Well, by being overseas, if you can get American Brand cigarettes duty free, that saves a lot on the cost. However, those of us that are stuck in the U.S. with Governors who think it's their "moral" duty to stick it to the smokers and continually raise the cigarette taxes, spewing constantly “It’s for the kids, you know,” which is a bunch of bunk!
They thought they found the perfect target to continually feed into their state coffers, because they KNOW that smokers, who are smoking a LEGAL commodity, will not quit what we enjoy. However, they never counted on the fact that we are not all sheeple out here! They did not count on the many other ways that we can buy and afford cigarettes without feeding into their honey pots any longer. We buy from the Internet, the Reservations and also, becoming quite popular, by rolling our own.
Since smokers are finding their way around the outrageous taxes on cigarettes, (It IS the American way to buy cheap), now they are calling us “criminals” because we are no longer paying into their money barrels to “help balance their budgets!” Yes, right, put the whole weight of the state on the backs of 1 out of 4 who wish to smoke. Sounds fair, doesn’t it? NOT!
There is no excuse today for smokers to give up something they enjoy because they have to pay $45 to $50 dollars a carton! I went from paying $50 dollars a carton to a little under $8 dollars a carton just by rolling my own. Happy? You bet I am happy!!!
Good luck to you!!!! Thanks so much for the post!