I want to start by saying that I am not trying to encourage anyone to smoke, however if you choose to smoke then here is a way to save money and have some fun in the process. Smoking can be expensive, heck my local tobacco shop sells Marlboro menthol's for nearly $40 a carton. By using the prices from my local tobacco shop I can roll 250-300 cigarettes for under $30. That may not sound like much, but depending on how much you smoke....the savings can add up over time. You also get the added benefit of doing it yourself. You can get started in rolling your own cigarettes for around $11 by buying a kit. This will give you 1.5oz of tobacco, 100 rolling tubes, an injector machine, and a cigarette case. The kits will usually make you 50 cigarettes or so. The savings will start once you have the injector for those alone at my local shop are about $6. You will need cigarette tobacco, a way to make them (I use an injector), a device to compress the tobacco in the injector machine, and cigarette tubes.
If you buy your tobacco in bulk you will save a bit more money. I bought an 8oz bag today. Cigarette tubes normally come in boxes of 200 for $3 or so. The tobacco comes in several brands and types. You can get full flavor, light, menthol, etc. The brand name is a matter of taste. I have used Top, Bugler, Premier, and Gambler. I personally prefer Gambler, so I use Gambler menthol tubes and tobacco. The nice thing about rolling your own cigarettes is that you can mix tobacco types and brands and make your own custom blend the way you like it.
Lets get started. First things first, this will take some time and effort on your part and with most things you do yourself you will invest your time in order to save money. I change my own oil in my car because I enjoy it and it saves me money, plus I get the satisfaction of knowing that I did the work and that it has been done right. Find a nice, clean, well lighted, and spacious area. A kitchen tables or a lap desk work just fine. Open your new boxes of tobacco and cigarette tubes. Place a small amount of tobacco on the table (I find it is easier than pulling it from the bag). Place a small amount of tobacco into the injector and compress it with the small tool. You add the tobacco a pinch at a time. The key is to add the right amount, too little and the cigarette will smoke fast and the tobacco can fall out. If you use to much the the injector will be hard to slide and it may jam on you. You will get the feel for this after a few tries. Once the tobacco is inserted and compressed, add a cigarette tube to the end of the injector and close the injector. Now slide the bottom and top of the injector in opposite directions (there should be a bit of tension while sliding) and then slide it back together. Now open the injector and pull the cigarette tube from the end. Congrats, you have just made your first cigarette. You will become faster with it as you do it. Just remember to have fun and enjoy the fact that you are saving money by rolling your own cigarettes.
