Cost of smoking: what you could have if you invested it
Calculate how much money you could accumulate long-term if you invested, instead of spending on smoking, the same amount every month.
Results
Final capital
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Total contributed
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Interest generated
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The final capital is calculated compounding monthly: initial capital × (1 + r)^n, plus the future value of monthly contributions [(1+r)^n - 1] / r, where r is the monthly interest rate and n the number of months.
Year-by-year evolution
| Año | Saldo final | Aportado acumulado | Interés acumulado |
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When should you use this calculator?
This page translates a recurring monthly smoking expense into a long-term opportunity cost: not just what you spend, but what that money could have generated if invested each month instead. The fields are pre-filled with an example (€150 a month, roughly a pack a day at average price, over 30 years at 7% annually); adjust the monthly amount and price to your own case.
Practical example
Spending €150 a month on smoking over 30 years means a direct outlay of €54,000. But if that same amount had been invested every month at 7% annually, the final result would be €182,995.65: €128,995.65 more than the plain accumulated spend, purely from compound interest over 30 years of steady contributions.
Practical tips
The real cost of a recurring habit isn't just what you spend, but also what that money stops generating over time if invested instead. The sooner that spending is redirected into savings or investing, the more years compound interest has to work, and the bigger the final difference.
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Frequently asked questions
Does this calculation account for tobacco prices rising each year?
No, it assumes a constant monthly contribution throughout the period. To approximate rising prices, you can increase the example's monthly contribution figure.
Why is the final result more than triple the amount actually spent?
Because each monthly contribution earns interest, and that interest earns further interest for the rest of the period — the cumulative effect of compound interest, more noticeable the longer the time horizon.
Can I use this same calculator for another recurring expense besides smoking?
Yes, the logic is the same for any fixed monthly expense: replace the monthly contribution with your actual expense amount and adjust the rate and years to your horizon.