How I Quit Smoking in Three Days...With Coffee

I smoked occasionally--just socially I would always say--until the day I realized I was a real smoker. It was February. I had a cold. There were 17 inches of snow on my porch and there I was: sitting in my slippers, toes poking into the snow drift, without gloves, smoking a Marboro Smooth in the sub zero temperatures. I had smoked half a pack just that day. Yes, I'm a smoker. I realized.

I didn't quit that day on my porch. I wasn't ready. I sat next to many a snow drift that Winter, puffing away. Winter turned to Spring, Spring to Summer and I didn't quit. I sort of wanted to from time to time, but my heart wasn't in it. Finally, the day came when I really wanted to quit. Once I ready, it was still a struggle to stop. I found myself craving & failing to quit each and every time I finished a pack.

I once managed to go a month and a half without smoking, only to fail again right after Christmas. It's ok if I only smoke one or two I day, I told myself. Its not really bad if I only smoke at night, when I can't sleep and the kids can't see me, I lied.

I finally sat down and figured out what it was that made me crave smoking so much, even when I was able to stop for long enough that it wasn't a true nicotine craving. It was my luxury. It was my "me" time. As a mom, it was the only time I could go outside, sit in the garden and tell everyone to stay away so they wouldn't breathe in my horrible, deadly second hand smoke.

Since I was desperate to quit for several reasons (money, health, to be a good example to my children among others) I had to find another way to fulfill the emotional craving of a quiet moment that was all about me. It took me a couple of days to figure out what I could possibly substitute, but with experimentation I realized that extremely good gourmet coffee may just fit the bill. I purchased a Keurig coffee maker, ordered half a dozen yummy flavors and every single time I felt that craving, I made myself a cup of coffee (normally decaf to avoid the caffeine rush).

The first day, I had 6 cups of coffee. The second day, two. After that, never more than three, but more often one or two. I made sure I had a lot of different flavors-Vanilla Biscotti, Raspberry Truffle, Blueberry Morning are some of my favorites-but I just mostly ensured that at the moment I really needed a break, I could take it.

Its been nearly a year and I haven't had another cigarette. I've had cravings which have gotten better over time, but never purchased another pack since the day I bought my coffee maker. I estimate I have saved nearly $1200 on cigarettes while only spending $210 total on my coffee maker and coffee specifically brewed to ward off a craving.

How many years have I added? How many days sick did I prevent? Will my children not smoke because they won't grow up seeing me do it? I don't know, but its sure worth the price of a cup of coffee.