# Addiction on the Road



## Anagor (Jul 11, 2015)

I'm not talking about illegal drugs here, but about tobacco and alcohol.

You can travel without or with very little money. I read a lot about it and I experienced it myself. Accommodation? You can sleep in cheap hostels, in the woods, at the beach, on the streets. Food? You can buy cheap food, dumpster dive, ask for leftovers or just be thankful for what a stranger gives you without being asked for. Travel? You can take a very cheap coach/bus when looking for special offers or hitchhike.

But when you are addicted to tobacco and/or alcohol that's not so easy. Unfortunately I'm a heavy smoker and I'm used to drink at least a few beers every evening since years. In "normal life" it never seemed to be a problem (despite the consequences to health of course), when I'm running out of ciggs I just buy a new packet.

But during my last trips I realized how much I depend on money and that sometimes I spend most of it just for smoking and drinking. Everything was great and cool, even having to deal with for me new situations others would find annoying or frightening. As long as I could just go to the next cash machine to get money if needed. But my mood really went down as I ran out of money/lost my cash card. Not course I couldn't book a bed in a hostel or was afraid to starve. I was afraid of running out of tobacco or not having money to buy some beer.

I was and I am really into the idea of living with less. Downsizing. Living out of a backpack. Spending only little money. And I can do that. I don't need three full meals a day, sometimes I only had a cheeseburger and some chicken nuggets the whole day and I was fine. I don't need fancy clothes, I'm fine wearing worn out jeans or shoes. The jacket I wore the last trips is 20 years old. And I definitely don't need brand new electronics (used phones or computers are good for me), spend money for DVDs or other forms of entertainment.

So I was telling everyone "I can do with little money" ... but that was wrong.

I was kinda depressed as I realized how much I spend for booze and cigs on my last trip. It was even more than what I use to spend at home for those. Of course, at home and at work there are constraints. You have to take a break to smoke a cigarette while at work. And I only drink beer in the evening, cause I have to work, drive a car, etc. during the day. But on the road you can smoke at any time. And have your first cider at 9am if you want. And I used that "freedom" very often. :/


And I realized that my plan to travel around and do some part time work (either remote work with my notebook or some jobs where I currently stay) will not really work out, especially in a country like England where you pay 9 pounds for 25g of tobacco and about 1 pound for a can of cheap cider.

There were times as I lost my cash card I slept on the beach (hostel is too expensive) and ate free food someone kicked down but spend about 10 pounds for tobacco and 8 pounds for booze. :/

The most easy and obvious solution would be: just quit smoking and drinking. Yeah. But it's not so fucking easy. I tried quit smoking (especially cause of health and fitness) so many times. It never worked. I can do without alcohol (I maybe kinda alcoholic but I have no withdrawal symptoms if I'm without for a few days), but I just want to have at least a few beers in the evening.

I'm really sad about it. And angry about myself. I found out I can handle quite a few situations. I have no problem having no money for a meal at a restaurant. I even have no problems sleeping rough in one of the largest cities in Europe. But when I only can afford a 12.5g pack of tobacco for a day and have to ration, my mood is down.

Any thoughts about it?


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## Andrea Van Scoyoc (Jul 11, 2015)

Thanks for sharing such a candid post.

My addiction is coffee...and unfortunately, I can't just take it, black.

I am picky about creamer (half and half is wretched and powdered creamers are disgusting) and won't use sugar...meaning Spenda or Stevia...the latter, which can be expensive.

I kicked drinking (cold turkey) 20 years ago and though I've always wanted to, can't smoke or be around cig smoke.

I was born with asthma which is now turning into COPD, thanks to my dad's two pack a day addiction during my mother's pregnancy and smoking in a closed up house.

Hope you find your way out...addiction sucks.


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## Anagor (Jul 11, 2015)

Andrea Van Scoyoc said:


> Hope you find your way out...addiction sucks.



Thanks! Yes, it does.

To be totally honest, in the last years I just accepted that I smoke and drink, including the consequences to health. I didn't want to change it. I know I'll die years sooner if I continue, but fuck it. Better that way than "living healthy" the rest of my life, doing sports, taking care about what to eat, stop smoking and drinking and whatnot.

That really was my attitude.

But now for the first time I realized that a) it got a bit out of hand (during my last trip sometimes I wasn't really sober for days in a row cause of rest alcohol in the morning and continue drinking quite early) and b) it interferes with what I really want to do: traveling at very low budget ...


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## dirty andy (Jul 11, 2015)

If you wanna give your lungs a break but can't shake the nicotine buy a can of Copenhagen. I was a pack a day smoker till I started chewing to kill the craving. Figure I've been smoking since I was fifteen and only chewed when I was in placement or jail so I should give my lungs a break and take it on (or under) the chin. It's especially good when you haven't been a dipper before cause a lot of smokers find it un pleasant and it does really slow me down two lips, one at nine when I wake up and another at two when I get a break from work keep me from smoking. That is, till I get home and start drinking, then I smoke a few xD

It's weird, I kicked heroins ass and let go of methamphetamine but the nicotine monkey always rides my ass hard. I feel your pain aye


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## landpirate (Jul 11, 2015)

There are a few options here. You can collect dimps (other people's discarded fag butts/dog ends whatever you want to call them) and empty the tobacco out and re roll, ashtrays outside pubs and offices are a gold mine for this. i have done this a lot, it's not the most fun I've ever had and it's really pretty disgusting but so is smoking (i am a smoker I'm not being a bitch here) You can also ask people for cigarettes or tobacco, this gets pretty boring though and these days because it is so expensive people often say no or in fact there just aren't as many smokers to ask.

Now lack of money for tobacco and alcohol is kind of something you have to get used to if you're bumming about and don't have endless funds. the only way i got round this is spanging for beer money. it sounds harsh but for all the plus sides of being homeless/jobless/travelling is sometimes you have to suffer a little and work with that. If I didn't have enough money for smokes/booze I'd make sure i went and got the best stuff i could from the bins to eat so at least i was satisfying some part of my being.

You're not going to die from nicotine withdrawal. yeah you might be a pain to be around and you might even feel fucked off with life, but work with it and channel that another way. 

I often had to tell myself to stop being a whiny little princess and suck up the discomfort of not being able to have all that I wanted and I'm afraid it is a want and not a need. 

(I appreciate for some people they are addicted to alcohol and i am not down playing this or saying that in anyway they should go cold turkey as it could cause serious complications)


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## Anagor (Jul 11, 2015)

dirty andy said:


> If you wanna give your lungs a break but can't shake the nicotine buy a can of Copenhagen.



Thanks for the tip. Copenhagen is not available in the EU, but chewing tobacco is.



dirty andy said:


> It's weird, I kicked heroins ass and let go of methamphetamine but the nicotine monkey always rides my ass hard. I feel your pain aye



Yeah, nicotine is highly addictive, unfortunately.


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## Anagor (Jul 11, 2015)

landpirate said:


> There are a few options here. You can collect dimps (other people's discarded fag butts/dog ends whatever you want to call them) and empty the tobacco out and re roll, ashtrays outside pubs and offices are a gold mine for this. i have done this a lot, it's not the most fun I've ever had and it's really pretty disgusting but so is smoking (i am a smoker I'm not being a bitch here)



Yeah, you're right.



landpirate said:


> You can also ask people for cigarettes or tobacco, this gets pretty boring though and these days because it is so expensive people often say no or in fact there just aren't as many smokers to ask.



Yes, I was asked for cigs or tobacco by strangers much less in England than in other countries like France. Waiting for a train in Lille I couldn't go a few steps smoking without being asked for a cigarette by someone, in England it happened rarely. Double price there.



landpirate said:


> Now lack of money for tobacco and alcohol is kind of something you have to get used to if you're bumming about and don't have endless funds.the only way i got round this is spanging for beer money. it sounds harsh but for all the plus sides of being homeless/jobless/travelling is sometimes you have to suffer a little and work with that.



Yep, I think that's the crucial point. And that's why it bothers me so much. Cause it shows that despite what I experienced and what I did, I'm still a "guest" to this traveling lifestyle.



landpirate said:


> If I didn't have enough money for smokes/booze I'd make sure i went and got the best stuff i could from the bins to eat so at least i was satisfying some part of my being.
> 
> You're not going to die from nicotine withdrawal. yeah you might be a pain to be around and you might even feel fucked off with life, but work with it and channel that another way



Will think about that.



landpirate said:


> I often had to tell myself to stop being a whiny little princess and suck up the discomfort of not being able to have all that I wanted and I'm afraid it is a want and not a need.



Guess you're right. Thanks for your opinion! I think that's what I have to do next: trying to let go and learn to handle situations where I'm really broke and have to live with it, depending only on stuff you can get for free or trying to make money in some way.


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## Mankini (Jul 11, 2015)

Tax Free, Baby. Once youre in any kind of intl' zone you find you a lil tax free shop and stock up while you can.
Never pay full price. I smoke, drink, go though a pot of coffee per day...so I feel yer pain.
Military bases are perfect because usually the soldiers have access to commissaries with cheap smokes and alcohol. NB.


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## dirty andy (Jul 11, 2015)

Sorry I was speed reading and didn't notice you were across the pond, as they say xD


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## Art101 (Jul 12, 2015)

I reroll when Im on the road,Hitting ashtrays and field stripping them gives me something to do when Im ridding.I can roll a mean smoke these days.Not to mention a pack of rolling papers in inexpensive.


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## Anagor (Jul 13, 2015)

Art101 said:


> I reroll when Im on the road,Hitting ashtrays and field stripping them gives me something to do when Im ridding.



Yeah. landpirate mentioned that, too. Never did it, but I'll try next time I run out of tobacco.


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## kriminalmisfit (Dec 26, 2015)

Shoplift bear and get ashtray smokes or a cheap sack of rolling tobacco. Problem solved


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## kriminalmisfit (Dec 26, 2015)

There is a good beer scam under making a living that involves sabotaging a case at a store so they have to throw it away


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## codycodnyk (Dec 28, 2015)

I smoke and whenever im broke, I just smoke butts off the ground. Colleges and bartowns are best for this, the snipes are endless. I dont bother rerolling them, cuz in my mind, if I had a dollar for a pack of rolling papers, id spend it on a black n mild. Rolling your own is way cheaper, too. I get a pound of tobacco and 500 cigarette tubes with filters for a total of 30 bucks, united states. Thats 25 packs of smokes for 30 bucks, compared to 10 dollars a pack it costs where I live. 

I used to drink a lot and dont anymore because im an alcoholic. Id drink cheap liquor like georgi. Buy the bigger bottles to save money, when I was lower on funds, id settle for beer. Steel reserves only beer id spend money on. But the cheapest way is to not drink, or at least not everyday.


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## Stinkyyy (Mar 28, 2016)

This made me laugh cuz now you've seen me n Mikey trying make full blown crack n gear habits work on the road - and it don't work!!!!


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## Anagor (Mar 28, 2016)

Stinkyyy said:


> This made me laugh cuz now you've seen me n Mikey trying make full blown crack n gear habits work on the road - and it don't work!!!!



Yes.

Regarding my initial post: I wrote that about 8 months ago. Learned a lot since then ... But as you know I still get grumpy when running low on/out of tobacco.  Have to work on this ...


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