The new me?

Hey - well done absent. I think you deserve to reward yourself a little.

absent you deserve to treat yourself if you have not smoked since December Well done and why not treat yourself with something special as a reward.

Stopping smoking deserves major treats! I stopped on Christmas Day 4 years ago and I still feel chuffed with myself and still reward myself with the occasional treat for having done it!

Well done, absent. You deserve a reward for your strength of purpose.

absent well done you, you deserve a big treat indeed,if you work out if you bought a pack of cigarettes every day from December it would have cost you about £500.00 approx you are definatley on a winner both with your health and your bank account.

I gave up smoking in jan 2010!
Ihave spent a lot more than I saved!

I am now going to buy myself a treat for never having started!

I like the sound of that annobel could plan

Good idea Annobel but it's so much easier not to start than it is to give up. I'm not sure if those of us who didn't ever start do deserve the treats. Over the years we've had that extra cash to spend anyway, haven't we?
DD1 gave up smoking as soon as she found she was pregnant, but DD2 hasn't had that incentive so still indulges. I wish I could persuade her to stop! (Does anyone have any tips or is anything I say just nagging?)
Well done absent. I think you could look at it as starting a new lease of life so enjoy indulging yourself - and it doesn't have to be subconsciously!

Well done absent - you deserve to reward yourself. Enjoy your new things

Gosh, thanks for all the congratulations. I wasn't expecting that – I just wondered why I had suddenly gone into buying things with such enthusiasm when normally I can't be bothered. I forgot – I bought a completely new set of suitcases as well. Can you get patches to help you stop buying things?

The trick to stopping smoking seems to be an incentive. I stopped 37 years ago so I could buy a piano and pay for music lessons for DD and I.

Absent don't you dare even suggest such a thing! Some MAN will probably go off and introduce them. Oooooh.........imagine the scene as mean hubby turns over in bed and surreptitiously sticks patches on a hidden area of wife!

I'm feeling like you too, absent, maybe on a smaller scale.I think, when you've brought up a largish family, it takes quite a long time to remind yourself that it's OK for you to come first. I have had to wean myself off the need to keep buying things for my family and not myself and the feeling I have to save money.The good news for me is that Peacocks has gone bust!!...my daughters despair of me and my bargains (even though they borrow/steal them). Actually bought myself a new eye-liner yesterday, Estee Lauder instead of Rimmel..and it was deep plum!

Wow!

well done absent my DH stopped smoking 36 years ago and he still gives himself a little tap on the back.
On the topic of patches , a lovely lady I worked with told me that one morning her hubby woke up to find her HRT patch stuck to him !!

I think you should reward yourself - giving up smoking is the single most significant thing you can do to improve your overall health and prevent problems. it may also be that the flurry of newness is about your body feeling a lot better and more positive. Well done its a great achievement for anyone

Absenta enjoy it don't analyse why. I t may be a reward for not smoking, but we all need treats now and again. I think we are of the generation that feels guilty spending money on ourselves. There is something dreary about January,it drags on grimly forever, we need to have fun.There is something very agreeable about buying luggage,a hint of travel and good things to come. Enjoy your goodies, and no, I'm glad to say no one has invented patches yet to stop us shopping, and they will have the wrath of the gods heaped upon their shoulders if they do.

Heart attack deaths have halved in eight years - possibly partly on account of the no-smoking bans.
If any of you are still smoking - stop it!

Yes this is fantastic news isn't it greatnan, combination of healthier people and better emergency treatment. And those BP pills etc that we have been taking helping too.

Brilliant - I echo everybody's comments and am delighted that you have treated yourself ag - as those awful TV ads say "You're worth it", but seriously - we are worth it, very one of us has put children/partner/family whatever first for far too many years - now it is OUR TURN!

Hear hear

Absent you are most probably feeling more enthuised because you feel better within yourself and don't feel sluggish anymore,which is a result of smoking I think.I would save the money every month and treat myself to something I wouldn't normally buy and keep the rest towards a nice treat for you and mr Absent

I sometimes wish I had some bad habit that I could give up! (Not Gransnet, though!)