Hello ECF! I must say, finding this place was fantastic! I've known about E-cigs for a while now but haven't made the plunge for a variety of reasons, most of them being financial. Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know... a bit of money up front pays hugely on the back-end compared to analogs.
I've been lurking around here for a while now reading and absorbing (Thanks to MistressNomad...you had me at Orange Dreamsicle), testing and tinkering (Mad props to Puck, I'm now rocking my 4xAA NIMH Puck!), and researching ECF suppliers ( an incredibly hearty THANKS to Chris Y at myfreedomsmokes!).
To say the introduction to E-cigs is daunting is a bit of an understatement. The variety of devices, flavors, gadgets, trick sales cons, etc. is just tremendous. ECF had completely dissolved the mystery around all of these. It has proved a necessary tool in my toolbox, just like spare carts and e-juice. I don't make a single decision about anything E-cig related without first checking and then double checking the info right here. It has proved quite invaluable to me.
I finally made the decision to make the switch to E-cigs about a month ago. Now, this was no small feat for me, let me explain. Back in October I had returned home to help out with my very ill father. He is bedridden and in need of constant care. I was the only one of the children who could make this sacrifice, so naturally I did what anybody would do, I came home to help out.
I've been actively trying to find a job, but where I am the IT market is a bit of a joke (I'm a computer tech), and with funds dwindling rather quickly I had to budget myself for analogs daily. It seems, looking back over the last 25 years, this has been a mantra, do I have enough money for smokes? I finally had had enough.
Being broke, and I mean REALLY broke, is an eye-opener. I've sold many things I had to continue to support my filthy habit. I had just returned from the store, I had gone out to buy my Father a birthday card and I chose the less expensive card so I could afford my cigs, and I remember sitting down and staring at the cigarette in my hand, wondering exactly WTF I was so enamored with. This thing had been so much a part of my life for so long I couldn't remember it not being in my hand.
I spent quite a few of the next days mulling over all the different possibilities in my head. What could I do to change my circumstance? What was needed to make the change? How was I going to lay the first foot down towards change? Somewhere in the back of my mind, a nudge took hold. It prodded at me and began to form a strong foothold. Then it became a new obsession, E-cigs.
I've only known a very few people, about 3-4, who have ever tried an E-cig and they gave mixed reviews. So off to the internet I went. I fumbled around with the Introductory Offers sites, but I actually READ the disclaimers so I never signed up for anything. After about 2 hours online I stumbled across ECF. Naturally I had heard of the most let's cram it down their throat brand with advertising ALL OVER THE WEB ie:Blu. Did a few forum searches and found MistressNomad's video's. Talk about de-mystifing the hype and clarifying the most important points! In less than 10 minutes I new I had found the right place to be.
Now I knew what I had to do. I had a (kinda) budget, advice on which model's seem to be the best starter's (510, KR808d), and a fantastic list of suppliers. Only I had ZERO dollars and no plastic to order with. What to do....hmmm.... It took me about a week to figure it out, and the answer was nowhere near my comfort zone.
Let my say this, I am not a squemish type of person. I have great constitution, am afraid of very few things in this world, love to take off on wild adventures on a momenets notice, go skydiving, etc. Not much really bugs me, with one exception...needles. OMFG, I freak out when I even see one in a movie. The scene in Pulp Fiction where Uma Thurman takes a needle to the heart... I actually had an honest to goodness panic attack over that! I've had back surgery, 3 times, had my face burned horribly from pyrotechnics (3rd degree burns over 90% of my face), broken bones, etc. Nothing affects me like a needle, I just hate the darn things! So, this decision I had to make wasn't done lightly.
I sell my blood plasma. I actually go in twice a week and brave the needle, a VERY large needle, to afford my E-cigs. I get at least $50.00 a week to do this, sometimes I get a bonus of an extra $10.00. This is how I have made the change to E-cigs. They even provided me a Visa card so now I had the ability to make purchases from the ECF vendor list! WHEW!!!
You guy's and gal's have provided me with insite, bravery and a new passion. I've been vaping for a week and a half now. Every day it gets easier and easier to stay away from my old arch nemesis, the analog...Boo-Hiss...
Many a hearfelt thanks to all of you who have so tirelessly dedicated yourselves to helping so many people and myself. I couldn't have done any of this without you.
Peace and Puffs
Steelrat
I've been lurking around here for a while now reading and absorbing (Thanks to MistressNomad...you had me at Orange Dreamsicle), testing and tinkering (Mad props to Puck, I'm now rocking my 4xAA NIMH Puck!), and researching ECF suppliers ( an incredibly hearty THANKS to Chris Y at myfreedomsmokes!).
To say the introduction to E-cigs is daunting is a bit of an understatement. The variety of devices, flavors, gadgets, trick sales cons, etc. is just tremendous. ECF had completely dissolved the mystery around all of these. It has proved a necessary tool in my toolbox, just like spare carts and e-juice. I don't make a single decision about anything E-cig related without first checking and then double checking the info right here. It has proved quite invaluable to me.
I finally made the decision to make the switch to E-cigs about a month ago. Now, this was no small feat for me, let me explain. Back in October I had returned home to help out with my very ill father. He is bedridden and in need of constant care. I was the only one of the children who could make this sacrifice, so naturally I did what anybody would do, I came home to help out.
I've been actively trying to find a job, but where I am the IT market is a bit of a joke (I'm a computer tech), and with funds dwindling rather quickly I had to budget myself for analogs daily. It seems, looking back over the last 25 years, this has been a mantra, do I have enough money for smokes? I finally had had enough.
Being broke, and I mean REALLY broke, is an eye-opener. I've sold many things I had to continue to support my filthy habit. I had just returned from the store, I had gone out to buy my Father a birthday card and I chose the less expensive card so I could afford my cigs, and I remember sitting down and staring at the cigarette in my hand, wondering exactly WTF I was so enamored with. This thing had been so much a part of my life for so long I couldn't remember it not being in my hand.
I spent quite a few of the next days mulling over all the different possibilities in my head. What could I do to change my circumstance? What was needed to make the change? How was I going to lay the first foot down towards change? Somewhere in the back of my mind, a nudge took hold. It prodded at me and began to form a strong foothold. Then it became a new obsession, E-cigs.
I've only known a very few people, about 3-4, who have ever tried an E-cig and they gave mixed reviews. So off to the internet I went. I fumbled around with the Introductory Offers sites, but I actually READ the disclaimers so I never signed up for anything. After about 2 hours online I stumbled across ECF. Naturally I had heard of the most let's cram it down their throat brand with advertising ALL OVER THE WEB ie:Blu. Did a few forum searches and found MistressNomad's video's. Talk about de-mystifing the hype and clarifying the most important points! In less than 10 minutes I new I had found the right place to be.
Now I knew what I had to do. I had a (kinda) budget, advice on which model's seem to be the best starter's (510, KR808d), and a fantastic list of suppliers. Only I had ZERO dollars and no plastic to order with. What to do....hmmm.... It took me about a week to figure it out, and the answer was nowhere near my comfort zone.
Let my say this, I am not a squemish type of person. I have great constitution, am afraid of very few things in this world, love to take off on wild adventures on a momenets notice, go skydiving, etc. Not much really bugs me, with one exception...needles. OMFG, I freak out when I even see one in a movie. The scene in Pulp Fiction where Uma Thurman takes a needle to the heart... I actually had an honest to goodness panic attack over that! I've had back surgery, 3 times, had my face burned horribly from pyrotechnics (3rd degree burns over 90% of my face), broken bones, etc. Nothing affects me like a needle, I just hate the darn things! So, this decision I had to make wasn't done lightly.
I sell my blood plasma. I actually go in twice a week and brave the needle, a VERY large needle, to afford my E-cigs. I get at least $50.00 a week to do this, sometimes I get a bonus of an extra $10.00. This is how I have made the change to E-cigs. They even provided me a Visa card so now I had the ability to make purchases from the ECF vendor list! WHEW!!!
You guy's and gal's have provided me with insite, bravery and a new passion. I've been vaping for a week and a half now. Every day it gets easier and easier to stay away from my old arch nemesis, the analog...Boo-Hiss...
Many a hearfelt thanks to all of you who have so tirelessly dedicated yourselves to helping so many people and myself. I couldn't have done any of this without you.
Peace and Puffs
Steelrat
