What's the point in DIY?

[mgordon1100]

So, I just did a quick calculation (maybe not too quick), on how much it would cost me for a 30ml bottle of a single flavored juice. I did it based on prices at One Stop DIY shop, excluding costs as shipping, and working materials. Only used the costs of the ingredients and container. Therefore, the price just goes up from here, as I used prices for the largest quantity liquids you can buy.

My finding was the cost of this bottle, minus expenses, is about 7 and a half to 8 bucks. I figure you can buy a 30 ml bottle for 2 to 7 bucks more. With the DIY method, you have all the extras to figure in, and you have to calculate how much more of what liquids you need to buy to balance everything for optimum value.

This seems like a lot of trouble to me, at not that much of a lower cost. I can see it if you paid only a couple of dollars or less per 30 ml bottle, but it's quite a bit higher. Can anyone here rationalize this for me?

 

[Olef]

Not sure what you are basing your figures on supplier-wise and of course prices vary across the world so I can only really speak for myself.

Here in the UK 10ml of decent 24mg liquid costs £4.50 to £6.00.

By buying high strength nic in bulk (a litre or so at a time) and bulk PG and VG I can (and do) make 10ml of juice for around 10% of that.

So right there is your point as far as it goes for me. 90% cost saving plus the ability to make any flavour I like at any strength at any time.

What's the point in buying pre-made juice?

 

[mgordon1100]

My post clearly states that I based my prices on One Stop DIY Shop. That's a supplier online. Exactly the way I typed it. The point in buying premade stuff is it's less of a hassle for a minimal savings that I calculated. If it cost me 15 bucks for a 30ml bottle, then you're telling me that I should only pay 1.50 for it. Also, I mentioned that it WOULD be worth it if it cost me 2 bucks or less. So, point me in the direction. That's why I asked.

 

[GoneWiththeWind]

I believe that there are several ways DIY is beneficial:

1.) Some vapers are easy to please therefore any juice will do, while others have become "addicted" to more expensive vendors (sometimes paying $15-20 for 30ml) For the latter, Diy is cost effective.

2.) Some like to "tinker around" and their adventurous side compels them to do their own mixing.

3.) And still others are quite conscious of what goes into their body and prefer to be "captain of their ship" and feel that by making their own juice-there's no question of ingredients/additives.

I'm researching being a Diy-er and would be more than relieved to come very close to duplicating my $16/bottle habit.

Perhaps you will find these links helpful in your quest to find an answer: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...alculator-added-quantity-calculations-16.html and eJuice Me Up - e-Juice e-Liquid Recipe Calculator.

Also try the DIY forum here on ECF. Here's another place with interesting comments: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/228303-diy-poor-mans-guide.html

 

[Stownz]

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/228303-diy-poor-mans-guide.html

 

[MickeyRat]

There are a few reasons I do it. Once you get enough flavors, you can experiment with different combinations in small quantities, for instance. For another, I like knowing exactly what's going into my juice. I am more assured that my flavorings don't have diacetyl for instance. Also, if you're worried about taxation or an outright ban, you can keep supplies on hand for a couple years without committing to a flavor that you might get tired of. I can also get better deals on nic, PG and VG than you can at one stop DIY. The last time I bought nic, I got a liter of 100mg. That'll last about 2 years for me. I buy PG and VG by the gallon. The flavoring can get expensive but, it goes a long way too. You can buy that in larger quantities once you're comfortable with it as well. Containers from US plastic are less expensive as well.

 

[Spazmelda]

The One Stop DIY shop is all about convenience, and that's great. It's nice to have a place where you can get everything you need to start DIY. BUT... they aren't anywhere near the best price you can get for nicotine. I think they're pretty reasonable for flavors, but I haven't really looked.

It looks like they have 30 ml of 48 mg/ml for $10.50 right? So that's 0.73¢/mg, which would cost you about $4 for 30 ml of 18 mg/ml liquid (just including the nicotine, no flavors). However you can get nicotine for way less that that. Like 0.15¢/mg (and probably even less) which would put your nic costs for 30 ml of 18 mg/ml at around $0.80.

 

[pyro13g]

sure you did the math right on that? Artisan kit 48mg will make 160ml of 18mg juice and you'll still have almost half your dilution base left, plenty of flavoring, and all your mixing/measuring supplies. Buy another 60ml 48g nictotine for $21

So where is the source of 160ml of pre-mixed for under $40.00? And 320ml for $61? $0.19/ml, $5.71/30ml. i just priced 30ml of original at Liberty Filights and it is $0.566/ml 16.99/30ml

Wholesale pre-mixed is a bit cheaper but I don't want 473ml or more of one flavor at one time.

 

[vocr]

I don't really care about cost, for me the answer is one word: control .

 

[icy]

My break down to make a 30 ml bottle of juice 24 mg nic, with shipping, 60 mg nic, pg, vg, 2 flavors and sweetener is $2.34 I control the strength of flavor. I know who has handled my juice.

 

[Stownz]

There is always a better juice out there, a flavor you will love a WHOLE lot more then the one you are buying now. Trick is, can you afford to shop around and find it? What happens when your taste buds heal up, and your sense of smell comes back x7 what it ever was? Can you afford to find another juice you like from another vendor?

It is so cheap to experiment flavor combos, and different nic and pg/vg ratios with DIY. For $10 in supplies, you can try out a hundred different combinations over a weekend and find something spectacular! The start up cost may be a bit high, especially if you want to buy 40 different flavors all in 1 oz bottles. But now, do the math on how many total different flavor combinations you can experiment with using 40 base flavors.

How many 100s of dollars did everyone spend before they gave up and just vape the best of what they found?

 

[icy]

I get my nic from RTS on sale.

 

[mgordon1100]

Pyro, I didn't say that I can buy my pre-mix for under that price. I said that it will cost me about 7-8 bucks more than a 30ml bottle of diy. I just didn't think that was enough savings for the hassle. I guess that kit gives you what you need, so I don't have to figure in that cost. I didn't look at anything other than buying one bottle of each thing I need. I'll take your word for it that I can buy the kit and get the bottles, eyedroppers, and syringes for about the same cost per ml as buying the stuff individually.

I'm not even sure what to do with that kit, though. I figured my cost per ml out from buying one bottle of nic VG one bottle of nic PG, one bottle of dilution VG, one bottle of dilution PG, and one bottle of flavor. Figured out the recipe for a 30 ml, 24 mg strength bottle, and added up all the costs per ml to get my bottle's cost. The kit doesn't work the way my calculator worked. It doesn't come with one of everything.

 

[tj99959]

Have you checked out Box Elder?
Box Elder Chemical Supply

 

[mgordon1100]

My break down to make a 30 ml bottle of juice 24 mg nic, with shipping, 60 mg nic, pg, vg, 2 flavors and sweetener is $2.34 I control the strength of flavor. I know who has handled my juice.

The questions I'm asking is for information to be shared. Bragging does me no good.

 

[WannaGetHealthy]

DIY isn't for everyone. Period. Same way that home brewing, ammo reloading, remodeling, and automotive maintenance isn't for everyone. I'm not going to try to speak for everyone in this post, but here is the point of DIY from my point of view:

1) It's cheaper......much cheaper than buying everything at the vendor you specified, at full price. I am a careful shopper when I buy supplies.... especially nic. I watch the vendors and when one of 'em has a 50% off sale, I'll buy half a liter or so. I have never bought full price nic and that right there is the biggest part of the material list when it comes to calculating the cost of a bottle of juice. The next point ties in to this as well.

2) I got tired of buying a bottle of juice....then realizing after the first 10 pulls that I really didn't like it. If I buy a new flavor and find that I don't like it, I get burned for a dollar fifty instead of getting burned for the cost of a bottle of juice. I've given away about 250ml of vendor bought juice that I just didn't like. I could have made myself vape it I guess, but why would I when there is other, better tasting juice out there just waiting to be shoved in to my atty. In other words....trying new juice flavors got expensive and frustrating.

3)When I am in control of what goes in to the juice, it always ends up tasting better than premixed juice. Every bottle of juice I bought I wished the flavor was stronger, weaker, or had other flavor notes to contrast with the flavoring in the juice. Not so with DIY....it tastes exactly how I want it to taste.

4)I can flavor my juice just about anyway I can imagine.....I mean....how else am I gonna get mango/pomagranate/cantaloupe flavored juice? How about B&J Cherry Garcia? Mojito? S'mores? That vanilla Italian cream soda from Olive Garden? I even have a juice that tastes just like a bowl of golden grahms complete with milk. The possibilities are endless, and like I said....if I try it and don't like it, it's not like I'm out of a lot of money.

Bottom line is that no one is going to call you down for not D'nIY. If you choose to do it, great. If not, great. For me, I'll never buy another bottle of premixed garbage ever again. IMO there are a lot of good juices available out there, but there are far more that taste like refried poop on a stick.

Here's a little guide I wrote if anyone is interested:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tutorials/225827-diyin-juice-newbies.html

 

[vocr]

B&J Cherry Garcia

Recipe please?

 

[Vermonster13]

Even at $7 per bottle savings, over the course of a year that adds up to $255 savings a year for a 3ml a day vaper.

 

[mgordon1100]

Yeah, I want some Cherry Garcia as well.

So, several of you now told me that it's only costing a couple of bucks or less for a 30ml bottle. That's what I said would make it worth it in my OP. My shopping experience told me otherwise. ONE STOP DIY SHOP. That's where I started, that's where I ended. There's gotta be somewhere else. I plan on doing this with a friend of mine, but I want it to be worth it. Including all the gear I need, and shipping. It's all gotta be cost effective if I'm going to shell out money up front. Right now, I buy a 30ml single bottle. When it's almost run out, I buy another one. I don't have, and probably never will have, a chest full of stuff that's just sitting there. I use what I buy/buy only what I'll use.

 

[WannaGetHealthy]

Recipe please?

hehe....I was wondering if that would get anyone's attention. I'm real close, but I'm gonna do a little more tweaking today. I'll shoot ya a PM when I'm satisfied with the recipe (this afternoon).