Octsoberfest

It happened like this: I decided I needed to quit my job and strike out on my own, in small part because I realized it would actually be cheaper to work from home. No more buying gas once a week at $4 a gallon, no more checks written out to the dog walker, no more eating out for lunch (I've never gotten the hang of that bring-your-own-lunch thing). In fact, my calculations indicated that I could save around $500 per month by working from home. (Of course there's the issue of how I'd make any money, but that's a discussion for another time.)

"Fumar acorta la vida"

 

Starting to work from home would mean not only that I'd be going through a huge life transition but also that money would likely be even tighter. These two factors led me to conclude that Oct. 1 was the perfect time to quit smoking. Cold turkey. Quitting smoking would save me at least $60 per month. And there's that whole thing about not wanting to be addicted; as much as I love to smoke, I do not love feeling like I have to smoke.

Photo © 2009 by David Aeschliman

My chances of successfully quitting smoking would be raised, I realized, by keeping myself away from temptation. Namely: the bar. Or any alcohol, for that matter. I have a tendency to chain-smoke when I drink, so if I cut the alcohol out for the entire month of October, it would help me stay true to my goal. Another positive side-effect was that I'd spend less money. Somewhere around $25 a week less.

And that's how I decided on a smoke-free, alcohol-free month of October, which my neighbor and I, after much discussion, renamed Octsoberfest. (I discovered later that other people have also thought of Octsoberfest. I guess there really isn't any such thing as originality. Darn.) If you're interested in reading about how it's been going, click here.

How much money could you save by cutting out one habit or vice for just one month?