Beat smoking and inflation at the same time

 How's this for frugality in an age of inflation? I have been chewing nicotine gum since I quit smoking in 2004 — probably 5 to 10 pieces a day. That sometimes led to three boxes a month at $31.99 a pop. (Expensive but cheaper than cigarettes) There came a day when every store that sold the kind I wanted ran out of stock. I tried to gut my way through by cutting back on what I had left and in the process reached the point where I only had one a day. Now, get this: I found out I could go a whole day on one piece and have been doing that ever since with a few exceptions and get this I kept track and the last time I bought a box was June 1. Two and a half months on what I used to use up to three per month. Oddly the price is still the same, $31.99 for 110 pieces. However I noticed a year or so ago the maker had reduced the size of the pieces somewhat. (Inflation by deflation? ) I'm still ahead.

Oh the joys of writing

Here's another one of those "memories" conversations

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Ah the joys of the writer's life. I just received a royalty check for $1.44. One dollar and forty-four cents. Partaaaayyyy!

Gail Somerville

How will you ever decide what to spend it on? Hahaha

Shelley Gill

I have six books with one publisher. Have yet to get a check. Twenty five books and I work as a naturalist and do school visits. Shoulda been anything else.

Tim Jones

We don't do it for the money, that's for sure.

Shelley Gill

I used to write a book a year. Now I'm trying for three a year.

Tim Jones

I have been working on the current one for more than five years. If it ever gets finished and sells the hourly wage might be in the negatives

Michele Vincent

That'll buy a can of beer from the local 7-11

Sharon Wright

Buy stamps for your next submissions!

Tim Jones

It's all done on line these days.

Suzy Peakall

Don't know whether to cry or laugh at this one!

Kitty Delorey Fleischman

Sounds much like the magazine world.

Helen Hegener

I gave up on the traditionals a decade ago, never looked back, never been sorry. I'm not getting rich, but it's keeping me happy.

Tom Walker

Whooooo-hoooooo.

Tim Jones

Ha ha you got one too.

Tom Walker

Tim Jones no, I didnt. Nada

Tim Jones

You should have, it was our book. I'm not sure which is worse, getting a royalty check for $1.44 or not getting a royalty check for $1.44.

(In a more recent time I received $500 from Cruising World for an article they never printed)