Rising Prices of Cigarettes

With the rising cost of everything from gas, groceries, and cigarettes, not to mention tons of other things in our daily lives, we have to learn to cut corners where we can. First, allow me to put a disclaimer out there for everyone who reads this. I am in no means promoting smoking and want everyone to acknowledge the dangers and risk that come with smoking. Nevertheless, face it; even with all the warning out there in regards to cigarette smoking today, people are still smoking. I am guilty as well. However, the price of cigarettes today can cut into much needed money in other areas of daily life, like bills. Packs of Marlboro Lights Cigarettes are running $5.10 as of today where I live. I understand that in some states you can get them cheaper. That is fine if you have the extra money to run to the boarding state that may be selling them cheaper, but with the gas prices, it does not pay off as it used to back in the days.

I first came across learning about rolling my own cigarettes through a girlfriend of mine. She told me she had been doing it for a longtime. I was never aware of this fact. This girlfriend frequented my home many times a weeks and I never noticed her cigarettes looking any different then mine. I had envisioned in my head what I thought a rolled cigarette would look like. In my mind, they resemble that of marijuana joint, no filter, and tobacco sticking to my lips. This was not a pleasant image at all. I told my friend of my grossed out image I had and she laughed at me and told me she had been rolling her own for over a year. So, all this time the cigarettes she was inhaling one after another while in my home were hand rolled cigarettes! Amazing, I would have never known the difference, had even bummed one or two of hers back then, and never noticed much of a taste difference either! Therefore, I had my wonderful friend fill me in on the details of how to roll my own.

It was not until about a year after she had told me of her money saving habit and a move out of that state, that I started to explore rolling my own. I purchased a machine similar to hers that I found in the back of one of my boyfriends fishing and hunting magazines. I purchased a Supermatic II Cigarette Machine that has since been discontinued and with it received three bags of tobacco and three boxes (200 counts each) of tubes. I think the introductory package ran something close to $56.00 but do not quote me on that. I was excited when it arrived in the mail and jumped right in thinking of the money I would save rolling my own cigarettes. The first 10 or more cigarettes I attempted to roll where laughable and un-smokable. I either did not get the tobacco into the filter all the way, or tore the ends of the tubes, or jammed the machine, or had not near enough tobacco in the tube that if lit it would be like smoking a mini bon fire! However, once I got it down I was in smokers' heaven.

So now, I know you want to know how you too can be in smokers' heaven. There are many smokers' discount stores and smoker's warehouses all over. I suggest that if you do not have some hunting and fishing magazines lying around you go check those stores out. Purchase a cigarette rolling machine, tubes and of course tobacco. I purchase my tobacco at the local BP Oil here in town. I get a 6-ounce bag of Premier Light Tobacco for $8.99. The tubes, also Premier Light Filter Tubes, I purchase there as well for $2.89 for 200 counts. I can get eight packs (20 counts each) of cigarettes out of this costing me $1.50 a pack rather then the $5.10 a pack I had been paying! That is a huge savings! I have also saved old empty Marlboro Light Hard Packs in which I use to store my home rolled cigarettes in instead of purchasing a hard box.

To roll your own cigarettes, do not be upset if you mess up a couple. You are bound to. With your rolling machine in front of you, pack the reservoir with tobacco making sure you get corners filled but not tight! Place your tube on the metal apparatus that is off the reservoir. With tobacco in place and tube on, slide the arm down toward you until the tobacco is inserted into the tube and the cigarette tube pops off the end of the apparatus. You have now created your very first home rolled cigarette for the fraction of the manufactures price! I have included pictures for those who prefer visualization to reading.

Once again, I remind you, cigarette smoking is bad for your health. I am not in any way promoting you to smoke, but for those of you who are going to do so regardless of the warnings, why not save money. That way, if you do pass away due to inhaling, you can have a little extra cash to leave behind for your loved ones.