker, you could be spending approximately $1,000 or more a month on your habit, which adds up to $10,000 - $12,000 a year. When you quit, that money suddenly becomes free and you can do whatever you want with it.
If you’re thinking of quitting or need a reminder about why you should stay off the smokes, here are seven ideas for spending all that extra money to help with your motivation.
Start a new hobby
What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to have a go at, but haven’t tried yet? Life is full of fun opportunities, but when you’re spending money on smoking, you don’t always have much leftover cash to try new things. When you quit, why not allocate some extra cash to trying out a new hobby?
While some hobbies are free—reading library books, jogging, stargazing—for others you might need a small amount of money for equipment to get started. Whether you’re keen to grow a veggie garden, get into craft, restore old machinery, or learn how to ballroom dance, the money you would have spent on smoking can help you do it.
Spend time with family
These days, many of us have family that live out of town, interstate or overseas. If you’ve been wanting to see your family more often, quitting smoking could help you do it.
Putting your smoking money towards a few trips every year to see the rellies is not only a good way to boost your motivation to stay quit; spending time with loved ones is great for your mental wellbeing, too.
See Australia
We live in an amazing country. How much of it have you seen?
There are more than 1,000 parks, state forests, marine parks, and other protected areas, and five world heritage areas in Queensland. Your newfound extra money can help you visit them. Once you’re there, most activities are completely free, while activities like camping might have a small fee.
Not sure where to go first? Visit Parks and Forests for information about all the National and State Parks in Queensland.
See your favourites live
Who’s your favourite musician, band, sports team, or artist? How cool would it be to see them live? Maybe even meet them?
Quitting smoking can leave you with enough extra money each year to go to concerts, events, shows and matches, whatever floats your boat. Grab some mates and head to the cricket, take your kids to their first rock concert, or head along to the local film, theatre or writers festival and take in some culture.
These places are smoke free, helping you to stay smoke free.
Find out what’s coming up in your area at Queensland.com.
Boost your retirement fund
Quitting smoking can help you live a longer and healthier life. And the money you save from quitting can help you enjoy that long life even more. Stash it in your Super account, pop it in savings or invest it elsewhere—when it comes time to finish work, your saved up smoking money can help you enjoy the retirement you deserve.
Get active
Once you stop smoking, you might find physical activity becomes easier as your heart and lung health improve. If you’ve put off getting active in the past because of money, now’s your time to buy that new pair of sneakers, join a gym, find a class you love, or get back into sport.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get fit, in fact Health and Wellbeing Queensland have free workouts you can do at home.
Pay off debt
Whether it’s credit card debit, a mortgage or a bill that’s been left a little long, paying off money you owe is great for your peace of mind. Could quitting smoking help you become debt-free?
If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to managing money, head to Money Smart. Money Smart is a government program that offers free calculators, tips and counselling to help you sort out your finances.
About quitting smoking
For a tailored approached to help you quit for good, call Quitline 13 7848
You can find out more about Quitline, including requesting a call from one of the Quitline staff members them by visiting QuitHQ https://www.quithq.initiatives.qld.gov.au/how-to-quit/get-help-from-quitline
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