Is DIY juice really cheaper?

[Ablonz]

Answer to first question..... By all means, YES! To your second question.... In my experience, I found it cheaper to by individual supplies than kits because there would most likely be stuff that you pay for and not use in those kits. Hope this helps and Happy vaping!!!!

 

[misterholidayhouse]

Nobody has mentioned it, but if you want to ease into DIY with as little chemistry as possible, you can buy pre-mixed nic base from Nude Nicotine. They have ready-to-vape nic base in 3,6,12,18, 24, and 36mg strength and you have five choices of PG/VG ratios. 120ml of nic base is $8.00. A liter is $32.00. And it's top quality. Not as cheap as base from scratch but still a huge bargain compared to commercial juice. That's how I've been doing it since I started DIY a month ago. I don't have the patience for mixing up base and nic concentrate and don't want the strong stuff in my freezer with kids in the house. You can also get nic base in PG or VG (but not blended) from Wizard Labs. I just ordered 120ml of 12mg PG base and 120ml of 12mg VG base that I will mix together. Cost for 240ml was $12.78 plus shipping. I have around 45 bottles of flavoring (buy small 8ml-10ml bottles) which add up to about a $70 initial investment. Some will last me months. Some will last years. Can't beat it.

 

[Train2]

I got some flavors I never used, and got some unecessary glassware, like pipettes...

Most important, I think:
Some bottles.
Syringes for measuring (1ml, 3ml, 5ml perhaps). I rinse and re-use them.

And find an e-juice calculator to use!

(I like ejuicemeup. It's PC-only, but if that's OK, it's great. Has a bunch of recipes right in it, but you can change them or make your own, and do a "Save As" and store all your attempts.)

What's neat is that now that I have a flavor I love and vape all day and I can mix 100 mls, the measurement needn't be SO precise. I actually DO use some of that glassware now - to pour in 70 mls of VG, this is accurate enough...

Last recommendation: Find a couple recipes that sound to you like you'd like them, that only use 1 or 2 flavors, and start by getting those flavors and mixing those mixes.

For instance:
Reasonable hopes:
"I want to make a good Strawberry-banana" or "I'm going for Apple Pie".
Unreasonable plan:
"I'm going to try to clone Boba's Bounty"
(that's a famous juice - if you look around you can find threads running for MONTHS with people trying to reverse-engineer it - it probably has 3 kinds of tobacco and some raisin or prune and honey and graham cracker and who knows what else in it)

And when you said half the stuff you didn't need- (new question!) What did you need? Would it be better to buy the individual pieces of hardware versus a kit?
Just trying to be as cost effective as possible!

Sent from my SCH-S968C using Tapatalk

 

[Elizabeth Baldwin]

I buy my supplies in bulk. I get cases of 4 gallons of PG or VG for $39 for the case at essential Depot. I usually buy 8 gallons at a time. I also get my nic in bulk, by the gallons. I have 5 gallons now. I freeze mine so it will last for a long time. I get my nic at Heartland Vapes for $169 a gallon. I supply quite a few people with juice so I need a huge stash. I get my flavors in 4 oz sizes from TFA/TPA for varying prices depending on flavor....usually between 5 and 9 bucks. I have about 200 bottles of 4 oz flavors on my shelf.

It's been a while since I added up cost on my juices... seems like 50ml cost me well under a buck to make. So yeah, it saves a ton of money.

 

[Elizabeth Baldwin]

I think now is the time for any vaper to start DIY. These deeming regulations are about to hit and hit hard. Now's the time to start stocking up on nicotine and freeze it!

FDA's leaked guidance for PMTAs confirm deeming reg would ban >99.9% of nicotine vapor products

 

[Mowgli]

My DIY costs me ~2¢/ml and I like it better than most of the "Premium" juice I've tried.
An 8oz bottle costs me about $5
That $20 bottle of SicBoy MBYC at the vape shop or a quart of my DIY?
DIY has saved me enough $$ over the last couple of years that I buy a bottle sometimes JFTFOI.

 

[ferrari-ML]

I started making my own juice because it was getting to expensive to be droppong 20 dollars every other day and I have a baby so I'm always looking for cheaper ways to vape cause prices keep going up. I think I spend a total of like $130 that's with a gallon of vg and 16 oz? Of pg and the nicotine and 5 flavors. I already made at least 20-30 30 ml bottles and I'm not even half way in any of the bottles. I would recommend it

 

[Cam775]

Depends on how obsessive you are. One can spend much more on diy and supplies then they ever did on pre-made.

....The tough part about DIY is finding flavors that work for you. So you will waste some cash on flavors you don't like. The only way to find this out is by trying them.

Once you find your "go-to" recipes, DIY is far, FAR less expensive. And anybody can do it.

I think now is the time for any vaper to start DIY. These deeming regulations are about to hit and hit hard. Now's the time to start stocking up on nicotine and freeze it!

FDA's leaked guidance for PMTAs confirm deeming reg would ban >99.9% of nicotine vapor products

The above posts are quoted for truth...my truth mind you, everyone's is different. Except for the deeming regs part, that's FACT.

My experience is that the more picky you are with pre-made juice the more costly it can be to start DIY. As JohnnyDill said finding the flavorings you like can take time and money and some fustration. For every flavor you can think of there's plenty of varations of that flavor, plus every flavoring vendor has a different take on that same flavor. For example blueberry...candy blueberry, wild blueberry, fresh blueberry, sweet blueberry, juicy blueberry, tart blueberry, the list goes on and on. For me it was a bit easier to first find which vendor I like the majority of flavors from, but then there's exceptions with that too. Finding the flavors you like isn't quite as simple as that either...there's the % of said flavoring too and with steeping that can be time consuming to figure out. Those 10ml testers of flavoring can add up quick and for me, that's been the biggest cost next to nic. So far it's been a wash but then I have one reasonably priced pre-made that I liked several flavors from so I stuck with them mostly.

This has been my experience, ymmv, everyone's does. I just like to be realistic so that no one is disappointed. Some people like unflavored nic, or light (hof, hint of flavor) and their learning curve & learning cost is much less than someone like me, who wants strong, complex flavors. I haven't been at it long but it hasn't been cheap and it's definitely a time consuming hobby. I'm not saying it's not worth it, with deeming regs looming it may soon be tobacco flavored juice or DIY and every learning experience gets me one step closer to where I want to be. I'm just saying take into account what your expectations are and what type of flavor you want and proceed from there

My disclaimer: I'm a super picky picky taster. DIY made me realize just how picky I am. I make stuff that other folks think is good and I think it's gross so this is just my

 

[WillyZee]

the money I have saved with DIY has paid for all my gear

 

[Capt.shay]

No one here has mentioned it but your first purchase should be a scale. I find measureing by weight by far the easiest and cleanest method. The only people that will tell you otherwise are people that have not tried it.

Get a scale, 3 100ml beakers, 1 500 ml beaker and a 500 pack of disposable pipets. That is all you need for supplies other than your bottles (which is what you mix in most of the time). I have not touched (or had to clean) a syringe in months.

Scale: 500g x 0.01g High Precision Digital Scale SF-400D2 Counting w/ USB Wall Adapter

 

[mcclintock]

The more you make, the cheaper it is. That in itself could be an unhealthy relationship. People here are talking about gallons etc.

One of the big expenses is it's kind of like starting over. Cheaper perhaps than that was, but you still end up buying bottles of stuff you don't like. Some of the claims for how cheap it is are definitely exaggerated. For example, someone said $3.50 a month. How much would it cost you to formulate a flavor so good you make it month after month with no experimentation? Just due to shipping costs, more than a year's supply would have to be ordered at once to keep it to $42 a year. I still say it would be cheaper to know a great DIYer than to be one.

It can be done with restraint but it's a fight against human nature. I've gotten flavorings just to answer what they are.

So far, unexpected successes:
unflavored
single-flavor mixes -- sometimes the flavor manufacturer gets it just right already

Mixed results: complex mixes
Biggest negative: soooo many little bottles around here

 

[Capt.shay]

I still say it would be cheaper to know a great DIYer than to be one.

So do all my friends

 

[mhertz]

Unflavored vaping is also a really really cheap DIY experience, as today it's the flavors which is the most expensive part and not the nic anymore... Then you don't anymore need to go waste money on new flavors that sounds good but you end up not liking in the end.. Yeah, it maybe sounds boring, but if doing it for a couple of days, then it becomes normal, and e.g. when I for fun try some flavored liquid now, then I don't like it much and prefers my own unflavored. It's not that it tastes bad, but it just feels strange to have e.g. cake flavored vape, just as like smoking a cigarette tasting like vanilla custard would be strange etc. A good high vg unflavored vape in itself has a mellow sweetness too it and isn't completelly flavorless...

 

[herb]

No one here has mentioned it but your first purchase should be a scale. I find measureing by weight by far the easiest and cleanest method. The only people that will tell you otherwise are people that have not tried it.

Get a scale, 3 100ml beakers, 1 500 ml beaker and a 500 pack of disposable pipets. That is all you need for supplies other than your bottles (which is what you mix in most of the time). I have not touched (or had to clean) a syringe in months.

Scale: 500g x 0.01g High Precision Digital Scale SF-400D2 Counting w/ USB Wall Adapter

Most people who think of a scale think "oh no" more $$$ but this is very very reasonable , there are tons of scales out there, tough to distinguish which ones are good or not.

 

[Capt.shay]

Most people who think of a scale think "oh no" more $$$ but this is very very reasonable , there are tons of scales out there, tough to distinguish which ones are good or not.

Kind of why I put in the link Herb

That scale is a trooper. I have left it on for days! The battery life is so good that I don't even bother with the plug. It has HUGE digital readouts, adjustable legs, remove to clean weigh surface. There is no cut out time which I think is awesome but has resulted in the fore mentioned "left on for days". It is more than enough scale for the job. It is $25 up front for your supplies but then you don't need all that other stuff. I still keep a few 1 and 3ml and one big 20ml syringes around, mostly to do touch up on someones juice like lower or raise the nic on a bottle they bought some where. I don't know the mass for the store bought so I have to go old school and measure by ml what is there and then add whatever by ML to get the desired effect.

 

[herb]

Kind of why I put in the link Herb

That scale is a trooper. I have left it on for days! The battery life is so good that I don't even bother with the plug. It has HUGE digital readouts, adjustable legs, remove to clean weigh surface. There is no cut out time which I think is awesome but has resulted in the fore mentioned "left on for days". It is more than enough scale for the job. It is $25 up front for your supplies but then you don't need all that other stuff. I still keep a few 1 and 3ml and one big 20ml syringes around, mostly to do touch up on someones juice like lower or raise the nic on a bottle they bought some where. I don't know the mass for the store bought so I have to go old school and measure by ml what is there and then add whatever by ML to get the desired effect.

The one in the below link is very popular as well i believe .


http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-LB-501-Digital/dp/B005UGBG20

 

[Ablonz]

One of the big expenses is it's kind of like starting over. Cheaper perhaps than that was, but you still end up buying bottles of stuff you don't like. Some of the claims for how cheap it is are definitely exaggerated. For example, someone said $3.50 a month. How much would it cost you to formulate a flavor so good you make it month after month with no experimentation? Just due to shipping costs, more than a year's supply would have to be ordered at once to keep it to $42 a year. I still say it would be cheaper to know a great DIYer than to be one.

Experimentation would not be so bad if people just added a strong flavor to make it as a vapable juice so they do not waste it. In 9 months of DIY, I never had a flavor that was so bad I could not vape it. Just add 3-10 drops of cinnamon, anise, mint or some other sorts to overpower the bad stuff one had. Been there, done that. Now I have about 6 ADV recipes that I can make all year round and not get sick of any of them. The main cost of everything would be to start out with nic, pg, vg, and flavoring. Yes you will start out at a higher price but as you get better and you find the flavors you like, you buy higher quantity flavor for a cheaper price. When I first started, my diy cost was about $1.25 for a 30 ml bottle. Now that I have larger quantity of the flavors (30ml each), nic ($40 for 1 lt that will yield 2777 ml premade unflavored @36mg then also dilute 6 mg after w/flavor) and 1 gal of each PG and VG I can now make that same bottle for $0.24 (least flavored)- $0.34 (most flavor added) for the 30 ml bottle. With them lasting me (on the low end) 3 days, I would need 10 - 30 ml bottles to last me a month. For the High end of the cost to make @ $0.34/30 ml, it would cost me $3.40/ month for juice to vape. Not exaggerated. Most peoples' mileage will vary though..... This is my experience Only. Also, with my order, I am set for 3.5+ years. That is what one would have to take into consideration in order to make cheap juice. It Can be done. Another note would be that I have Became that great DIYer....

 

[herb]

The above posts are quoted for truth...my truth mind you, everyone's is different. Except for the deeming regs part, that's FACT.

My experience is that the more picky you are with pre-made juice the more costly it can be to start DIY. As JohnnyDill said finding the flavorings you like can take time and money and some fustration. For every flavor you can think of there's plenty of varations of that flavor, plus every flavoring vendor has a different take on that same flavor. For example blueberry...candy blueberry, wild blueberry, fresh blueberry, sweet blueberry, juicy blueberry, tart blueberry, the list goes on and on. For me it was a bit easier to first find which vendor I like the majority of flavors from, but then there's exceptions with that too. Finding the flavors you like isn't quite as simple as that either...there's the % of said flavoring too and with steeping that can be time consuming to figure out. Those 10ml testers of flavoring can add up quick and for me, that's been the biggest cost next to nic. So far it's been a wash but then I have one reasonably priced pre-made that I liked several flavors from so I stuck with them mostly.

This has been my experience, ymmv, everyone's does. I just like to be realistic so that no one is disappointed. Some people like unflavored nic, or light (hof, hint of flavor) and their learning curve & learning cost is much less than someone like me, who wants strong, complex flavors. I haven't been at it long but it hasn't been cheap and it's definitely a time consuming hobby. I'm not saying it's not worth it, with deeming regs looming it may soon be tobacco flavored juice or DIY and every learning experience gets me one step closer to where I want to be. I'm just saying take into account what your expectations are and what type of flavor you want and proceed from there

My disclaimer: I'm a super picky picky taster. DIY made me realize just how picky I am. I make stuff that other folks think is good and I think it's gross so this is just my

Excellent post , i like your picture as well , looks aren't everything after all .

 

[Mikedin]

Essential depot for VG/PG. Gallon of each is 40 bucks shipped. Liter of 100mg from MFS is 50 plus shipping. RTS has good deals for new members, especially if you buy 3 at a time. RTS has a great flavor selection also. If you buy in bulk(4oz or larger) you can buy direct from TFA.
MFS has a pretty good starter DIY kit.
Store the nic in the freezer. It will stay clean. I break my VG down into 500ml bottles.

Essential depot is now $40 for a gly cube with 4 gallons , I chose 3gallons of VG and 1 gallon of pg , it costs 40 +30 shipping (it's 44 lbs of liquid) so 70 total , also over Black Friday weekend I purchased mine and it's very late (they apologized and said they missed 2 pallets of shipments ) to apologize they included both a free gallon of VG and a free gallon of PG!

All in all with 20 flavorings of 60 and 120ml bottles

4 syringes
4 120ml bottles (Amber)
4 250 ml bottles (Amber for nic storage)
1 liter of nic 100mg/ml
2 100ml glass beakers

I am at about 325 total on my first order ever

I have enough VG and pg for 6 gallons of juice

I vape 3mg juice so the nic should make near 12 gallons so double what I bought , only thing I should need to order more of will be flavorings eventually but I should have enough for approx 4 gallons of juice already

Just looking at the normal prices I have not even spent a FRACTION of what that would have cost me for 6 gallons of juice at a vape shop

Mind you this is my first DIY attempt but I tend to go big on somthing at the start and then buy smaller thing along the way like new flavorings and such good luck on your DIY I hope we both come up with somthing we love!

And some math 1gal =3785ml

If you buy 30ml bottles from a big retailer you have

3785ml \ 30ml = 126.16bottles

126 bottles x $12 = $1514.00

And that's one gallon I paid $325 for 6 gallons of base with supplies and a ton of flavorings the price cannot even compare to shop prices

 

[Alien Traveler]

So far I spent on DIY about $250 total. Helps that I use very little flavorings, put them by drops and do not need syringes and scale. My "labware": 25 ml cylinder and bottle for base with self maid scale, so I do not need to measure PG and VG - just pour them in the bottle to desired level.

For $250 I am vaping for 1.5 years, and have enough supplies for 1-2 more years, plus 10+ years supply of nic.