Money Saved by Quitting Smoking: The Real Numbers
Date: September 2, 2026
From: Stop Smoking Guru
When I first wrote this site, a pack cost around three dollars where I lived, and seven packs a week was about what a typical smoker spent. Prices have risen a lot since, mostly through tax. Today the money you save by quitting is one of the most concrete rewards there is.
Pack-a-day savings
The table below shows savings for someone who smoked 20 cigarettes a day, at three illustrative pack prices. Prices vary hugely by country, state and city, so find the column closest to what you pay, or use the formula underneath.
| Period | $8 a pack | $10 a pack | $13 a pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 week | $56 | $70 | $91 |
| 1 month | $243 | $304 | $395 |
| 1 year | $2,920 | $3,650 | $4,745 |
| 5 years | $14,600 | $18,250 | $23,725 |
| 10 years | $29,200 | $36,500 | $47,450 |
Half-a-pack-a-day savings
| Period | $8 a pack | $10 a pack | $13 a pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 week | $28 | $35 | $46 |
| 1 month | $122 | $152 | $198 |
| 1 year | $1,460 | $1,825 | $2,373 |
| 10 years | $14,600 | $18,250 | $23,725 |
In the UK, where a pack of 20 often costs £15 or more, a pack-a-day smoker spends more than £5,000 a year.
Your own number: packs per day × price per pack × 365 = yearly savings. Multiply by 10 for a decade. Don't forget lighters, the extra coffees on smoke breaks and, in some cases, higher insurance premiums.
What that money looks like
Numbers on a table are abstract. It helps to picture something specific. At $10 a pack, one year of not smoking is roughly:
- several months of rent or mortgage payments in many places;
- a decent used car's worth of savings after a few years;
- a family holiday, every year;
- or a weekend in Las Vegas for two, with money left over.
Cigarettes versus a weekend in Vegas
Here's a comparison many readers find motivating. A long weekend in Las Vegas for two, with flights from many US cities, three nights in a Strip hotel, a show and a few good dinners, can easily cost somewhere in the region of $1,500 to $3,000 depending on the season and how you travel. A pack-a-day smoker paying $10 a pack burns through that every five to ten months. In other words, the cigarettes alone could pay for a Vegas trip or two every single year.
If that's your kind of reward, plan it as a milestone: book it for your six-month or one-year quit anniversary. Just go prepared, because casinos are still some of the smokiest places you can visit. Read how to stay smoke-free on a Las Vegas trip and our guide to smoke-free casinos before you book.
Make the savings visible
- Move your daily cigarette money into a separate savings account or jar.
- Use a quit-tracking app that shows money saved and cigarettes not smoked.
- Plan rewards at milestones: a meal out at one week, a gadget at one month, a trip at six months.
- Or put some of it on the line for yourself with a commitment contract.
Back in the original letter I wrote that putting your money where your mouth is is one of the best ways to commit to a change. That part hasn't changed.