Duty Free allowance

[Richard/Jackie/Nathan]

They are in Corfu and I presume its the same in all EU countries.

[loftyscot]

In mainland EU and UK airport duty free shops the cigs prices are the same as in the local shops. Duty is included in the price., ie €3 a packet in the village and €3 at the airport.

If of course u didn't smoke then u could get at least another two trips to San Stef per year for the same money. But then again, you pay your money and take your choice.

[tonyco1]

benson - I'm not sure that's true any longer. I think (but may well be wrong) that fags at the airport are the same price as in a shop and are duty-paid.

You may actually find that when you go to any EU duty free, you are always asked for your boarding card, for a purchase.
The computerised till systems (or operator), will then denote if you are flying into an EU country, or one outside the EU, such as USA for example.

Flying to non-EU countries, will then usually remove the tax paid charge, but you will always be subject to the destination country's allowed limit for duty free..

[Soulie]

Loftyscot - I know how much we could save by not smoking but I enjoy smoking and the amount we save by paying £2.50 per packet rather than £6.50 for a good while, gives us enough money to pay for another week in December in Tenerife.  On the other hand, if we did have to pay full price without having the benefit of duty free cigarettes, we would obviously have to try and give up 

[tonyco1]

Soulie, I can see both sides of the arguments, but I think Lofty means you could have had 2 or 3 weeks in Tenerife if you didn't smoke at all - - - - on what you would save.
I also get your point of you showing how much you save anyway by buying in Greece - tax paid saving £4.00 a pack compared to GB.

{Members, I don't want to kick off another chain of smoking -v's - non smoking views, as we've already done that in past post's
- some of which got a bit heated, so please don't}!

I don't smoke (well 10 only at age 16), and never really have, so I will never fully understand how addictive nicotine is, or why people like to smoke.
I just don't like the taste, smell etc etc of cigarettes, it's a purely personal thing, it's just not for me.

However I also understand just how much some people really do enjoy a smoke, which is every individual's right.

Looking at it from simply a purely financial point of view as per Lofty's observation, if you smoke exactly - - just 20 a day, at GB prices,
you would burn £2,372.50 a year each, or £4,745.00 per couple, at Greek prices you would pay £912.50 or £1,825 a couple, saving £1,460.00 each or £2920.00,
(that's if you could buy enough in Corfu for the whole year). That is enough for another holiday !!!!!

30 a day at GB prices, would be £3558.75 each, or £7,117.50 per couple or £1368.75 per single or £2,737.50 a couple at Greek prices.
Who could blame anyone for wanting to save the exorbitant tax that is charged in GB.

Someone I met on holiday in Corfu, who was a gold medal winner for coughing, smoked between 60 to 100 per day, (Don will know who).
During conversation, h asked me how I managed to go away 3 or 4 times a year - -
I suppose I save the money I would have spent on cigarettes, and I don't often go out drinking at home,
(my job ensures that you can't really drink at night and go in early to work as we get random tested),
and it's amazing how all these combined savings can add up to the cost of a couple of holidays.

On the other hand We also met Jimbo and Gillie, who really enjoy a smoke and a nice drop of wine, and have as many holidays as they want, so my question is - - -
where do you two save money?? LOL - - - (running for cover now - yes I know you still work Jim).......

[Jimbo]

Actually, we don't have as many holidays as we want, unfortunately. We managed two last year because it was cheaper to go to Ag Stef for three weeks than to go to Venice for three days - which is what we'd thought of doing. One of the reasons we like AS is that it's a lot cheaper than most places. Plus the fact that cigarettes are a sensible price.

As I work at home, there are no travel costs. We only use the car for a bit of veggie shopping - if we need to go into town the bus is free. Gillie doesn't drink much alcohol - and I'm happy with cheap glugging vino for a gentle sup in the evening. The cost of living in Hull is relatively low, with good local produce - and we eat out (and drink out) very rarely. For example, a glass of wine in a local wine-bar is about £3.50, whereas I can get three bottles for £10 at the off-licence 30 yards away.

The other point is assiduously monitoring holiday prices on the web. Thomson's prices can vary by a huge amount week to week. Hence last year's spectacular £340 each for three weeks at Little Prince - if you take into account lack of heating costs and low-price fags, it was probably cheaper to go than not to go!

[Soulie]

Thanks Tonyco for putting figures down in writing.  Scary isnt it when you look how much we do waste on cigarettes and I try not to actually put figures on it so I dont feel too guilty.  I am sorry I didnt want to cause a debate on smoking, a relative newbie on this site so didnt realise I was opening a can of worms. I wasnt picking at Loftyscot in any way at all so apologise if it sounded like that.  Sometimes things written down look different to how they were meant.

Anyway thanks for all the replies, I will still endeavour to bring 16 cartons back as per usual (x2 with OH) and I am so looking forward to going to SS and will let you all know how we get on.   

[Jimbo]

soulie - don't worry about picking on loftyscot. We all do. In fact it's the most fun some of us have!

[Jimbo]

Tony - I wish you hadn't put all that multiple holidays stuff in our minds! Very naughty.

Just felt forced to go back to Nafsika for 25 nights, late September - 

[sandra]

Tony - I wish you hadn't put all that multiple holidays stuff in our minds! Very naughty.

Just felt forced to go back to Nafsika for 25 nights, late September - 

All right for some!

[Jimbo]

When you're as ancient as we are and freed of the burdens of 9 to 5 toil, you will appreciate the importance of grabbing life's little pleasures now, before the grim reaper shuts the check-in desk of opportunity.

Anyway, how many times have you been or will be going away this year??

[loftyscot]

I am playing Donald Trump's golf course in Aberdeen tomorrow. Had dinner there tonight. Fabulous and sunny too today.

Now my wife would say if I didn't spend as much money on golf........We all have our vices . Thank goodness :-)

[tonyco1]

Hey Soulie - it's just a bit of fun! carry on as you wish!

Jimbo - - nice one - - Enjoy 4 weeks away!! sounds good to me!!

[Lesley]

Jimbo - how fabulous will be lovely to see you both again soon 

[Jimbo]

Looking forward to seeing you! Tell Aris to get the charcoal in!!!

I'll be doing quite a bit of writing while we're there - part of the excuse - the other part being that we both have "significant" birthdays during that period (got a 7 in, but it ain't 17 !) and this way we can avoid embarrassing surprise parties organised by our offspring!