Here is a problem I give my class when explaining opportunity cost:
Assume that you are a 18 year old 1-Pack per day cigarette smoker. Assume that you decide to quit and invest the money you spend on cigarettes in the stock market. How much would you save by the time you reach 65 years old? Assume that cigarettes cost $4.99 per pack and that they do not increase in price over the next 47 years. Historically the stock market has earned about a 10% rate of return per year even with the bad markets in 2007 and 2008. $1,983,021 Thus the opportunity cost for smoking is this much! This is actually a very conservative estimate of what you would earn since it assumes that the price of cigarettes and their taxes do not increase over the 47 years. This goes with Fran’s reason. Enjoy, Jerry From: gatortalk@googlegroups.com [mailto:gatort...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of jfranl Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 11:07 PM To: gatortalk@googlegroups.com Subject: [gatortalk] Smoking I quit when they went to $.55 a pack; I was on the turnpike and stopped to buy some in a cigarette machine, and that was the last straw. I was paying $.25 a pack at my local Spur station in Winter Haven. Too damn much money, even then. Let’s see, 40 years later at two packs a day, that would be almost $50,000, I think. I don’t even like to smoke the evil weed anymore, I am afraid that I might like the smoking part too much. I do like the joke, “do you smoke after sex?………. I don’t know, I never checked” bah da boom! (talk about bad punctuation) Keep up the good work, it will get easier. Fran _____ From: gatortalk@googlegroups.com [mailto:gatort...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Jay Cicone Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 1:57 PM To: gatortalk@googlegroups.com Subject: [gatortalk] Re: apparently I Nice thought, Bill. I too started in college and now at 50 needed to quit. The main motivators for me were competitive sculling and cost---sadly, the thought that I couldn’t do this for my wife and daughter saddens me to no end. Seemingly, a pack of Buglers went from $1.79 to $6 in a matter of weeks. Yes, I rolled my own. I’m on the 21mg patch and feel it’s a bit much also. The American Cancer Society Quitline is mailing me the 14mg patches as we speak. Today is the 14th day and the only real issue I’m having is breaking the urge for a hit while drinking beer. Haven’t gained weight, but I’m exercising and rowing. It was much harder to quit in the past while ½ of my friends were smokers. I only know a couple of smokers these days---makes it harder to slip up. Thanks to all of you who have shown support. I will make it this time. I may take you up on the gum offer, but I’ll gladly pay you for it. It might be nice to have around after these patches come off for good…then again, why keep tempting myself with nicotine. Probably best to be off the crap entirely. From: gatortalk@googlegroups.com [mailto:gatort...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Bill Hileman Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 1:33 PM To: gatortalk@googlegroups.com Subject: [gatortalk] Re: apparently I Hang in there, Jay. I also quit just a tad over a month ago. For me, it was the $1/pack extra tax that finally did it for me. I've been smoking since I was 21 (at least proud that I didn't succumb to peer pressure) and I'm fifty now. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to quit. I think the longest I'd ever gone was a little over a month, and that was with the patch back when you had to get a Dr.'s prescription for the patch. They started me too high, and it backfired. When the dosage started, I was getting the equivalent nicotine of 10.5 packs of cigs a day, then tapered down two weeks later from 21mg to 14mg, which was tough, but I rode it out, then when I tried to taper down to 7mg, I could not handle it. I wound up smoking more than I had when I tried to quit. Tried several times since then, never lasted longer than eleven days. This time, I didn't even WANT to quit, I just felt I had to because my cigs went from $24/carton to $50/carton OVERNIGHT. I was already spending way too much money on them, but to double it? Oddly enough, it was not nearly as bad this time for some reason. I started on the 14mg patches, and never even got to the 7mg patches. I did use some lozenges that I'd been rationing on-an-off forever, and finally ran out. Went and bought a HUGE supply of nicotine gum at Sam's club (4 mg) and wound up using only about 1/12 of that. If you'd like some free patches and/or gum, let me know. I don't need either one anymore, I've finally kicked the habit for good. Only problem is, I think I've gained like 10 pounds in the mean time, sigh. -----Original Message----- From: gatortalk@googlegroups.com [mailto:gatort...@googlegroups.com]on Behalf Of Jay Cicone Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 1:14 PM To: gatortalk@googlegroups.com Subject: [gatortalk] Re: apparently I Importance: Low Thanks for the support. Stressing out at the office is no fun. From: gatortalk@googlegroups.com [mailto:gatort...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Arthur Polhill Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 1:12 PM To: gatortalk@googlegroups.com Subject: [gatortalk] Re: apparently I life without addiction is free. Anything else is not. p.s Sometimes old farts just have to speak out. I was without freedom for years.. A. Leon Polhill, Gator Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves. _____ From: JNene <jn...@gatorzone.com> To: Gatortalk@googlegroups.com Sent: Sat, October 31, 2009 2:31:01 PM Subject: [gatortalk] apparently I I'm proud of you! Keep it up and you'll fit right in at UF's smoke-free campus. Shands & the Medical facilities go smoke-free this week. By July 1, 2010 smoking will be banned campus wide, even in personal vehicles. UF is offering free cessation programs to all staff. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jay Cicone" <jay.cic...@raymondjames.com> To: gatortalk@googlegroups.com Cc: Sent: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:18:13 -0400 Subject: [gatortalk] Re: apparently I -- Show Quoted Text -- Ahh---spam. Best they didn’t go through anyway. I’m a little punchy after 11 days with no cig’s. Go Gators! Whoop the dawgs. _____ Msg sent via Spiderhost - http://www.spiderhost.com/ <BR --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
