What's the best thing about not smoking any more?

[many a good man]

For me, it's the joy of being able to walk down the street without all the homeless dudes trying to bum a smoke off me.

You?

[lost-in-nj]

1. talking to someone

and knowing I don't smell like smoke.....
running.....
walking


lost

[Madrone]

2. LOL - that's a good one.

Doesn't apply to me though ... soo....??? I don't have an answer. :cry:

I can't think of any "best thing" .....

[leeroysphitz]

3. Saving all that MONEY. It's like I took on a part time job...

But I'd trade it ALL for but one more chance to suckle at my dark mothers teat.

:sarcasm:

I've been smoke free for just over a month and thanks to modern pharmaceuticals (chantix) I haven't missed it one bit!

Good luck everyone! :hi:

[BrotherBuzz]

4. My Oncologist take now takes real interest in my health

:shrug:

[woofless]

5. The constant coughing is gone,

The emphysema remains alas.

Woof

[cabraverde]

6. If I said what the op said

I would be accused of being bigoted against the homeless.lol

But I know what you are saying, I was working in a very low income area of philly over the summer. Every time we (3-4 young white guys) would step out for a smoke, with in moments we would have a local come up and strike up a convo. He would go on with a spheele and get all buddy buddy, than invariably the question would pop up "you got any spare change" or "you got a ciggarett"

It got to be a running joke among our crew, we wanted to see if we were ever going to have a local just come up and strike up a convo and NOT ask for something......it never happened.

[many a good man]

18. LOL! I expected a scorching for that, too

I ALWAYS gave people tobacco when they asked (think it's an Indian thing). Actually they were usually the same guys. They knew I was an easy mark! Got to know a few and chat 'em up. Now they're not as friendly!

[cabraverde]

7. double tap

[Infomaniac]

8. Saving all the money

The price of smokes, breath mints, febreze, dry cleaning bills to get rid of the smoke in my curtains. All money in my pocket now.

[madrchsod]

12. 6 a pack in wisconsin......

[Infomaniac]

14. 7.50 a pack in NYC. The state/city tax is $3.

The highest cigarette taxes in the nation.

[madrchsod]

19. jesus....that`s a ton of money a week if one

just smoked one pack a day!

[raccoon]

28. Wish it were here (SC). I don't smoke, but I think it's usually close to $3 a pack.

I bet some people do a booming business in cigarette smuggling.

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Breathing, not stinking, more money, no burning down the house, not stinking

[madrchsod]

10. other than not smelling like an ashtray

my heart and my doctors thank me for not smoking.

[tekisui]

11. Smoking again.

no-I kid.

[Qanisqineq]

13. no coughing, tasting

and just being able to breathe.

The bad part... now I can smell cigarette smoke a mile away. Before I smoked, I could smell it, of course, but I wasn't nearly as sensitive to it.

[many a good man]

15. I need way less caffeine now

I used to have to guzzle coffee all day long at work to keep up. Now I have so much more energy I don't drink ANY at all. That has been the most surprising change.

[Skittles]

22. my caffiene intake quadrupled when I quit smoking

like I replaced one bad habit with another :o

As for energy - I swam across lakes even when I was smoking so.........

[rurallib]

16. You can taste food again.

[Generic Brad]

17. Having hobbies

I have the time, energy and money to fish.

[ghostsofgiants]

20. The fact that you don't smell like stale tobacco smoke all the time has to be one.

[Skittles]

21. for me

it was not having to plan where/when/how I could smoke in any situation - it was too much work :D

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

23. I can almost tolerate time wasted in airports

When I smoked, aiports were a real pain. If you find a smoking area/lounge, it will be the nastiest smelling place on earth.

[sarge43]

24. Waking up without a head full of gunk.

The saved money is good.

No more ghastly colds or at least not as bad.

[meegbear]

25. Being an obnoxious prick, lecturing others about why they shouldn't ...

in a self-righteous indignant tone.

[MissMillie]

26. not spending one ounce of energy on smoking

not on thinking about smoking
not on worrying about if I have cigs
not on worrying about how much cigs cost
not on worrying about where I can stop to buy cigs
not on whether I have a match or a lighter
not on whether I can fit a smoke break into my schedule
not on whether I'll be able to find a place to smoke where I won't bother anyone


not one ounce of energy

so... I guess you could say... I enjoy being free from it.

[kwassa]

27. Food and drink taste much better, no stinky clinging smoke or old ashtrays

I never realized how many ashtrays I had accumulated until I quit. They are perfectly worthless after quitting.

I found all this extra time, too. I used to pretend smoking was doing something.

[raccoon]

29. Not having a hacking cough, and not getting dark brown crud on the back of my

teeth that the dental hygienist has to scrape off.

I just rec'd this thread.

[PassingFair]

30. All this excess weight.

Now I know my husband and really loves me for myself.

:puke:

[Phillycat]

35. Oh god, I'm never quitting.

:cry:

[Downtown Hound]

31. Overall feeling of better health

I always exercised even when I smoked, but now that I've quit it's a lot easier. I turned 31 not too long ago so I think I was getting to that age where I couldn't do it all. I used to be able to smoke, work all day, work out, have sex, and party all in a single day. I noticed my ability to do so became less and less as time when on. Now that I've given up the cigs, my energy for doing other things has significantly increased and I feel better than I have in years. The morning cough is largely gone too.

[Iggo]

32. I can smell stuff I didn't know I couldn't smell.

I realized it one summer when I was walking across someone's driveway. It was about a thousand degrees out and I guess he'd just rinsed off his vehicle or something. There was this smell of evaporating water off of a hot blacktop that I hadn't smelled since I was a kid. Other stuff, too, like grass, flowers, young women on a crowded bus...um...

Excuse me, I'll be in my bunk.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

33. When I reach for a half can of stale beer,

I know there won't be a cigarette butt in there. Yecchh!

[PassingFair]

34. You can also tell...

that the beer is stale.

And everything smells like cat pee to me now.

[Sequoia]

36. Kissing and not stinking up the place.

[Tikki]

37. Not having to 'excuse myself' and run out....

somewhere far away from the fun to some
ratty old parking lot to puff away for a few
minutes and then try to get back to where
my family is and hope I didn't miss any precious
moments in my grandson's life.

That is my best thing about quiting smoking four years ago.


Tikki
P S also, my grandson never having seen me smoke.

[Bitten]

38. spending all that money on fun stuff!

i am not saving a penny of it.

[Tikki]

40. Welcome to DU....

:hi:

Hey Bitten...Glad to see you here.


Tikki

[Bitten]

41. thank you Tiki!

good to see you, too!

[Left Is Write]

39. I have a keen sense of smell and taste. My hair and clothes don't smell like stale smoke.

And I don't set fire to five dollars a day anymore.

This year will mark 10 years smoke free for me.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

42. $47.59 a carton...

That was the price yesterday at the local grocery store. I nearly shit myself. I stopped smoking when the price for a carton hit $8. Geez, it's getting to be so that Warren Buffet is the only person left in American who can AFFORD to smoke!

[NashVegas]

43. Not Clearning My Throat Every 30 Seconds

On the downside, I don't get outside nearly as much as I used to.

[RadiationTherapy]

44. The best is when you finish a meal...

hand roll a smoke and go sit outside. Then, slowly, thoughtfully, lighting the tip of the cigarette and puffing it just right to get the flame to bounce up and down. Now lit, sitting and thinking and savoring the meal you just finished as you take the smoke gently, lovingly, into your lungs. A smile spreading across your face as you organize your mind and chores you have left to do. Next you....

Wait...NOT smoking?? Shit. Sorry.

I haven't changed a bit since I started smoking...