When times get tough my first instinct is to start slashing at my expenses like Freddy Krueger in a nightmare. This time I’m doing something a bit different.

Years ago I used cigarettes to control my anxiety when dealing with a personal issue (long time readers know the story). While I have no regrets concerning that decision, the situation that inspired it has long passed and it is time for me to move on. My initial attempts to eliminate smoking from my life resulted in abysmal failures so I took a few steps back and brainstormed the situation.

In December of 2021 I decided to attack the issue sideways. Instead of creating a goal to eliminate smoking, I decided to transition to vaping instead. This would allow me to eliminate at least some of the addictive chemicals from my life. It took almost a year but the day arose when I lit up a cigarette and immediately began coughing. It tasted disgusting for the first time in years!

Delighted, I called it a victory and settled into life as a vaper while I began to experiment with ways to eliminate vaping. I tried reducing the nicotine content (I just vaped more frequently) and cold turkey (I was impossibly irritable). I finally found a solution that worked. A nicotine patch, when combined with the occasional nicotine lozenge, gave me just enough of what I needed to eliminate the vape from my life.

I am now in the process of eliminating the patches. I will keep a small supply of lozenges on my person for a while as a precaution.

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When we think about our finances we tend to overlook how our health and our habits can affect our financial lives. The habit I adopted almost two decades ago not only negatively impacted my heath (increasing the potential of medical bills), it was a daily drain on my budget. While the cost of the patches and lozenges have caused a slight increase in my spending, it is still lower than it was when I smoked cigarettes so I consider this a win.

Once I finish this task I have set for myself there will be one less item in my life that I must pay for. As a bonus, my health will improve. I consider this to be my Long Game project, and I am close to victory.

Habits can be anything. They can be cigarette smoking (like mine), that daily latte from the coffeeshop, or the service subscription you feel you cannot live without. Each and every one of these habits are not only a drain upon our finances, but a tether that makes us more dependent upon money and other societal services.

Do you have a habit that you can eliminate? Please share your story in the comments below.