Although the primary motivations for most people to quit smoking are health-related, people often cite lower cost as being a factor for making the switch to vaping.
Prospective vapers should be pleased to hear that in almost every case, vaping is cheaper than smoking cigarettes.
In this post, we’re going to talk about ways to maximise savings while maintaining a vaping experience that will give you the best chance of quitting smoking for good.
Invest In A Quality Device
Your first vaping device is an investment in the commitment to quitting smoking for good.
Although entry level vaping devices have increased in quality and decreased in price over the years, it’s still important to choose a reliable product as your first purchase. Going with the very cheapest device possible, from an unknown brand, may end up costing more in the long run due to poor quality control or lack of supported coils.
Many new vapers make the mistake of choosing the cheapest possible device when starting their journey. Though this might seem frugal, it often results in having to purchase replacement devices more frequently. The cost of doing this adds up quickly.
Recognised brands now produce a number of reliable devices for under £20. Since these devices have been battle-tested by thousands of consumers, you know what to expect in terms of running costs and the availability of replacement coils.
It’s important to remember that the cheapest devices, even from recognised brands, are often not designed to have a particularly long lifespan. These are simply compromises that have to be made in order to produce a device that performs well at a lower price point.
The price gap between an unbranded vape pen and known device is now so small that it’s always worth investing the little extra to access a better quality product, with a longer lifespan.
This philosophy applies to many devices in the mid-price bracket (£35-50) and if possible, we recommend starting there.
Devices such as the Geekvape Aegis Mini, Vaporesso Forz TX80 and Aspire Nautilus Prime are more expensive than your average entry level kit, but that extra money goes into features such as waterproofing, shock resistance and superior build quality that allow the device to last a much longer period of time, making vaping cheaper than smoking
If you tend to be clumsy, rugged devices like the Aegis Mini are bound to save you money on the cost of replacing a broken device.
Consider Mouth To Lung Vaping
There are two main styles of vaping: Mouth to lung (MTL) and direct to lung (DTL). MTL is a great option if you want to minimise the cost of vaping.
MTL devices tend to use less power than DTL devices and create a smaller cloud of vapour. Part of this trade off is that MTL devices consume far less e-liquid, which is one of the main running costs of vaping.
As an added bonus, MTL vaping more closely mimics the sensation of smoking. MTL devices have a tighter draw and are more suited to high-nicotine e-liquids, which create a “throat hit” similar to traditional cigarettes.
Avoid Super Sweet E-liquid
Many of us enjoy sweet flavours, but lots of new vapers don’t realise that super sweet e-liquids come with additional running costs.
In order to achieve true to life sweetness of certain desserts and fruits, some e-liquids contain sweeteners. Sweeteners caramelise on the coil when heated, causing the coil to burn out much more quickly.
Fortunately, there are many e-liquids on the market with little or no sweetener. The best way to find these e-liquids is with the guidance of a specialist vape shop.
Since specialist shops carry such a wide range of e-liquid, their staff will be able to find a blend that suits your palate, without any added sweetener.
If you are truly determined to make vaping cheaper, this will have a noticeable effect, since your coils will last for substantially longer periods of time before needing to be replaced.
Prime Your Coils
When installing a new coil or filling a brand new device for the first time, it’s very important to let the coil become fully saturated with e-liquid before taking a vape. This is true of all vaping devices.
Equally important is priming the coil and this can significantly extend its life.
Start by placing a few drops of e-liquid directly in the centre of the coil chimney, where the coil and surrounding cotton are found. This will kick start the e-liquid saturation. Once you’ve done this and waited for approximately 10 minutes for the coil to saturate, start at a power setting lower than the maximum recommendation, where possible.
For example, if your coil is recommended for 15W-20W, start at 15W for at least the first few vapes, before gradually building up to the wattage that you enjoy. This will ensure that the coil is fully saturated and heating evenly.
Clean Your Coils
Cleaning used stock coils has never been particularly popular, as most people simply purchase a replacement as soon as a coil starts to produce a burnt taste. Cutting down on replacement coils is a key part of making vaping cheaper than smoking.
While you will certainly need to keep some spare coils on hand in any case, you can significantly extend the life span of coils by cleaning them before they pass the point of no return.
When you start to notice caramelisation on your coil, replace it with a fresh one. Then, take the used coil and soak it in boiling water for ten minutes or so. Once you’ve done this, leave it to dry for approximately 24 hours.
Though this does not make the coil good as new, it will substantially extend the lifespan, for up to a week of extra use, depending on your choice of e-liquid.
For some, this might seem like an unnecessary step but since coils and e-liquid are the two biggest running costs of vaping, extending the life of your coils can really add up over time.
Armed with these basic tips, any new vaper should be ready to ensure that vaping is cheaper than smoking. If you decide to get into the advanced side of vaping, such as rebuildable atomisers and DIY e-liquid, there is even more scope for reducing the costs!
