Let's be honest, smoking cigarettes is far cheaper than vaping!

[AndriaD]

OR, you could mix it yourself for about 6c/ml ($24) by buying 100mg nic base ($50/liter)
PG&VG by the gallon ($20/gallon), flavoring concentrates ($3.95/10ml).

Where many are getting taken to the cleaners is with the flavorings by buying flavoring diluted with PG or VG. You're paying 10 times the price for that PG or VG.

What I've found is that the best success with DIY is usually with recipes you make yourself... When you try to "clone" a retail juice, results can be mixed -- I still can't replicate a good blueberry muffin flavor. So it's not always possible to "mix it yourself" to get the flavor you love from a premium juice.

Which is why, if I still wanted to vape blueberry muffin all the time (or anytime), I'd order it from sweet-vapes.com -- theirs is $9.95/15ml, or $18.95 for 30ml -- not terrible, but a lot more than my DIY costs. Fortunately, I learned to love that strawberry & cream DIY even better than I love blueberry muffin... so I've still got half a15ml bottle of the blueberry muffin languishing in a drawer...

Andria

 

[tj99959]

The first part of my post said that I had purchased enough DIY supplies to make 4 liters of juice and it cost me less than $200 (I'm being conservative because I might need to get more flavoring).

This is where you're wasting money. You are paying way to much for your flavorings. I haven't spent $200 for flavorings in 4 years. The suppliers dilute the flavoring concentrates with PG or VG, you can do that yourself for a lot less money.
For example: your 400ml of juice would only require one bottle of that $3.95/10ml bottle of flavoring I mentioned above. That's 1 cent/ml of juice.

IMO the way vape suppliers are selling flavorings is as big a scam as the prices for e-liquids is in retail shops.

 

[jseah]

This is where you're wasting money. You are paying way to much for your flavorings. I haven't spent $200 for flavorings in 4 years. The suppliers dilute the flavoring concentrates with PG or VG, you can do that yourself for a lot less money.
For example: your 400ml of juice would only require 2ml of flavoring concentrate from that $3.95 10ml bottle of flavoring I mentioned above.

IMO the way vape suppliers are selling flavorings is as big a scam as the prices for e-liquids is in retail shops.

That $200 figure includes buying everything, not just flavoring. What I have bought so far is 500 ml of 48 mg VG nicotine base, 2.5 liters of VG, 1 liter of PG, over 500 ml total of different flavorings, extra glass bottles, syringes, needles. I may have overbought some flavorings and underbought some flavorings. I actually won't know for sure until I start mixing. So I'm pretty sure at some point before I run out of nicotine base I'll need to get more flavorings. Just the flavorings that I have purchased so far is about $50.

 

[tj99959]

You're still missing my point. You're paying way more for flavorings than you need to.
Your's 400ml of base that you have should only cost $4 to flavor .... not $50+.

Now I understand your desire to experiment, and find flavors that you like, but you will never get there buying those pre-mixed flavors.

Let me explain how I do it ... KISS method ...(which is not the only way).
I swiped a glass measuring cup and a pint canning jar from the kitchen.
50ml of 100mg nicotine/PG
150ml of PG
200ml of VG
_______________________
400ml of 12mg 50/50 PG/VG base (unflavored)

I then use an irrigation syringe (large) to fill 30ml bottles as needed, and add 1drop/2ml (15 drops/30ml) of flavor concentrate. Total cost ~6c/ml. ($24 for 400ml)

 

[AndriaD]

That $200 figure includes buying everything, not just flavoring. What I have bought so far is 500 ml of 48 mg VG nicotine base, 2.5 liters of VG, 1 liter of PG, over 500 ml total of different flavorings, extra glass bottles, syringes, needles. I may have overbought some flavorings and underbought some flavorings. I actually won't know for sure until I start mixing. So I'm pretty sure at some point before I run out of nicotine base I'll need to get more flavorings. Just the flavorings that I have purchased so far is about $50.

That's all true... but you actually did overpay on one item -- the nicotine, because it's only 48mg, so you're going to have to use a lot more of it (twice as much or a little more) than if you had bought 100mg. When you buy lower concentrations, you're just paying top dollar for someone else's PG or VG. You also have more small bottles to store, once you break it up -- because you don't wanna be constantly opening just one bottle to mix from; if you do, it's going to oxidize FAST. I buy 100mg and divide the 120ml into 30ml bottles for storage -- that way, only 30ml at a time is "open" and exposed to air, and light -- all the rest is in the freezer.

Andria

 

[jseah]

That's all true... but you actually did overpay on one item -- the nicotine, because it's only 48mg, so you're going to have to use a lot more of it (twice as much or a little more) than if you had bought 100mg. When you buy lower concentrations, you're just paying top dollar for someone else's PG or VG. You also have more small bottles to store, once you break it up -- because you don't wanna be constantly opening just one bottle to mix from; if you do, it's going to oxidize FAST. I buy 100mg and divide the 120ml into 30ml bottles for storage -- that way, only 30ml at a time is "open" and exposed to air, and light -- all the rest is in the freezer.

Andria

I figured the 48 mg would be easier to evenly dilute down to 6 mg (1 ml of base to 7 ml of VG/PG). That's a great idea about splitting the 500 ml of nic base into separate bottles and freeze it. It does worry me that the nic base will be sitting around for quite a while.....and the last thing I want it to do is to get peppery.

 

[3mg Meniere]

I split my 100 mg nic into the 8 or 10 ml bottles that flavorings come in. Even less opportunity for oxidation, and convenient when you vape 3mg or 6mg. If you don't have enough, you can get them here Amazon.com: Glass Vials, 2 Dram, Pack of 12: Industrial & Scientific

 

[AndriaD]

I figured the 48 mg would be easier to evenly dilute down to 6 mg (1 ml of base to 7 ml of VG/PG). That's a great idea about splitting the 500 ml of nic base into separate bottles and freeze it. It does worry me that the nic base will be sitting around for quite a while.....and the last thing I want it to do is to get peppery.

You may be right, since it's VG, not as easy to mix.

I buy these bottles: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FXOUOQ -- $9.34 for 12, so a decent bargain. There are probably lower prices, but I don't have those links handy -- I've bought these bottles several times now, and they're very good, and well-shipped -- no breakage.

Andria

 

[jseah]

You may be right, since it's VG, not as easy to mix.

I buy these bottles: Boston Round Bottles, 1 oz. Pack of 12: Science Lab Reagent Bottles: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific -- $9.34 for 12, so a decent bargain. There are probably lower prices, but I don't have those links handy -- I've bought these bottles several times now, and they're very good, and well-shipped -- no breakage.

Andria

I ordered a 12 pack of 2 oz bottles wih droppers from Amazon yesterday. Including the 1 oz bottles I ordered from Wizard Labs and the extra 1 oz and half oz bottles I have accumulated, I will be able to split out all the base liquid. Maybe in the future I should order the nicotine base in PG rather than VG so they won't thicken up as much when frozen?

 

[3mg Meniere]

I should order the nicotine base in PG rather than VG so they won't thicken up as much when frozen?

Highly recommended, although an armpit is the best warmer.

 

[AndriaD]

I ordered a 12 pack of 2 oz bottles wih droppers from Amazon yesterday. Including the 1 oz bottles I ordered from Wizard Labs and the extra 1 oz and half oz bottles I have accumulated, I will be able to split out all the base liquid. Maybe in the future I should order the nicotine base in PG rather than VG so they won't thicken up as much when frozen?

It really depends a lot on what ratio you want your finished juice to be.... if you want it to be heavier on VG, then buying the nic in VG is probably a good idea -- especially since you bought 48mg and will need to use so much of it in your recipes -- since the flavorings are generally all in PG. I vape 84% PG, so of course I buy my nic in PG, and it really doesn't thicken much at all, in the freezer. But VG will thicken IN THE FRIDGE! But again, the beauty of small bottles -- if you take the VG out about an hour before you plan to start mixing, it should reach a point where it's less thick -- it's always going to be thick, but directly from fridge or freezer, nearly unusable, it's so thick.

Andria

 

[Racehorse]

You do realize that people make their calculations based on what they used to spend on cigs, not on what you spend on cigs, right?

Yes, that total will be different for everyone.

My banner doesn't subtract the $$ I've spent on vaping though. It does show the cigs I 'avoided', which is all I care about.

However, it would be nice to have a banner where you could input your vape expenditures, and have it subtracted from the "money saved".

Again that would be different for everyone. Some people are still using their original egos or mods that they originally started vaping with. I know somebody using a Sigelei zmax and never has tried anything else, works for them. So outlay of $$, other than maintenance (coils, ejuice) is pretty negligible on their end.

 

[AndriaD]

My banner doesn't subtract the $$ I've spent on vaping though. It does show the cigs I 'avoided', which is all I care about.

However, it would be nice to have a banner where you could input your vape expenditures, and have it subtracted from the "money saved".

This one will do that: Signature Banners | Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit

Andria

 

[WharfRat1976]

Did anyone calculate the cost of early death from cigarette smoking?

 

[Rossum]

Did anyone calculate the cost of early death from cigarette smoking?

My heirs might consider that a savings rather than a cost -- less time for me to spend their inheritance.

 

[Rixsta]

Did anyone calculate the cost of early death from cigarette smoking?

Well here's a story, I was reading this comment on my phone and fell down about 9 steps onto the floor, I don't need smoking to kill me, I can manage just fine killing myself, my bloody backside is killing me now.

 

[Lannie]

You're still missing my point. You're paying way more for flavorings than you need to.
Your's 400ml of base that you have should only cost $4 to flavor .... not $50+.

Now I understand your desire to experiment, and find flavors that you like, but you will never get there buying those pre-mixed flavors.

Let me explain how I do it ... KISS method ...(which is not the only way).
I swiped a glass measuring cup and a pint canning jar from the kitchen.
50ml of 100mg nicotine/PG
150ml of PG
200ml of VG
_______________________
400ml of 12mg 50/50 PG/VG base (unflavored)

I then use an irrigation syringe (large) to fill 30ml bottles as needed, and add 1drop/2ml (15 drops/30ml) of flavor concentrate. Total cost ~6c/ml. ($24 for 400ml)

Except that... 4 liters is 4 THOUSAND milliliters, not 400. So he might still have paid $50 whereas he could have spent $40, but it's not that much more, over the "life" of the 4,000 ml of juice he could conceivably make.

(I haven't read this whole thread, but I did notice the mention of 400 ml being the equivalent of 4 liters, and thought I should point it out... )

~Lannie

 

[billgharley]

Honestly though I think most of those banners are outdated going back to the days of cartos and Lavatubes.
With the current trend of higher watts the amount of liquid one goes through a day is measured in tens of mills, not in mills.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agreed. My tank holds 4.5 ml. and I fill it 2 or 3 times per day. But, I buy 120ml bottles for $33. Someday I want to make my own juice. Need to do some reading on that topic.

 

[kates]

I have not spent £7,568 on cigarettes so far and despite my best efforts have only managed to spend about a third of that on a lot of things I don't actually 'need' (and I could vape for at least 5 years without buying anything else at all and have back ups for back ups for back ups...). I am really struggling to find things to buy now as I am very happy as a tootle puffing, no flavour, coil & diy juice maker (not very difficult if unflavoured ) The only good thing about my husband still smoking - is I now need to renew my efforts to get him vaping and then I can spend his money to get him a perfect set up. Tootle puffing doesn't suit him so I need to 'research' all the latest stuff (research of course means buying things to try). I have really missed vape mail..

 

[somdcomputerguy]

For near the past 9 months I have not spent more than a grand on cigarettes and spent less than a quarter of that on vapin'. So the amount of money I have saved would be how much I havn't spent minus what I have..