so for a school project...

[KongsRevenge]

I formulated a cost analysis of e-cigs versus analogs into Linear Programming (a type of mathematical model), even taking the model so far as to play different vendors against one another using the constraints that I wanted 3x as many "high quality" components (juices, batteries, cartridges) as I did low quality, and with the usage factored in. (I used 5 cartomizer refills/day with .5ml juice/refill and refilling each cartomizer 10 times before tossing it as my usage constraints).

It turned out really cool- even with satisfying all those constraints, my model found that I could satisfy my minimum needs with a budget of just over $59 per month, versus the $165 I was spending on pack-a-day analogs.

Of course, the model can't account for my impulse FSUSA juice buying mini-sprees every time there's a good sale on, but hey, there's only so much these models can do!

I just thought it was a cool little thing. But then again, I'm a huge nerd and I think thinks like this are cool.

By the way, I used FSUSA as my pricing model for high-quality juice, of course

 

[ab357]

I spend a LOT but as a 2-3 PAD smoker, I'm still saving

 

[KongsRevenge]

I spend a LOT but as a 2-3 PAD smoker, I'm still saving

Haha I'm totally not saving, but that's mainly because I've got a LOT more juice than I need. (Seriously, I probably have at least 50 bottles of various sizes in my chest at this point)

That said, once I'm satisfied that I have 7-8 juice flavors that are "all-day" type vapes (and I'm not far off now) I can start buying only in the 120 ml sizes and save a pretty big chunk of money over what I spend now buying mostly 30mls. Of course, I'll still want to try new stuff now and again...

But hell, even spending about what I did on analogs, it's still worth it just for how much better I feel (not to mention smell) and the knowledge that vaping won't give me lung cancer.

 

[k5blazer]

Thanks Kong, now i can refer my wife to this thread when she thinks I'm spending to much money.Ha

 

[Dooter]

Wow, this is so cool!

This is exactly why I don't do the banner in my sig that says "I'VE SAVED THIS MUCH $$$" or whatever, because I get irritated that I can't get any of them to calculate all the specific info that you did.

 

[TexasT]

But hell, even spending about what I did on analogs, it's still worth it just for how much better I feel (not to mention smell) and the knowledge that vaping won't give me lung cancer.

I sure do agree with you! Our vehicles don't smell like ashtrays, our house smells good, we smell good, breath is better, hacking cough is gone, feel better, the list of thngs that are better goes on and on!

 

[757girl]

Have you received a grade on your project yet??? That sounds like a great thing you have formulated for a project. I haven't really calculated my cost but as far as the money goes, I'm not worried. I know that my health, family and my sanity is thanking me. And it is a plus that my boyfriend has stopped smoking as well so we swap juices and such. I have never been a PAD smoker it was around 8 a day maybe but 8 analogs was too much anyways. I'm still young and I still have a full life to live so I want to live each day with healthy functioning organs

 

[TexasT]

And it is a plus that my boyfriend has stopped smoking as well so we swap juices and such so I want to live each day with healthy functioning organs

I really hope LD never see's this.

 

[KongsRevenge]

Have you received a grade on your project yet???

Yep! Got an 'A'! I knew my prof would like it, he's a light smoker himself and has been kind of fascinated by the e-cigs I'm always puffing on.

It was a small project, only took me a couple of days...now that the framework is there, I may actually go back when I have some more time and modify the project to be a bit more comprehensive- account for bulk buying discounts on liquid, wanting to try at least 2 new flavors every month, and whatever other constraints I can think up and figure out how to add to the model. I'll probably add other vendors as well and see if I can figure out how to make the model auto-select the proper vendors for different parts based on whatever criteria I write...

The hardest part of these things is to figure out how to translate what you're trying to get it to do in to pure math. Once you figure out the combination of equations/inequalities you need to use as your constraints, everything else is easy.

 

[mwa102464]

Konsrevenge,

Is there anyway you can turn this into a calculator so the rest of us can use your system to figure out our daily,monthly, yearly cost saving since we all use a different PV and different amounts of liquid then you have in your test. This would be a great tool for the vaping community to use to calculate each individual users savings as well as figuring how much juice we are going through a week, month, year.???

Thanks
MWA

 

[TexasT]

Konsrevenge,

You make it all sound so easy ...

 

[KongsRevenge]

Konsrevenge,

Is there anyway you can turn this into a calculator so the rest of us can use your system to figure out our daily,monthly, yearly cost saving since we all use a different PV and different amounts of liquid then you have in your test. This would be a great tool for the vaping community to use to calculate each individual users savings as well as figuring how much juice we are going through a week, month, year.???

Thanks
MWA

Hmm....well, the only thing it requires is Excel with the Solver add-in, which I think most people have access to in one form or another, so it's definitely possible...

Sure! I'll give it a shot. It's going to take some time, but my finals will be over on Wednesday so aside from my job, I'll have some free time...

I don't know if the model I built is actually what you want, though. My model is an optimization model- in other words, it doesn't just tell you to enter your cost and it spits out a number- it actually tells you how many of everything you need to be buying to satisfy your minimum requirements- the cost savings number is really a by-product.

For instance, on the version of the model I built for the project, I entered my minimum usage requirements, entered the costs of various things I used from a couple of suppliers, and set my maximum total spending as the amount I formerly spent on analogs. The model then calculated the amount I needed to buy from each supplier to satisfy those requirements, and the total cost that would result from buying exactly that amount.

Anyway, the model itself relies on certain assumptions- which makes it tricky for different people to use because the assumptions of their daily habits will all be different, as you said... but maybe I could figure out a simple way for people to use it as a calculator. No promises on the results, but I'll spend some time with it and see what I can come up with! For now, I've attached the project Excel to this post, so feel free to play with it on your own as well, but remember you have to have the Solver add-in installed, and playing with anything on the model will likely require changing the applicable constraints in the Solver dialogue. Oh, and the excel contains multiple worksheets; the one labeled Setup and Answers is the actual calculator. The "Cost Breakdown" worksheet was mainly just for my own notes, and the other worksheets were just sensitivity and limits reports generated by the model when it ran.