How much money do you save by quitting smoking and how to calculate it
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To find out how much you save by quitting smoking, you need three pieces of information: how many cigarettes you smoked per day, how much you paid for each pack, and how many cigarettes it contained. With that information, you can estimate the money you save over a week, 30 days, or a year.
Quick example: If you smoked 10 cigarettes a day and a pack of 20 cost €6, you would save approximately €3 per day, €90 in 30 days, and €1,095 in 365 days. This is a hypothetical example, not the current price of a brand or a guaranteed saving.
Below you will find the formula, a comparison table, and a way to distinguish between estimated savings and the money you have actually saved.
The formula to calculate your savings when you quit smoking
Estimated daily expenditure = (cigarettes per day ÷ cigarettes per pack) × price per pack.
Then multiply that result by the number of days you've been smoke-free:
Tobacco expenditure avoided = estimated daily expenditure × days smoke-free.
For example, with 10 cigarettes a day, 20 per pack, and a price of €6: (10 ÷ 20) × 6 = €3 per day. After 14 days, the expenditure avoided would be €42.
Use your previous usual consumption, not that of an exceptional day. If you switched between brands or formats, you can work with the total expenditure of a representative period divided by the number of days, provided your purchases reasonably reflect your consumption.
How much would you save in a week, 30 days, and a year
This table uses a hypothetical price of €6 per pack of 20 cigarettes. This assumes you stop buying tobacco, maintain your previous consumption as a reference point, and the price doesn't change.
| Daily cigarettes before quitting | 1 day | 7 days | 30 days | 365 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1.50 EUR | 10.50 EUR | 45.00 EUR | 547.50 EUR |
| 10 | 3.00 EUR | 21.00 EUR | 90.00 EUR | 1095.00 EUR |
| 20 | 6.00 EUR | 42.00 EUR | 180.00 EUR | 2190.00 EUR |
If you smoked a pack a day, in this example you would avoid spending €180 in 30 days. If you smoked half a pack, it would be €90. The difference depends on consumption and the price you enter, not on a universal amount that everyone saves.
To calculate for a specific month, use its actual number of days. Twelve 30-day periods add up to 360 days; that's why they don't exactly equal the 365-day column.
How to do it if you didn't smoke the same amount every day
If you smoked more on weekends, a weekly average can better represent your habit than your Monday consumption. Add up the cigarettes you smoked in a typical week and divide by seven.
Example: 5 a day from Monday to Friday and 15 a day on weekends is 55 cigarettes per week. Assuming €6 for 20 cigarettes, the cost would be €16.50 per week. To estimate other periods, use 16.50 ÷ 7 and multiply by the number of days.
With rolling tobacco, it may be easier to add up the cost of tobacco, papers, and filters over a representative period. Avoid using a week with a large purchase to stockpile as if it were your normal weekly consumption.
Avoided Spending and Set Aside Money: Two Different Figures
A counter might show you've avoided spending €90, but that doesn't mean there's €90 more in your account. You may have used some of that money for other expenses.
- Avoided Tobacco Spending: what you estimate you would have spent if you had continued your previous habit.
- Estimated Net Savings: the avoided spending minus any new costs associated with quitting, if you choose to include them.
- Set Aside Money: the amount you've actually set aside for a goal.
For example, if you avoid €90 on tobacco and decide to record €20 in new related expenses, your net estimate would be €70. If you set aside €40, that's the amount available for your goal. All three figures can be correct because they measure different things.
Don't deduct the same expense twice. If you've already included it when calculating the net amount, don't subtract it again when recording the set-aside money.
Turn saving into a concrete goal
Instead of sticking to an annual figure, you can choose a small goal and calculate how long it would take you to reach it. Use the amount you actually plan to set aside.
Days to a goal = remaining goal amount ÷ money set aside per day.
If you start from zero and set aside €3 per day, a €30 goal takes 10 days, a €90 goal takes 30, and a €150 goal takes 50. If the result isn't a whole number, round up to the nearest whole amount.
A simple way to organise this is to write down the name of the goal, its cost, and the amount saved so far. Choose something you really want, from a night out to an emergency fund. The goal doesn't have to be another purchase.
How to track your progress with BreatheFree
If you prefer to check your progress on your mobile device, BreatheFree includes tracking of time without smoking, cigarettes avoided, and estimated savings. Its iPhone app also describes reward goals and a journal. [1]
BreatheFree can be used for free. It offers optional additional features for a one-time payment, without a subscription, for approximately the price of two packs of cigarettes. Check the price available in your country.
View BreatheFree for iPhone · View BreatheFree for Android
Remember that the savings shown are an estimate based on the data recorded, not a reading from your bank account. If you're looking to compare tools, you can check out our comparison of apps to quit smoking.
Errors that can inflate the calculation
- Confusing cigarettes with packs. Entering 10 packs when you meant 10 cigarettes completely changes the result.
- Using someone else's price. The example of €6 serves to explain the calculation; Replace it with what you were paying.
- Count 30 days like any other month. For exact dates, count the days that have passed.
- Round too early. Keep the decimal places during the calculation and round the final result to two decimal places.
- Confusing a reduction with quitting. If you're still spending on tobacco, subtract that expense from the previous scenario to estimate the difference.
When reviewing the figures reminds you of the habit and you get a craving to smoke, you can refer to our guide on what to do when you have a craving to smoke.
Frequently Asked Questions about Money Saved by Quitting Smoking
How much do I save if I smoked a pack a day?
The daily amount is equivalent to the price of that pack. If it cost €6, that would be €180 in 30 days or €2,190 in 365 days, assuming you don't buy tobacco again and the reference price doesn't change.
Can I calculate it in another currency?
Yes. The formula is the same: use the price you paid in your currency. The amounts in the example in euros are not a conversion to your currency.
What if I reduced my consumption, but I still smoke?
Compare your previous spending with your current spending over equivalent periods. If you used to spend €6 a day and now spend €3, the difference would be €3 per day. That figure represents a reduction in spending, not a record of days smoke-free.
Do I need to pay for an app to calculate this?
No. You can use your phone's calculator or a spreadsheet. An app is an alternative if you prefer to track your progress along with other resources.
Start with a verifiable figure
Write down your previous consumption, the price, and the pack size. First, calculate your daily spending, and then calculate the spending for the period you're interested in. If you want to convert that estimate into available cash, record separately how much you actually set aside.
This way, you'll have a concrete measure of your financial progress, without confusing a forecast with your actual balance.
Calculation Method and Sources
The amounts in this guide are our own calculations with explicit assumptions. The main example uses €6 for 20 cigarettes and periods of 7, 30, and 365 days. It does not incorporate price changes, inflation, or financial returns. It is not a price survey or an estimate of the average savings of the population.
[1] BreatheFree's listing on the App Store: described features and official image. BreatheFree on Google Play.