Let’s not sugarcoat it. Cigarettes have absolutely gone up in the budget, and not by a few cents. It feels like every time you turn around, another tax hike lands like a brick on your wallet.
Governments love this. They slap on “sin taxes” with the straightest face, claiming it’s for our health. Sure it is, I think, as I watch the price climb faster than my blood pressure.
How Much Are We Talking?
Depending on where you live, we’re seeing price jumps of 10% to 20% year over year. A pack that cost you $8 a couple years ago? Now it’s pushing $12, $15, or even more in high-tax states and countries.
That’s not pocket change. That’s the difference between grabbing coffee tomorrow or rationing your last few smokes like a wartime supply.
One friend of mine did the math: a pack-a-day habit at $14 a pack? That’s over $5,000 a year. Imagine what you could do with five grand. A vacation? A new laptop? Or, you know, not feeling like you’re burning cash.
