Stoptober - Diary of a Quitter: Day 18

Matthew Backhouse smokes his last cigarette before starting Stoptober. Photo / Nick Reed

Journalist Matthew Backhouse chronicles his efforts to quit smoking for Stoptober in a daily diary.

One of the purported benefits of quitting smoking is to save money. If only.

Since I've quit, my bank balance has been as disastrous as ever, driven in part by my now massive appetite. The old chestnut that smoking decreases your appetite seems to be true. Now that I've quit, I'm constantly snacking or devouring huge meals. And that doesn't come cheap.

I've also been buying myself lots more little treats - coffee, nice meals at cafes, books - to make up for the lack of daily indulgences. That's also hit my bank account, too.

Read yesterday's entry here.

So the net effect, when it comes to my wallet, is that I'm no better off than I was before. Which is worrying, given that I haven't saved a cent towards the big treat I was planning to get myself at the end of the month.

I've been lusting after a nice, sturdy diver's watch - something I can wear to the beach this summer, without worrying about it getting wet or knocked about. They don't come cheap - you're looking at at least two weeks' worth of cigarettes for even an inexpensive diver. It's an indulgence I couldn't justify before, but since I've started this journey, it's helped to keep me motivated.

I'm not going to give up on that goal now - not after coming this far already. So I've set myself some new goals. There's no point quitting if I'm not going to properly save the money I'd otherwise be spending on smoking. So from this week on, there'll be no more treats. No extra coffees. And definitely no more constant snacking.

The first two are definitely achievable. We'll see about the last one.

To take part in Stoptober, visit www.stoptober.nz

For help quitting, visit Quitline at www.quit.org.nz or phone 0800 778 778