Cigar Smoking Is A Bargain!

[Herf N Turf]

I just returned home after a horrible day of shopping. I hate battling Saturday crowds; all the traffic, all the hubbub, scheming for parking spaces, all the screaming off-spring of the, "should-never-have-breds"... etc. I spent $55 at a local B&M on some nice sticks for me and "La Femme du Jour". For my $55, I'd hauled nine (Oliva, Cusano, Monte' White) really good cigars, and a (yet another) Madelaine digi hygro (love these things).

When I got home, I began to ponder... just how much money do I have tied up in these blinkin' things and what is my average price per smoke?



OK, so I stopped there. Most of what I have in inventory would be considered by most to be, "premium" to "super-premium." This notwithstanding, I never pay over MSRP for anything (even Opus, Anejo, CC's, VSG, etc., whatever, etc.,). Evenso, the tallying of my inventory quickly became rather depressing.

Thankfully, I do buy the odd, $3-4 El Cheapo Xtra Viejo Ultra Lujos Reserva de Casa... from my local B&M's. This makes me more comfortable and allows me to justify my average cost-per-stick to around $6. (I am in serious denial here, but please, bear with me.)

Anyway, I started thinking that the average smoke lasts about as long as the average movie. Ok, a source for comparison. I love cigars. I love movies. It's all good, right?

Here are some nationally averaged prices for typical entertainment venues:

Event / Ticket Price

NFL (07) $67.11
Concerts (07) $62.07

Laser Tag (07) (price per length of average movie) $53.61
NBA (07) $48.83
NHL (07) $48.72
Theater, Live (06) $29.60
MLB (07) $22.77
Bowling (07) (price per length of average movie) $7.31

Movies (07) $6.88
A GREAT CIGAR... (09) $6.00

If I consider that I can both smoke a cigar AND watch a rented, new release movie, for less than $10, man-o-man... even if I factor in the adult beverages (that I can't consume at the theater), I am still coming out soooooo ahead!

Bottom line? Smoking cigars is the most frugal way to spend your entertainment dollar!

Caveat: If you consider me to be rationizing, consider this: When was the last time YOU made it through a day without a rationalization?

[MattB]

Great post! I have often made very similar comparisons (cost of dinner, movie etc.) when people say "oh my god, you paid $XX.XX for ONE cigar". Non cigar smokers just don't understand.

[Pugsley]

I use that rationalization too, but I also have to admit that if it was movies instead of cigars I wouldn't have boxes filled with hundreds of tickets I bought intending to use them someday.
Geez, now I sound like my ex-wife ..... I need to go have a smoke.

[baddddmonkey]

Maybe I should show this post to my girlfriend? Maybe she'd understand haha. A majority of the cigars I like could be around $30-75 a box. Which would easily be a night or two out for dinner and a movie.

But I agree with Matt, they just don't understand at all!

[holmes711]

I love the way you think Don!

[Rodeo]

Let me stir the pot a little

4 Humodors $500
Vinotemp $250
Beads, sponges, cat litter, old mops $100
Nice cutter $40
Another nice cutter $40
Another not-so-nice cutter (keep losing the damm things) $5
Lighter ($25 x 3 yep, same problem) $75
Ashtrays, candles, matches, breath mints $100
A bunch of stuff you thought was a good idea at the time $400

Total $1,505

oops ... forgot the cigar $1509

[MattB]

Originally Posted by Rodeo

Let me stir the pot a little

4 Humodors $500
Vinotemp $250
Beads, sponges, cat litter, old mops $100
Nice cutter $40
Another nice cutter $40
Another not-so-nice cutter (keep losing the damm things) $5
Lighter ($25 x 3 yep, same problem) $75
Ashtrays, candles, matches, breath mints $100
A bunch of stuff you thought was a good idea at the time $400

Total $1,505

oops ... forgot the cigar $1509

Sitting with friends and enjoying a great cigar........... Priceless



Couldn't help but think of those commercials when I read this

[Wolf4Fun]

Wow, I know what my wife would say if I invested that much....
Never mind how much she spends on horses.... lol

[Rubix^3]

Yes, sweet rationalizations let me count the ways...
haha. I'm glad someone else thinks the way I do!

[Cigary]

When you factor the cost for paying some quack for mental therapy for around $150 an hour maybe twice a week over a period of a few months and smoking a good cigar on the patio with a nice drink,,,relaxing your mind and reflecting on smoke ring after smoke ring,,,there is no comparison as to how I feel after a good 2 hour churchill rather some mind ninja wanting me to "express" my feelings for an hour,,,I will take a churchill anyday.

[KevinV]

Originally Posted by Pugsley

I use that rationalization too, but I also have to admit that if it was movies instead of cigars I wouldn't have boxes filled with hundreds of tickets I bought intending to use them someday.

I don't care who you are, that's just funny!

[nativetexan_1]

Nice post filled with good examples. Consider, too, the bottle of water at a MLB event: $4 (or so) for MAYBE a 1 liter bottle, roughly $16 a gallon!!! That even makes the beer (at home, not at the ball game) within your price range.

[mrsmitty]

Originally Posted by Cigary

When you factor the cost for paying some quack for mental therapy for around $150 an hour maybe twice a week over a period of a few months and smoking a good cigar on the patio with a nice drink,,,relaxing your mind and reflecting on smoke ring after smoke ring,,,there is no comparison as to how I feel after a good 2 hour churchill rather some mind ninja wanting me to "express" my feelings for an hour,,,I will take a churchill anyday.

I'm with you on this

[slyder]

Ya know spending $10 on a cigar is so worth it! For me I can spend 1 to 2 hours smoking a nice sized cigar. Thats 1 to 2 hours of pure relaxation and enjoyment. I concentrate on the smoke and I dont worry about a damn thing for that 1 to 2 hours. I dont drink or use drugs so this is like the only outlet I have......and it works. I sit around with a big shitty grin smoking a cigar while all my friends get drunk. They all look at me like "why the hell are you so happy". Well im happy cause this is a tasty cigar and Im totally relaxed. I do all my books on Quicken and for giggles I looked the other day at what ive spent on cigars over the last couple years. Did a quick search and its actually not that bad. Ive spent several hundred this year alone and its not like ive blown it all.....i still have a ton of cigars left...actually im at capacity right now. Some people collect elvis plates. Some collect figurines. I choose cigars. At least these dont collect dust.

[Herf N Turf]

Koby,

THere's also tremendous value in sitting back and watching drunk people for free. There are a lot of potentially Oscar-winning performances in every bottle of whiskey.