Need a reality check

[Rupert]

Hey, Everyone. New to vaping. When I did my comparison budget between vaping and analogs, my juice usage estimates were less than I'm using. And if I use the .5 coil, I'm using two and a half times what I anticipated. So I started searching around DIY prices. And I guess I've discovered what lots have discovered before me--it's way less expensive. But I want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly....
120 mls of say 24mg nicotine in a PG base
Plus
120 mls of VG
Equals
240 mls of 12mg 50PG/50VG
Right?

Now, I like flavor as much as the next person. But, for the ADV, hunched over paperwork, mindless chain vaping, going through tank after tank of orange dreamsicle (current fave) will empty my wallet PDQ. I'm not sure I'm ready to try and be a flavor guru, but it seems like if I just vaped for habit and the fog and not the flavor I'd spend something like 4X to 8X less on juice if I just bought the supplies above.

I feel like I must be missing something. Does it just taste awful by itself?

 

[Shadav]

great free calculator to get and it does come with some recipes already and you can save your own
eJuice Me Up - Best eJuice Calculator

and yes that would be correct.....
and as for taste, would depend on your nic base.....

 

[Hoosier]

There are a number of vapers that do unflavored.

I only do it to clear flavoring from a wick, but I was only able to switch to vaping because of great flavors.

 

[Aheadatime]

Your math is correct. Regarding flavor, it depends on your ratio. I use 90% VG (nic is VG also) and 10% distilled water. Flavor is neutral with a lightly sweet after-taste due to the high VG. Doesn't clash with anything (vaping on fruits while drinking coffee.. yuck), costs close to nothing, and the coils last forever without needing dry burning/cotton switch. Most of the time I vape unflavored, but I do crave intense flavors from time to time and throw one of my recipes in a tank.

 

[capthook]

Being new to vaping, the important thing would be to stay of the cigs IMO. (if that is your situation)
Sticking with flavored may be a better bet in that regards.

For even greater savings, get 100mg and mix that down.
And good your looking at PG nic IMO, the nic/pg mixes/stays mixed easier/better in it's bottle.

Some of my favorite DIY vendors you might look at:
Bull City Vapor - Best Prices on DIY e-liquid Supplies
Wizard Labs
E-Cig Flavors - FlavourArt | EcigExpress

 

[issy]

I just made an orange creamsicle betterthan any I've bought premixed....I got my flavors from TFA and used 10% orange cream, 8% vanilla swirl, and 2% cotton candy. Mixed it up at 50/50 12mg/ml with a nifty calculator....and it is to die for. Verified to die for by several others as well. Yummy and much less expensive!

 

[r77r7r]

Lots of us vape unflavored all day. It'd be easy to add a few drops of menthol or mint to change it up. Don't need to be a mixing guru.

Much easier on your coils and wicks also.

 

[Rupert]

Really appreciate everyone's thoughts here. Still have that noob anxiety/excitement going on. Managed to get enough information to make a decision I'm happy with on my device. Then opened this DIY liquid door and was like going back to square one and having no idea where to start. Glad I opened this door though. You guys made it easy to keep walking through.

 

[WillyZee]

check out this thread started by Uno

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/e-liquid-recipes/396418-orange-creamsicle.html

 

[chopdoc]

Hey, Everyone. New to vaping. When I did my comparison budget between vaping and analogs, my juice usage estimates were less than I'm using. And if I use the .5 coil, I'm using two and a half times what I anticipated. So I started searching around DIY prices. And I guess I've discovered what lots have discovered before me--it's way less expensive. But I want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly....
120 mls of say 24mg nicotine in a PG base
Plus
120 mls of VG
Equals
240 mls of 12mg 50PG/50VG
Right?

Now, I like flavor as much as the next person. But, for the ADV, hunched over paperwork, mindless chain vaping, going through tank after tank of orange dreamsicle (current fave) will empty my wallet PDQ. I'm not sure I'm ready to try and be a flavor guru, but it seems like if I just vaped for habit and the fog and not the flavor I'd spend something like 4X to 8X less on juice if I just bought the supplies above.

I feel like I must be missing something. Does it just taste awful by itself?

Just to show you the saving from going this route I looked at Bull City just because I had their page up.

120 ml 24mg nicotine in PG base $7.74
120 ml VG $2.50
total $10.24 plus shipping

Now if you added the flavor concentrates that Issy used in her orange creamsicle recipe figure on $3.50 each or a total of $14 (24 ml of the orange cream needed equals 2 bottles). So for around $25 you can have 240 ml of your fave.

Not a bad savings from buying e-juice from a B&M or online.

 

[Rin13]

You can start unflavored and slowly introduce flavors. If you go the flavor route, I would start simple. One (two tops) flavor mixtures. Doing crazy recipes straight out of the gate usually leaves people disappointed. I find it very fun now but for a while it was very frustrating. There is definitely a learning curve and everyone's tastes are different which makes things more... interesting.

 

[chopdoc]

You can start unflavored and slowly introduce flavors. If you go the flavor route, I would start simple. One (two tops) flavor mixtures. Doing crazy recipes straight out of the gate usually leaves people disappointed. I find it very fun now but for a while it was very frustrating. There is definitely a learning curve and everyone's tastes are different which makes things more... interesting.

Plus unflavored is not a bad flavor by itself. At times I can be really lazy and when changing flavors i will drip a couple times using unflavored and then go to the new flavor.

 

[fishj]

So what does unflavored juice taste like?

 

[chopdoc]

To me its kinda a sweet flavor. Doesnt really remind me of anything, just that its sweet.

 

[TaketheRedPill]

have you tried vaping just nicotine/vg without adding any flavoring? otoh, there are a lot of simple recipes to be found - like sweet cream + orange, get the orange right first then add sweetcream a drop at a time to taste.

or, here's a whole thread about Orangecreamsicle:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/e-liquid-recipes/396418-orange-creamsicle.html

have fun!