Ditching the Ciggers

..things that are 'pinging' me for eg are going out back door to table where did most smoking, finding self want to go out there, um after cleaning up yest(rewards?) so many triggers lol, getting excited, etc etc anyway. @Zoe7 going for a walk shortly

I should get myself mobile as well and get stuck into some things around home @TAB

Enjoy your walk - will catch up with you later

ok see you after @Zoe7

Hi @TAB it's inspiring to hear you are on day 3 already and haven't gone backwards. Stay strong!!

Hi @eth yeah starting to cough and sore throat since last night so that's good. Made self go for a walk just then, hadnt been trusting self to leave house, well that s easy when not working and 40 plus degrees lol. thought about cigarettes a lot while walking, not smoking them, just cost and health effects. its starting to dawn on me its been a huge drag on me mentally re self esteem, no sense of humor/cant think straight re smoking. Thinking may not drink or work til february now. See how I go. And Thankyou

I hear you on all those aspects of smoking vs giving up @TAB. I think it's a good sign that you are thinking that way. Re not working til Feb - is it a trigger for you, or would it be a good way to keep busy and pass the hours if you can do it? Mind you, this is coming from someone who hasn't worked for many years! I find passing the hours without the hand to mouth one of the most difficult aspects of going without. But I need some of your discipline - I'm impressed!

Sorry to hear your throat is giving you trouble.

having january not working was probably going to happen anyway @eth its just that I am thinking I wont take anything offered til at least then. hand to mouth not seeming to be that much of an issue, just wanting to go to spot where sat and smoked etc, phone calls, stuff like that, ok that doesnt happen often. I had been sowing the seeds for this for a while before I even 'pre-decided' prob before xmas. Throat is good thing, means something is starting to happen. I'm anything but disciplined. I have to sow seeds/trick self/rewards as @Former-Member suggested could chew on a pen or straw ..

..plus .. @eth now that not smoking , well or drinking, which hadnt even come into the equation, my meagre finances can last way, way longer than they would have before. They are/were my 2 main expenses. only leaves rent bills and food and min petrol as only drive to shops anyway. ie smoking and drinking kept me broke even tho working. Enough is enough. may even go back to centrelink and move interstate and get different work in a nicer place, well one thing at a time. but if no cigs and min $ on alcohol I could live on the pension almost lol, well that's on the cards re age and health. they gave me a pension card when last on newstart and let me keep it even when went back to work, well saved me a bit on a couple things like rego and power, not much use otherwise, but it means they recognise that my working life is almost over unless support and changes.

Fabulous financial benefits @TAB! And interesting that you feel like making other major (well major to me) changes in your life at the same time. Keep up the momentum!

Are you already old enough for the age pension? I've always imagined you as maybe late 30s or 40s! I'm on the dsp and 55. I recently read that if you're on dsp and when you reach 65 (I think) you can choose whether to stay on it or convert to age pension. Have no idea what the pros and cons of age pension instead would be.

I'm 56 @eth and prob could have easily got on dsp before they started cracking down years ago. Although, it seems the older you get they are perhaps a bit more lenient/helpful(?) spent years each decade not working or barely working. I think my record for not being on centrelink is 4 years lol, ok well had 2 jobs for 3 years before 25, then one for 4yrs before 33, then tool 5 years off to go to uni before 40. pawned stuff to have a drink on 40th bday lol. then , inspired by a stint in rehab decided I was going to mines and make my fortune. that was over 10 years ago. lots of waste, wasted opportunities, literally throwing money at people, oh I'll just get more, now have ended up in mining town on same rates as 10 years ago, with more than double work expectations and working with people so desperate that can only imagine they have several mortgages and or massive habits. So. last year realising stuff unsustainable tried paying off card debt, ok paid half, then struggling to save even tho had constant work for 6 mths started to dawn on me that $300 a week on cigs prob not a real smart move. Especially when breaks in work, ok breaks in body/Mind, walking off Hell worksites when confronted by their unrealistic work expectations. Oh you didnt get that 3 person job done by yourself so then they get nasty and i get disbelieving then say Im sick and run away lol .