sharonsiff

Many Congratulations to you xx

You will be ok, you will. The thing is for some of us the other chemicals and crap added to cigs really do make us feel like Shyte! If you just try and focus on the fact that you will never, ever, have to put your body through this detox crap again it really can help. You will be ok if you post, let off steam and just trust that it really does not last forever xx

Good news Joe, here's to a pain free back xx

Hiya :) I wonder if it's you do want to quit but don't really believe you can? I only say that as I was like that for 30 years in the trap myself. I don't know if you have failed quits under your belt or not, but if you have, you must not let be your baseline of making your next quit the one that sticks. It does get much, much better with time...I swear to you it does. Just think...if you do it and stick with it, no matter what, you will only ever have to do this quitting lark one last time ;) I urge you to crack on, grit your teeth if you need to, and just do it and you will never have to ever do it again...it will be done. It will be Spring before you know it so imagine hitting Spring with it all done and behind you xx

Congratulations this is fabulous news xx

Sure Ross http://www.daveramsey.com/article/dave-ramseys-envelope-system/lifeandmoney_budgeting/ I have been doing the cash only system since September and already it has made a huge difference! I budget x amount also for emergency pot money (toaster breaking/kettle stuff like that) so that if the can't plan for it things happen the cash is there. I also use the cash to pop back in the bills account, the very next day, if there has been an online emergency purchase. The supermarket shopping, with cash only, was the game changer! Have knocked at least £150 a month off the food shop bill. I was financially asleep as a smoker but now I'm wide awake and it's quite liberating...I love the challenge of keeping within the budget and watching our savings grow. I know Doreen the money we have wasted! I haven't dared work out how many thousands have been wasted in 30 years, it would make me cry. I am just glad to no longer be still wasting my money on crap. Onwards and upwards...as they say xx

Thank you very much and congratulations to you on your 19 days...soon be 19 months xx

Good for you DF! Fingers crossed and all that jazz from me to you xx

Second for me...just absolutely fabulous! Just think, all of you who have just quit or are quitting tomorrow, this time next year you will have two Christmas days under your belt too! How brilliant is that ;)

Thank you very much Marti and I'm sorry I missed your Florida get away..but I was thinking of you, I promise. I use to blow my part time wages on cigs, I worked to fund it to be honest. I now follow the Dave Ramsey envelope system and only ever deal in cash (apart from bills that go out direct) and I now able to put extra towards my mortage and will knock 5 years off that! So that means stopping smoking has not only no doubt lengthened my life but means Lee and I can be mortage free and retire at 55! He has a fabulous pension. Had I carried on being a slave to the cigs, well, firstly would I even been around in 10 years, at 55 and secondly there would be no way we would have been financially secure to retire at 55...not a chance! Lee is over the moon as my stopping the silliness of smoking really does and will affect him in a good way too. I can not even begin to explain how stopping smoking has changed my life for the better on so many levels, just can't begin! I no longer have sleepless nights worrying that cash is low and how the hell am I ever going to get a grip on quitting smoking. I only wish I'd have done it years ago...still...better late than never.

Ignore... Forgot how to do this so just testing...

I have just noticed my ticker and I've not wasted nearly six thousand pounds on cigarettes in 18 months...nearly six grand!! Eyes popping out of my head. I'll be honest I did quit purely because of financial reasons, was getting too difficult to fund. Although I didn't notice any extra cash at first I did find I wasn't as low on funds each month as time progressed. The mental freedom is worth more than I imagined, or dared hope for, and to me that is priceless but I won't lie the extra cash is dam fabulous too! I have my Tenerife holiday booked, have taken MIL on lots of fab Christmas outings and am not sweating with worry at the thought of saving for a second hand car to replace my rust bucket in 2016...if it lasts that long..lol Freedom is priceless, worth more than money...but enjoy the extra money too as I certainly am ;)

And you my lovely...so much to catch up on...so, are you still in the USA or home? How's things?

It will still feel crap at times (life) with or without a cigarette Rowly. Think back to when you did smoke and times just felt...you know...crap. Even after a cig...still crap. I would bet my last British £ that having a cig would take the crappy feeling to extremely whizzed off, in a second. Head up, shoulders back and deep breath. In a few months or so at least when you do get a low feeling I guarantee what you will lift you is that although it all feels a bit pants at least you don't smoke anymore...it will lift your spirits no end. Good on you for posting an SOS..respect.

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas everyone, may you enjoy your fabulous family and delicious food xx

Many congratulations to you, brilliant news xx

Hi Joe, thanks for asking over our Lucy very thoughtful of you. She is doing great thanks and has only had two panic attacks since August. She recognises when things are brewing now and takes action to prevent a full blow attack. She has spent a lot of time reading posts on forums, by children simular to her age, and that has helped her too. She seems really happy at the moment so that's fabulous. Oh and as a bonus she's all about the grades (school) at the moment and is not getting herself all worked up about the amount of studying she is doing. As a family we are ok, lost Lee's dad then my uncle Alec died a few weeks later. Been extremely sad, as you can imagine, but we are ok as we all have each other which helps enormously. I hope you and you beautiful ladies are all well and I hope your daughter is ok too xx

That sounds like a good idea Evelyn as then you don't have the fear/worry and build up of a nicotine reduction plan...it's done, you've done it so a case of head down, crack on and eyes on the prize. Just think you have stopped just before Christmas day so this time next year you will have not one but two smoke free Christmas' under your belt....how fabulous is that!

Thank you Sue and I hope you and yours have a fabulous family Christmas too xx

I am loving this Season! I even found myself feeling quite sorry for Twist, I know!.. Lol. We are a couple of episodes behind in the UK so I have the Pepper episode to look forward to, and a revist to Baricliff sp? The episode that told us Elsa's past really troubled me, I know it wasn't real but to think things like that really do happen...as I say troubled me greatly...played on my mind most of the following day. I have no idea where this is going or what will happen...love it :)

And to you too DD xx

This is so very true Joe. It reminds me of one of my favourite old Take That Songs in the sense of we've come so far, reached so high and looked each day and night in the eye....and although we're as sound as a pound now (ok/doing fabulous) we never forget we're we've come from...the boys sing it better than me. Merry Christmas Joe xx

Evelyn am so very sorry to read this, I really am. Listen, why not think about chatting to your doctor with a plan to have a zero nicotine personal vaperouriser? The reason I say this is seemingly you resort to heavy sucking and puffing when under deep stress. It can't have been for the nicotine as you already had that. i just wonder then that you could wear a patch (get your nicotine if you feel that would help) see your reducing and when you get to no patches then tackle the action side of things, the comfort you got from the action? I know it might sound far fetched but it might let you break your addiction into more manageable stages?

Hi Jacob, that's true that you can get to the lower strength and then you can aim for nicotine free. Keep that goal and if you work towards it you will be so glad you did. Congratulations on ditching the cigs.

Between 30 and 35.