In Scotland, the average smoker spends £1,750 a year on cigarettes which is an incredible amount of money.  Especially when you consider the majority of people who smoke come from low-income and high unemployment areas.  £1,750 is a heck of a lot of money for anyone and you could pay for a really fantastic holiday with that money.  However it’s not just the cost of the ciggies you need to take into consideration.  There are many other hidden expenses most people don’t even consider.

Health Insurance - If you have taken out an insurance policy you will end up paying more for it than if you didn’t smoke.  You might feel that this is penalizing you however it simply comes down to “the bottom line” for insurance companies.  As a smoker you are more likely to become sick and need medical care.  Therefore you will be charged more.

Car Insurance - Although smoking isn’t going to make your car insurance more expensive with all companies, there are some insurers who will offer discounts to non-smokers.  This might seem a little odd.  The problem is that most smokers smoke whilst driving and this increases their chances of having an accident.  So because smokers tend to have more accidents you will be penalized financially.

Home Insurance - Unfortunately there are a number of smokers who are not very careful about their cigarettes and leave them unattended.  Sometimes people fall asleep whilst holding a cigarette and this then goes on to cause a house fire.  The Association of British Insurers claims that smokers are 35% more likely to make a claim on their house insurance and that in 2006 £394million was paid out by insurers for fire damage.

Employment and Income - Because smoking is so bad for your health, smokers tend to take a lot more sick days than their non-smoking colleagues.  Although there are many employers who will pay their employees for the days they are off sick, many don’t.  So if you are off sick you don’t get paid and this will greatly affect the amount of money you earn.  

And because of the number of sick days smokers take per year, many employers refuse to employ them.  So if you are currently looking for a job and you are a smoker, you’re going to find it more difficult thus reducing your chances of getting a well paid job.

Slashes Your Car Value - When smoking in your car the tar and nicotine will get into the fabric of the interior and make it stink and look a disgusting yellow/brown colour.  This becomes deeply ingrained and it would be fruitless to try and get rid of it.  Therefore a non-smoker is highly unlikely to want to buy a car from you.  Which means as a smoker, you’re going to have to look for another smoker to buy your car.

Pay More For Rental Properties - If you want to rent a property you will find that many of them say “non-smokers only” which means you will need to find a landlord who is willing to rent to a smoker.  If you do find a smoker-friendly rental property, you will also probably need to pay for the place to be redecorated and carpets thoroughly cleaned.

I really hope that people who currently smoke try to find a way to quit smoking cigarettes because it’s a truly horrible, unhealthy and expensive habit to have.