Cost of DIY
- Thread starter Scott McVap3r
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I posted a rough breakdown of what it costs me here...http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ion/516659-consumption-cost.html#post11937312 8.4 cents per mil, and that's the most expensive juice I make. I bet it's more around the 5-6 cent mark on average.
Danny you are exactly right. the cost does come down considerably over time and with a lot of practice and experimentation. I have learned a lot from you on DIY and find your posts extremely helpful in saving me a lot of money I would otherwise most assuredly spend on things I didnt need. The best of which is a USC. Invaluable to have juice ready in a fraction of the time since most of mine are tobaccos amixed with other things of coursel
Thanks!
Compared to 8-9 bucks a pack/day some people are/were paying out, its still nothing but Lotto !!! Who doesn't love Lotto ???
The non-filtered little cigars I was smoking were only 3 bucks a pack. I figure I can spend 20 bucks a week on flavors/juice/stuff and still break even. Since I don't, I'm way, way ahead. The most expensive juice I make is $2.23/30ml or $6.69/month. I can seriously deal with that.
dns
The non-filtered little cigars I was smoking were only 3 bucks a pack. I figure I can spend 20 bucks a week on flavors/juice/stuff and still break even. Since I don't, I'm way, way ahead. The most expensive juice I make is $2.23/30ml or $6.69/month. I can seriously deal with that.
dns
Good estimate. The cost of the flavoring is a big factor and it runs the gambit. My low .04 per ml to .10 per ml. I shop for bargains on supplies. OK so if you double it to .20 per ml. $2.00 for a 10ml bottle. Find that anywhere for quality juice. You can get in that range with Chinese stuff.
Ahhh I just wanted to rub it in and quote you on that heh heh heh
But seriously, from a costs vs markup pov, the b&m's that sell custom mixes they make in store are making substantial profits on a par with that of coke dealers.
I mean, think about it, they have a product they put together for pennies sometimes under a dollar but usually between a buck and a half and three dollars for a thirty ml bottle that they happily sell to the customer for twenty to twenty-five bucks. Thats roughly a 900 percent markup They smile big, thank you and know that "you'll be back" real soon for more juice and supplies. They have a customer base that is addicted (or at least really really really likes the juice'age) that for the most part will be a repeat customer and their customer base is always growing larger if they're running the b&m the way they should.
Heck, if I ran the store all my customers would get glass (probably kanger minipros or smok pyrex aro's) starter kits, sold as a loss leader for the price of the cheap crappy plastic ce4 stuff, so they would never have a bad plasticy tasting vape and I'd give away a free custom micro coil with every two bottle 30ml juice purchase and I'd even throw in a free 3ml bottle of the 'flavor of the week' just as an extra way of saying thank you for being such a great customer.
DIY is well worth doing if you're like me and can see that you'll be buying a bottle or more a week retail.
My advice is figure out what you'd spend a month for juice, and double it for your initial nic, flavors and supplies (syringes, bottles etc) purchase.
After you get the hang of it and if you like the results, the next bit of advice is to invest big on nicotine, buying large for savings and most importantly, so you have a stash in case uncle sam and the nanny state fun police politicians stick their overbearing noses into our hobby. You can rebottle it in smaller amber glass bottles with polycone caps and freeze it for several years of storage. So go big or you'll be kicking yourself if/when said politicians have their way.
But yes, as others have pointed out, dont go nuts like I did trying to stock half of the catalog of flavorings at first. Just stick with a few of your favorite juice flavors and maybe three or four recipes that look interesting. Work with single flavors you think you'll like, and branch out from there after you're comfortable with juices you can make repeatedly with consistant results. For me the most frustrating problem has been not having enough empty bottles to work with, so imho you cant have too many bottles. I suggest getting the 15ml glass dropper bottles as they're easy to clean and reuse.
heres a good place for those bottles btw...
Specialty Bottle - Cobalt Blue Boston Round Glass Bottles
hth,
Jon
That's an excellent point. Not only should you look at it from the DYI Vs vender juice but for the ex smoker also look at it from the Pack a day Vs DYI.
It's mind boggling how much a single pack of cigarettes cost ($8.00 in NJ / $10.00 in NY) So if your a pack a day smoker then you smoke in one week your entire start-up cost for DYI....... Think about it. a $70.00 a week habit can be turned into an investment that will buy all your start up materals and give you 3 months worth of juice. Then after that the cost goes down consideribly because you've already bought all your mixing hardware and now just need to replace flavorings and base fluids.
If that's not a reason for the smoker to give it a try then I don't know what is. If for nothing else at the end of a smoke free year you can put a sizable down payment on a car or other high ticket item with the money saved from quiting smoking.
Sorry for the ramble but being a recent ex-smoker (11 months now) I can't help myself from sometimes going off on these rants
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Scott, When I vaped, I purchased from Essential Depot. PG/VG in gallons. DIY was 50/50. Per mL was out three decimals.
http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/the-218/1-Gallon-Veg-Glycerin/Detail
Cost per mL was nil. JMHO
Cheers,
otrpu
http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/the-218/1-Gallon-Veg-Glycerin/Detail
Cost per mL was nil. JMHO
Cheers,
otrpu
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I am gonna have to agree. I just checked my calculator which figures cost. My most expensive recipe which has 7 different flavors is .07 cents per ml. And part of the reason for that is it has 3 Capella flavors in it, which aren't cheap even in large quantity (19.99 for a 4oz. bottle.). Most of mine are about 4 cents per ml.
Once you find the flavors you know you are gonna use a lot, buy them in larger quantity, usually straight from the maker, and they are much cheaper. That same 7 flavor recipe was .13 cents per ml. using the 8ml. and 13ml. flavorings, which is still cheap though.
Once you find the flavors you know you are gonna use a lot, buy them in larger quantity, usually straight from the maker, and they are much cheaper. That same 7 flavor recipe was .13 cents per ml. using the 8ml. and 13ml. flavorings, which is still cheap though.
A 30ml bottle costs me about $2 for a glass bottle and $1.50-$2 for the contents. So yeah, 5-7 cents per ml is reasonable. I don't buy base by the gallon or bottles by the gross - just small amounts at one time. It would be less if you buy in bulk.
My biggest expense has been flavorings. I have a vast collection. There's no way I and all my friends could ever vape it all. (Yet I keep buying new ones, go figure). I like variety, and I have stuff to mix about any recipe I can imagine. Per bottle of juice, it's can be up to 50 cents per 30ml bottle (usually much less), but I already spent a lot to have them all available. Someday I could open a coffee shop or candy factory with my excess supply, lol.
For anyone new to DIY who thinks they might be a flavor hound like me, I have one piece of advice: buy tiny sample sizes, even though they cost more per ml. You'll get maximum variety, then eventually buy larger bottles - only of the ones you actually use up. It won't be as many as you think!
My biggest expense has been flavorings. I have a vast collection. There's no way I and all my friends could ever vape it all. (Yet I keep buying new ones, go figure). I like variety, and I have stuff to mix about any recipe I can imagine. Per bottle of juice, it's can be up to 50 cents per 30ml bottle (usually much less), but I already spent a lot to have them all available. Someday I could open a coffee shop or candy factory with my excess supply, lol.
For anyone new to DIY who thinks they might be a flavor hound like me, I have one piece of advice: buy tiny sample sizes, even though they cost more per ml. You'll get maximum variety, then eventually buy larger bottles - only of the ones you actually use up. It won't be as many as you think!
True, but I don't necessarily mind paying for artistry. The paint, canvas, brushes, etc. to make a Monet cost very little--but the painting has enormous value because of Monet's skill and talent.
In my case, my DIY skill and talent is more than good enough for everyday use (or, hanging on the bathroom wall to continue the analogy above). Nobody would put it in a museum, but that doesn't matter too much to me.
But they do have over head. Payroll, electric, storefront, insurance, postage, inventory etc....
It costs me anywhere between 10 and 13 cents per ml to make my own. Flavor prices vary. Therefore one juice may cost more to make while another less. I make my own juices usually, but still purchase ejuice as well. I still purchase because I like to try new flavors and if I really lie it I will replicate it.
The key to saving a lot per ml is buying in large volumes... And bulking... And limiting your shipping costs!
I do a lot of calculations before ordering. I will add shipping costs into my costs so I have a true picture of what I'm spending. I order flavorings from flavor west, and shipping costs are high, but if you order in bulk... Several flavors at once then shipping costs are the same for 1 or 4.
DIY can save quite a bit of money of you use caution and can add and subtract.
The key to saving a lot per ml is buying in large volumes... And bulking... And limiting your shipping costs!
I do a lot of calculations before ordering. I will add shipping costs into my costs so I have a true picture of what I'm spending. I order flavorings from flavor west, and shipping costs are high, but if you order in bulk... Several flavors at once then shipping costs are the same for 1 or 4.
DIY can save quite a bit of money of you use caution and can add and subtract.
My upfront cost were rediculous but I am impulsive. I read and say, hey I NEED that too. Although everytime I pass the man cave, I like to take a look at the lab. However i am averaging about 7 cents a mL in 10mL. The expensive part is the container so that adds about 50 cents so it goes to about 12 cents per mL. Either way, the control I have over my own juice is priceless.
I'm about the same depending on the flavor. I vape mostly hangsen which is a bit more expensive per ml of flavor but @ 7% per mix on average it's still really cheap. Having control is totally liberating. I didn't get into DIY to save money moreso than to protect my personal freedom. I'm good for 5+ years and I find myself not even worrying about regs anymore. If the hammer drops I'll just add a few more years stock during the comment period.
I wash bottles and reuse so that cost is going down every time I refill. I'm also adding glass bottles to my collection so they will last forever. I think the plastics are good for a year or 2. All in all DIY is ridiculously inexpensive for a daily habit. I vape about 25 cents a day tops and haven't ordered hardware in months.
Another nice thing I've grown into is simply not needing that many flavors mixed. For the last 3 months I've vaped less than 8 different flavors because I like them so much. I don't even need to wash a bottle if I'm mixing the same thing again. I'm so thankful for this forum it's not even funny. The guys like danny and hoosier etc have had a profound positive impact on my life and I've never even met them. This is a special place.
+1 for Danny! There are a few others that I notice are always there but with a profile pic like his, hard to forget.
32 ml of 18mg 70/30 12.5% -
$1.12 with Flavor West
$1.49 with Mt Baker Vapor
$1.79 with Hawk Sauce
32ml of 0 nic costs me about 12 cents!
250ml of HS costs me $13.97
250ml of RY1 costs me $13.78
FW juice costs me 3.51 cents per ml
MBV costs me 4.65
Hangsen RY1 costs me 5.51 @ 2.8%
HS costs me 5.59
That's including shipping.
I average the price of FW flavors. - 15% off coupon
Gallon of USP PG from Tractor Supply - $20
Quart at a time of VG from Essential Depot - $14 free shipping
RTS nic on sale in 1 liter 100mg plus enough glass bottles for free shipping - then use the rewards the next time
I bought my bottles from WL & RTS when buying nic
I get my plastic bottles for outgoing from Newfrog (the 50s are actually 64ml)
dirtcheap Luer Lock Monoject Syringes from Drs. Foster & Smith - Syringe Only
I mix 16ml or 32ml at a time and only single flavors.
$30 Harbor Freight UC - I run it for 30-45 minutes with the on button held down
I'm thrifty.
No problem.
I vape for a month on less $$ than I smoked in 1 day.
1 month of tasty vape for the cost of 1 day smoking.
1 day.
$1.12 with Flavor West
$1.49 with Mt Baker Vapor
$1.79 with Hawk Sauce
32ml of 0 nic costs me about 12 cents!
250ml of HS costs me $13.97
250ml of RY1 costs me $13.78
FW juice costs me 3.51 cents per ml
MBV costs me 4.65
Hangsen RY1 costs me 5.51 @ 2.8%
HS costs me 5.59
That's including shipping.
I average the price of FW flavors. - 15% off coupon
Gallon of USP PG from Tractor Supply - $20
Quart at a time of VG from Essential Depot - $14 free shipping
RTS nic on sale in 1 liter 100mg plus enough glass bottles for free shipping - then use the rewards the next time
I bought my bottles from WL & RTS when buying nic
I get my plastic bottles for outgoing from Newfrog (the 50s are actually 64ml)
dirtcheap Luer Lock Monoject Syringes from Drs. Foster & Smith - Syringe Only
I mix 16ml or 32ml at a time and only single flavors.
$30 Harbor Freight UC - I run it for 30-45 minutes with the on button held down
I'm thrifty.
No problem.
I vape for a month on less $$ than I smoked in 1 day.
1 month of tasty vape for the cost of 1 day smoking.
1 day.
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New bottles cost more than the juice inside for us DIY types... (quote)
Amen! Lol. Those lil guys get pricey if ur picky lol. Up to a $1.25 for a needle tip 10ml bottle. Lol
Sent from my SCH-S738C using Tapatalk
Amen! Lol. Those lil guys get pricey if ur picky lol. Up to a $1.25 for a needle tip 10ml bottle. Lol
Sent from my SCH-S738C using Tapatalk
Quoting a good news message:
Mowgli said:NICnurse said:Hey!
Man, I had not performed any tests, but your message inspired me to check my nic stash. So, I ran some tests just for you this afternoon and here is what I have:
All my batches are mixed at ~50mg/ml with PG
December 2011 nicotine: test today was nicotine content 49.01mg/ml. Slight (like super diluted urine, so not much) yellow tinge (unchanged since last check). Nic has been in freezer the entire time, but I do open it to put into smaller bottles for use. It has been opened maybe 4-5 times during storage. Odor unchanged.
June 2012 nicotine: test today was 49.86mg/ml. Faintest hint of yellow if I look really closely next to a white piece of paper. NIc has been unopened in the freezer for the duration. Odor unchanged.
December 2012 nicotine: test today was 49.98mg/ml. No yellow at all to maybe a super faint slight hint. Also has remained unopened since put into freezer. Odor unchanged.
May 2013 nicotine:test today was 49.86mg/ml. No yellow at all. Unopened since put in freezer. Odor unchanged.
August 2013 nicotine: test today was 49.93 mg/ml. This one does have a slight tan tone, but it did when I received it as well. My Freedom Smokes said they no longer "bleach" their nic liquid so the tan was normal. Odor unchanged.
All of these samples are from My Freedom Smokes. It has stored in the freezer super well, huh! I have 9 750mL bottles in the freezer, and contemplating purchasing another liter of nic. I *think* I have enough for nearly 10 years right now, but you can never be too prepared, right?!
If you ever want me to do a test, just holler. I would be happy to do one! Also send me the link to your blog. I would love to read it!
NICnurse
That's awesome!
Thanks for doing that. It's very encouraging.
I hope you don't mind if I quote this message in a few threads.
It's great news that will be good for DIYers' peace of mind.
Mowgli Vapes
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