Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do for your health, not to mention the other benefits. When you feel your motivation to stay quit slipping, just remember:

1.

You’re saving money.

For every two days you are smoke-free, you save $15! You could buy some music, a book, or go out to dinner. If you put that money in the bank, you would have saved about $200 in one month, and that doesn’t even include the savings on dry-cleaning bills, cough medicines, stain-removing toothpaste, and replacing clothes with burn holes.

2.

You’re getting healthy from the inside out.

Just as it’s difficult to see that smoking damages the inside of your body, it’s also difficult to see the good things happening when you quit. But your body starts recovering just three days after smoking your last cigarette. Your lungs get healthier and your risk of cancer drops.

3.

You’ll have more energy.

You should feel more energetic because your lung function is improving. You are no longer filling your blood with carbon monoxide. Your heart isn’t pumping as hard to keep your muscles supplied with oxygen-rich blood. Activities such as taking a walk, playing with your children or working in the yard should feel less daunting.

4.

Your sense of taste and smell awaken.

Within days of quitting, your sensory organs such as your nose and tongue start to renew. You’ll find that food tastes better and that you use less salt because you enjoy the natural taste of what you’re eating. You may find yourself taking longer to eat as you spend more time savoring the tastes and smells.

5.

You won’t worry as much about smoking-related illness and early death.

Smoking-related illnesses, such as emphysema and lung cancer, are painful, progress slowly, and are as agonizing for loved ones as they are for the person with the disease. Quitting smoking reduces your risk of dying from a smoking-related illness by half! And after 10 years of being a non-smoker, your risk of having a heart attack is the same as a person who never smoked, and your risk of developing lung cancer is cut in half.

6.

You don’t have to stand outside in the cold anymore.

You’ve probably stood outside in the rain, wind, and maybe even snow to smoke, particularly if your employer prohibits smoking or your favorite restaurant is 100% non-smoking. After you quit, your days of huddling out in nasty weather to have a quick smoke are done.

7.

You'll have a reason to celebrate.

Everyone likes a good party, and what better cause to celebrate that quitting smoking? Throw an anniversary party for your week, month, year, or any anniversary of your quit date. Rather than avoid social situations for fear of being tempted to smoke, you can reintroduce social events into your life without risking a relapse. After all, you wouldn’t light up at your “I’ve quit smoking” celebration, would you?

8.

Your insurance is likely to cost you less.

Most health insurance, life insurance, and homeowners’ insurance policies cost more for smokers than for non-smokers. Now that you can begin checking the ‘Non-smoker’ box on those policies, you are likely to be charged less for the same coverage.

9.

You'll become the center of attention.

Have your friends, family, and co-workers noticed a difference since you quit? Do they tell you that you smell better or that your skin looks better? Do they get closer to you when talking? Often we don’t notice such differences ourselves until others point out the positive changes they see in us.

10.

Your sense of accomplishment.

People get a profound sense of accomplishment when they quit smoking, especially those who say that quitting was one of the hardest things they’ve ever done. The smile on your face is your well-earned pride showing through.