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There are many people out there right now who are mulling over whether 2018 is the year they should finally quit. The question is: Am I going to sabotage my own health by grasping at every excuse under the sun not to quit? Or, am I going to bite the bullet, do some research, and finally make the choice that I know is right? Those of us who have ultimately succeeded in beating back this addiction are not special snowflakes. We’re just like everyone else. For most of us, quitting smoking was not just a whim that we easily attained in a day or two. We had to commit ourselves 100%. But once the decision is made, the recovery process grows a little stronger every day. There finally comes a point where you’ll feel amazing….like a whole new person. I encourage you with all of my heart to look deep inside and do what you’ve been telling yourself to do for many years. You have the ability. Jump on the train!

What you will need for retirement is pretty much dependent on how long you will live and none of ever really know that so it's pretty much a crap-shoot as far as I'm concerned, unless you have one of those "cash for life" pensions. By quitting smoking we are at least helping our chance for longevity and, we are saving money at the same time

Not One Puff Ever... NOPE!

I always thought of it like this... smoking cigs was like a girlfriend that was a whore and cheated on me. I miss her...sure... but I also don't want to get gonorhea. You feel me? Keep on keepin on... it will fade.. for the most part.

NOPE !

Nope nope nope

That's my plan as well. Well, it's a "plan" in the academic sense. Just say to hell with the hassles of the modern world and become a full-time dirtbag. Earn a little money guiding whitewater rafts and leading tourists on overpriced fishing expeditions. Just cruising from mountain to mountain...out there where the free winds blow and the government doesn't know you exist. Yep...solid plan.

And that's if you own your home outright and is a no frills retirement. edited to add: i'll be in a van down by the river if anyone wants to compound

So...since I quit the smokes and spend a bit more time trying to keep healthy it looks like I may have to do some retirement planning. Apparently the advice is to have 10 times your annual income saved by age 67. So...how is everyone doing on that target figure? Just curious. The good news is the money saved from forgoing the smokes makes saving for (or indeed, just having) retirement a bit easier. Still, are we really supposed to have north of a half million in the piggy bank? OMG!

Be my guest ........................ Please!

You have received some great advice already Jon. Welcome to the forum. And even though you are not from the country I live in, I want to thank you for your service. It's so important to all of us to have a strong military! I would agree that you need to get your PTSD addressed first and foremost. A clear mind will be an asset in navigating through the early part of your quit. You have quit before so you KNOW it's doable. Please do read all you can and watch as many of the Joel videos as you can too. Understanding this addiction and how it works is a critical component in not only quitting but staying quit long term. You used the term "abstinence" earl on in your introduction. That is what you've been doing in earlier quits .... abstaining, not really quitting! You have not really taken smoking off the table as an option in your life. You still believe that smoking has and will do something good for you, which is not at all true when you really examine and understand what smoking is and how the addiction works in fooling us into believing it's our friend; our crutch in day to day life. That's where the education comes in Jon. Once you finally and truly understand just what smoking is, you will WANT to turn your back on this evil addiction. You will be happy to be rid of it

NOPE!!

NOPE!

Nope!!!!

I am planning on Florida. I got a pension so income is set. Controlling spending is just as important and keeping busy. There is the fight.

Hi and welcome Jon.. You are still very young...and have not been smoking for decades ,alot of us here have... I'm sorry for the loss of both your parents..smoking has taken too many loved ones ... Getting the right help you need for your PTSD..is the first most important thing...when you are feeling stronger...we would love to help you quit smoking.. Your seat on the train ,will be waiting for you..you can do it...it makes a massive difference to have the right knowledge and support to beat this monster once and for all.. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better... Why not stay around a while first,and read some great info ,on the main board,there are great videos to watch too.. Just look for the green square pinned threads..on our main page...post here as often as you want ..someone will be here to listen ..

Im basically gone but i aint forgetting my babes date. Mr piggy, know for his rap stage name 2Pig/Tupig Shakur is now 11 months free! oink... Mr pig, you´re one of the most awesome posters here on this train and i salute your achievement sir, oh yes, well done indead; just one more month for that sweet lido deck date right? oink By now you must be over the cigarretes i guess; just that ocasional feeling of having just one maybe? Dont screw it pig, dont screw it... Pig, babe, one of my resolution for 2018 involves less internet. I dont know if ill be here for your lido deck arrival, but anyway... Peter, really, thanks a lot for your contribution man. Respect!

One-month to lido! Great job Rec!

The tug boats are pulling up for final docking! Congrats Reci!

I work in finance and what dollar amount is required for retirement is dependent on how you normally live. I see clients with millions saying they don't have enough and others who maybe have 250k-500k feel they are fine. My boyfriend and his brothers live very frugal they vacation and such but the focus on no debt. Bob's brother retired at 50 (granted he had no wife or children but lives a modest life.) The rest of the brothers worked to have no mortgages before 60. So it all really depends on what you need.

Yup - keeping busy at something you enjoy is as important as having the financial part in place. So many people just fade away after retirement because they suddenly have no reason to wake up each day.

Don't worry about it Latoya. We conditioned ourselves for years with cigarettes, it takes a little while to get the brain rewired. Any passing thoughts or feelings about wanting a cigarette are just that, passing. Fleeting even. Those thoughts about smoking only have as much power as you give them. You've made a commitment to yourself to be free of smoking. A solid commitment will never be derailed by a passing thought. You're doing great. Proceed.

Welcome aboard Jon. You have a lot on your plate right now, but fortunately quitting smoking is very doable. You want to be free and that freedom is attainable with a singular commitment: never smoke again. It's that simple. The choice is yours. First things first, the phrase "I just can't quit"...get rid of that. That phrase becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you tell yourself you can't, you likely won't. You can quit. Absolutely, positively, without a doubt, you can quit. Quitting is a simple matter, you simply refrain from putting things in your mouth and setting them on fire. Add to that education about nicotine addiction, dispelling the myths and lies we conditioned ourselves to believe about cigarettes, and you've laid a rock-solid foundation for a smokefree life. Fully commit to this process and the process will reward you in ways you never foresaw.

So that's who nicked the blasted turkey;;;;;

I'm opening the doors to the party...I'm just going to the bar.will be back later....

If your still smoking ....this book could probally save your life..why not treat yourself this Christmas....

I think this will be a year of significant changes for me as well. Not clear on exactly what or when but ..... stay tuned! Change is good though. Reawakens you as a person I think. Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend and your mother's poor health as well. As you noted. life is always a mix of good and not so good things. Hope you enjoy what's ahead and at the very least, we will all move forward as smoke-free people. That's a REALLY good thing

Congrats Reci! doing it with confidence !!!

Yeah..... just grab the rail and hang on.... keep coming in to NOPE each day, and educate yourself... Joel's video's are de best!

-4

It doesn't matter how much money you accumulate... If your too dam sick to spend it... I've seen some folks be so mean with themselves ...sitting on big nest eggs...then in a blink ..they have become ill and died... Not enjoying any of it... There are no pockets in shrouds.... Your health is your fortune.. Getting the balance right..having enough to enjoy it while you can..this is the secret...

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Don't wish to be the party pooper.. But smoking took care of our retirement plans...my advice.... Keep the quits ...and make sure your dreams come true... Now some one help me down of this dam soap box !!!!!

Read and learn NOPE. Read more and practice NOPE. You know cold turkey works....so do it.

-17 feels cold, stay home, order in. heads n jugs, sounds dirty

whilst I am relaxing quietly just staring at my 'puter..... my bonce starts a conversation it will never win! my body starts talking to itself about who is the boss...... Well the eyes tell them all, I am the boss..... I lead us wherever we need to go because I can read what the signs say... Then the nose says... Yeah, but I can sniff the sh*t out and tell us what we need to avoid stepping in, so I'm the boss.... So the gob responds.... True dat... but I can shout out to you all and let you know you are about to step into the sh*t, so we can walk around it and that saves us from stepping in it but we can still keep to our path....... to keep on keepin' on with our quitting.... So then, the bumhole starts thinking..... and then he tells everyone that he must be the boss..... And so all of the other body parts start laughing.... in fact, the pen*s pisses itself laughing and causes the face to turn red, the eyes pop out of their sockets and the cheeks blow up as if about to explode.... the nose gets stuffed up and cannot function.... the brain starts to get real cloudy and cannot think at all to save it's life..... and lastly, the gob 'ole starts to drip with saliva and cannot say b*gger all.... That's when the bumhole then tells the rest of them... see... I told you I was the boss.... You all laughed at me, so I closed up and refused to work..... and look at you all now.... you can spout on as much as you like, but until you get rid of that sh*t you're smoking, I will continue to refuse to work! So the rest of the body all jumped up and down and agreed that the asshole was the boss after all..... Just don't walk behind him today!!! Cigarettes were never the anchors in our lives that hold us steady.... they were the ropes that kept us tied to the dock while life sailed by! - jwg It is not because you quit...it is because you smoked. It will pass! - Nancy

Reciprocity offered very wise words. Most of us tend to expect the process, funky feelings, junkie thinking, etc. to be over and behind us way way way before it all smooths out. There's the physical part and the mental part and the emotional part. Each one takes time and takes rethinking, rephrasing, relearning. You''re doing really well, Latoya. Just keep riding the waves, and keep posting your concerns and we'll do what we can to smooth the bumps.

An unexepected joy of being free is the realization that what you were hiding behind the mask is so much more beautiful than the mask.

How do I express myself without pictures.. I reach deep down inside myself and give myself permission to feel… to touch the feelings deep down that are hidden… others may be able to see them, but I can’t see… so HAVE to feel them. My feelings are deep, they are sometimes nasty…. They are often scarey. They hurt goddammit… and how can I express that without the bloody pictures I like to paste out there in front of my face… My mask, is so real to me…. I live with it over my face every day…. It is sewn on to my skin. This mask covers my tobacco addiction and helps hold it close to me….. so I really need to let it be lifted off of me. I need to struggle daily to hold this mask away from me and let myself breathe without it restricting me and what I do. If I don’t do this, I know I will die with a mask on my face… and I don’t want that to happen. SO WHERE'S MY TURKEY.... I'LL TAKE IT COLD.....

Congratulations, RunFree! You're a big inspiration around here. Thanks for your support, humor and game playing skills. Here's to the smoke-free life you've created!

Big Congratulations on reaching your 3 year milestone RunFree! That's an amazing achievement and worthy of great celebration And, nothing says celebration like fireworks right? Ok so, needs more practice? Thanks too for sticking around and helping us newbies along the road to our own personal freedom. Now that's a gift worth giving!

Just think.....seven year anniversary will be in a bikini on Florida....at my Pool Forgot the Daisy name....had to be looks as we all know the smell off those feet.... To my late night opponent in the artic....the selfies are nice especially summer ones without the wool suit Some other items are just a real pain in the ass...your counting skills are usually good but your timing sucks. There is n o point in denying this Your diet advice... Useless Exercise...keep to yourself Weather....you win, shut up. It's cold Wildlife spotting.. Again you win. Shut up As for your quit....very well done. Your support...Again very well done...so I guess you can move to a new seat and get a fresh window to lick. Jimmy stop the bus, moving around back here....and stay out of the back seat, sonic was spotted back there doing something nobody is allowed to know.

I am delighted to post this... I love you lady... You are a inspiration here...always supportive...and understanding.... You give the sticks a good slapping...I'm proud to call you my chicklette friend... How fast the years have passed....you stayed and played it forward to the newbies... Have a great day ...spoil yourself ...you are so worth it sweetheart...xxxxx

Runfree, aka Daisy, aka TwinkleToes, aka Bigfoot...an awesome chick by any name. Congratulations on a top-shelf quit and continued success. Celebrate...you've earned it.

High Five On Three Runfree

^^^ Yes - this is true (what MQ said). See the addiction for what it is and know that it does nothing positive for you

Hang in there, Latoya. You can do this! All of us here are doing it.