Money saved by quitting smoking or vaping: make your own estimate

What numbers do you need for a personal savings estimate?

Use the price you actually pay and the amount you normally use. If prices vary between shops or products, take a recent typical purchase rather than choosing the cheapest example. You can also calculate a low and high estimate when your routine changes from week to week.

Keep the units consistent. If you buy a box containing several pods, enter the box price and how many pods it contains, then enter your usual pods per week. If you refill a tank, use your liquid price and typical volume only if you can estimate both consistently. For disposable devices, use the price per device and how many you usually buy over a week.

Do not guess at an exact nicotine dose from cost. Price can help estimate spending, but it does not measure nicotine intake or show which quit treatment is right for you.

How to estimate what you spend on cigarettes

The basic daily calculation is simple:

For example, imagine a pack costs €6.50 and contains 20 cigarettes, and a person smokes 10 a day. The calculation is €6.50 ÷ 20 × 10 = €3.25 per day. With that hypothetical routine, an average month of 30.44 days would be about €98.93, and a 365.25-day year about €1,187.06.

Those figures demonstrate the arithmetic only; €6.50 is not a current or typical market price. Replace it with the amount on your receipt, and change the number of cigarettes if your use varies. The Lungo smoking savings calculator takes pack price, pack size and cigarettes per day and gives daily, monthly and yearly estimates.

If you buy loose cigarettes, roll-ups or different pack sizes, convert your actual purchases into a cost per cigarette or a weekly amount first. Include only spending you expect to stop. If you plan to reduce rather than stop, estimate the difference between your current routine and the one you are aiming for.

How to estimate what you spend on vaping

Vaping products do not share one standard unit. One person may buy pods, another bottled liquid and coils, and another disposable devices. Use a time period that fits the product you purchase:

1. 1

   Choose a recent purchase

   Record the price and what was included. For a multi-pack, note the number of pods or devices. For refillable products, include liquid and the replacement parts you routinely buy, without counting the same purchase twice.

2. 2

   Estimate your usual weekly use

   Use the number of pods, devices or bottles you typically go through. If usage changes a lot, track purchases for several ordinary weeks and use a range rather than presenting one week as exact.

3. 3

   Convert spend to a daily or monthly view

   Divide weekly spending by seven for a daily estimate, or multiply it by 52 and divide by 12 for an average month. State which method you used so a future comparison stays fair.

For instance, a hypothetical two-pod pack at €12 with two pods used each week would be €12 per week, around €52.00 in an average month and €624.00 over 52 weeks. The example is arithmetic, not a claim about local prices or how long a pod lasts.

Our Lungo vaping savings calculator uses pod-pack price, pods per pack and pods per week. If your product is not pods, convert your actual purchases into a consistent weekly spend before comparing periods. Do not compare one person's pod count with another person's bottle or device count as if they were equivalent.

Compare a week, month and year without hiding the assumptions

A weekly figure is close to the spending pattern you may already recognize. A month can make small repeated purchases easier to see. A year gives a longer view, but it is also the easiest number to misread as a guaranteed result.

Lungo’s calculators use an average month of 30.44 days and a year of 365.25 days so daily, monthly and yearly figures line up mathematically. Other calculators may use four weeks for a month or assume prices rise over time. Neither method is automatically your future: check the assumptions before comparing two results.

For a transparent estimate, write the inputs beside the answer: pack or product price, amount used, period conversion and the date you checked the price. If you update one input later, you can see why the estimate changed instead of treating the number as a verdict.

What does a quit-smoking or vaping savings calculator leave out?

A calculator multiplies the spending pattern you provide. It cannot know whether you will quit immediately, change products, buy fewer items, have a lapse or spend the money somewhere else. The result is best read as “this is what my current routine costs if it stops,” not “this exact amount will be saved.”

It may not include transport to a quit appointment, counselling, nicotine replacement or other support that a health professional recommends. Those costs and coverage vary by country and person. Do not skip suitable support because of a calculator result; ask a doctor, pharmacist or local quit service about accessible options if cost is a barrier. Smokefree’s smoking savings calculator likewise asks people for their pack price and daily cigarette amount rather than applying one personal result to everyone.

If you smoke and vape, calculate each product separately and make clear whether you expect to stop one or both. Adding two totals can describe current outlay, but it can overstate a future difference if one product remains or if spending moves between products. A calculator is a budgeting aid, not a health comparison between cigarettes and vapes.

Use the calculator that matches what you buy

Choose the smoking calculator if your inputs are cigarette pack price, cigarettes per pack and cigarettes per day. Choose the vaping calculator if you can describe your spend in pods per week and the price of a pod pack. Both let you use your own currency and prices.

Calculate cigarette spending or estimate vaping spending. If neither calculator matches your product, use the formula above in a note or spreadsheet and write down the assumptions. You do not need a special tool to make the arithmetic useful.

For practical next steps, see the guide to building a realistic quit-smoking plan or the vaping quit plan. If you are weighing the differences between these routines, the guide to progress and rewards in quit-smoking apps covers ways to make milestones visible without promising a particular financial outcome.

Turn the estimate into a next step that matters to you

Choose one small use for the money you might otherwise spend: put it toward a bill, keep it for a goal, or simply leave it in your everyday budget. The goal does not need to be a reward or a purchase. Knowing what you want the number to mean can make it less abstract.

Make the comparison again after your routine changes, using updated prices and the same time conversion. If a quit attempt feels difficult, prioritize appropriate support and a plan that fits your life. The financial estimate can be one reason to quit; it does not have to carry the whole decision.

For help with cravings or a quit plan, use a local stop-smoking service or speak with a healthcare professional. If you have urgent symptoms or feel unsafe, contact local emergency services.