yellow top (nicole by Nicole Miller @ JCP, $26)
black tank (Worthington @ JCP, $7 after coupon)
black leggings (a.n.a. @ JCP)
grey faux leather jacket (Mossimo for Target via Clothes Mentor, $15)
printed scarf (PayHalf, $11)
brown boots (Steve Madden via amazon.com, $80)
Saturday was my 4 year smoke-free anniversary. I was a smoker from age 13 until 26, half my life at the time that I quit. I had a pack-a-day habit on the weekdays and more on the weekend. I wasn't just addicted to cigarettes, I loved to smoke.
My body, however, did not love it. Neither did my bank account.
At the time that I quit, I had tried to quit 2 other times, unsuccessfully. The first time I made it 4 hours and the second was something like 8 (hours) - pathetic. At the time that I quit, I didn't really want to, but I was broke, so it was either cigarettes or groceries. At the time that I quit I had just recovered from my 3rd episode with bronchitis in 1 year. The coughing spells I would go through with bronchitis were so severe they would cause muscle spasms in my back that were debilitating. I didn't stop smoking because I had bronchitis. I didn't stop smoking when I had my wisdom teeth removed. (You're advised not to smoke because the sucking action can cause dry socket.) I smoked in my apartment and my car, and there were brown tar stains on the walls of my apartment and the windows of my car. At the time I quit smoking, I was spending $120/month on cigarettes. If I were a smoker now, in the city of Chicago, that number would be close to $400/month.
I quit cold turkey, which I believe to be the best way to do it successfully. Quitting was difficult, and there are times now that I think about smoking again. I have dreams that I'm smoking and it feels so real that I experience guilt and worry in the morning. When I think about smoking again, I remember how sick and broke I was, how cigarettes controlled so many aspects of my life and how difficult it was to quit, and I'm able to talk myself out of it. Having quit, I have the option to talk myself out of it. Being addicted to nicotine doesn't give you that option.
If you're a smoker and you're thinking about quitting, even if it was just a passing thought, please check out the site WhyQuit.com. This site helped me tremendously with my quit. I'm also available for support and advice for anyone interested in quitting. Email me at cheapandchicinchicago@gmail.com.
