Daily drivers vs. monthly cigar budget

Sweetleaf69

Just curious what y'all use as daily smokes.. As I am new, I really haven't found my perfect go to daily driver. Most often than not, when I am just not sure what to grab, I reach for a 5 Vegas probably, but still have a tendency to get bored with them if smoked too much. I mean, I think I understand that daily smokes are generally the ones you can tolerate at high volume at the best value, therefor leaving your high value/dollar smokes for more 'special' occasions and keeping your bank account in good standing. But, honestly I am still so new at this I don't even have a cigar budget yet. Don't get me wrong... I have thoroughly enjoyed the ride so far, but feel I need to be settling into a more familiar role. I also suppose I need to settle in on a value I can live with. Would $3 to $4 a stick be a goal, and in the realm of what's normal? Or is that too high/low? I guess long term there is a pretty big difference between $3 and $4. Also, I realize that it depends largely on your income but I am curious about averages more than anything else, and this is just a juggling act I haven't solved yet. I mean, if I could find some 2$ sticks I can be happy with, I'd be totally stoked! And, obviously, there a HUGE difference between $2 and $4!

Gray4lines

With cigar.com deals, MOST of my smokes are in the $3-$4 range. I am comfortable with that price for an any/everyday smoke. I think that $3-$4 is a reasonable goal for quality, affordable smokes. Sometimes you can even find sub $3 deals on pretty nice cigars...

Most importantly, only buy what you like. If you are buying only "tolerable" smokes, even for just $2, you are wasting money. Sure, a $2 cigar will not be quite the same as a $12 cigar, but you can certainly find quality cigars that you enjoy at a price that makes them even better!

Rain

Here is how to works most of the time.You show up here and meet all these great people. Then they send you premi prems, so you smoke all of those. Then when you get back to your budget sticks, you have been spoiled. Then you're up late ordering smoke to hide it from your wife. Take it from me bro....RUN.

Sweetleaf69

Rain:

Here is how to works most of the time.You show up here and meet all these great people. Then they send you premi prems, so you smoke all of those. Then when you get back to your budget sticks, you have been spoiled. Then you're up late ordering smoke to hide it from your wife. Take it from me bro....RUN.

Haha! That's awesome. I'm not married, but I can see staying up late and trying to hide it from myself... Ok guys, thanks for the advice! Seems I am on the right path, anyway. I quite smoking cigarettes a year ago last September to further explore this new world. Sounds like I have a new and much more expensive habit! Just got to figure it all out.

armaes8

I found that buying some coronas or petit coronas of brands you really enjoy are a good way to go. It allows you to get the flavors and aromas you really enjoy without compromising price for a cheaper stick you might not like, and you get the feeling of smoking a good stick without having to chill out for a couple of hours. I love firing up a smaller stick for my drive, and then a bigger stick for being stationary for some time.

Gray4lines

armaes8:

I found that buying some coronas or petit coronas of brands you really enjoy are a good way to go. It allows you to get the flavors and aromas you really enjoy without compromising price for a cheaper stick you might not like, and you get the feeling of smoking a good stick without having to chill out for a couple of hours. I love firing up a smaller stick for my drive, and then a bigger stick for being stationary for some time.

I was thinking this too... for example, Padron Londres can be found for $2-$2.50. Still a padron, and still takes me ab 45 min to smoke, but way cheap!

cabinetmaker

They always have good smokes in bundles of 16-20, i usually get a couple at least. Lately I've been smoking lots of a.j. Fernandez overruns. I think i have ten bundles unopened, 3 opened. I've smoked through about 10 or so bundles and love them. I mix in something with a band every now and then just to mix it up.

cabinetmaker

Oh, and price of a cigar really is meaningless. I've had $3 smokes that blew away 12-20 $ smokes and I've had $30 cigars that weren't fit to wipe my ass with. Find what you like, then look for that flavor profile in a cheaper cigar.

bbass2

The majority of my stash is $2-4 a stick. With all the specials and samplers around you can get some really good smokes in that range. There are always the exceptions where I'll buy singles of lines that rarely, if ever, go on special - Illusione, LFD, Tat.

Bigshizza

cabinetmaker:

Oh, and price of a cigar really is meaningless. I've had $3 smokes that blew away 12-20 $ smokes and I've had $30 cigars that weren't fit to wipe my ass with. Find what you like, then look for that flavor profile in a cheaper cigar.

Very true, your taste is your taste but the journey is the best. Fun to do the research, talk to the people here and read!

kuzi16

dont smoke daily. smoke less often, but smoke only what you like. i have no problem lighting a $15 cigar because i have a day off because i know i will enjoy it fully. i do have a problem lighting five $3 cigars that i dont really like 5 days in a row.

there are huge differences in the concepts of "price" and "value"

yes, a Davidoff corona is (as of 4-18-13) $11.70, but that cigar will give me over an hour of pure enjoyment. where as if i smoke four $3 churchills of some cheap brand i will end up with a cumulative 12 hours of being annoyed and underwhelmed.

enjoyment is hard to quantify. if you like the cheap $3 churchills, by all means smoke away. just only smoke what you like.

Gray4lines

kuzi16:

only smoke what you like.

That's it!

Rhamlin

With the samplers ccom and the other site offer its pretty easy to get great cigars below 5$ which to me Is a good price for an everyday cigar. But you want to beware of those samplers that offer a ton of smokes at dirt cheap prices. I went this route in the beginning and wound up with a humi full of crap. I still mostly stick with samplers mainly because I just love seeing all the different sticks and discovering a stick sitting in the bottom I had forgotten about for a year. There's a bunch threads about budget cigars here that have lots of good suggestions for an everyday/yardgar. One of my favorite is 1844. Pretty cheap and if you got to toss it, no big loss.

cabinetmaker

kuzi16:

dont smoke daily. smoke less often, but smoke only what you like. i have no problem lighting a $15 cigar because i have a day off because i know i will enjoy it fully. i do have a problem lighting five $3 cigars that i dont really like 5 days in a row.

there are huge differences in the concepts of "price" and "value"

yes, a Davidoff corona is (as of 4-18-13) $11.70, but that cigar will give me over an hour of pure enjoyment. where as if i smoke four $3 churchills of some cheap brand i will end up with a cumulative 12 hours of being annoyed and underwhelmed.

enjoyment is hard to quantify. if you like the cheap $3 churchills, by all means smoke away. just only smoke what you like.

I smoke four or five a day, I enjoy them all.

Lee.mcglynn

IMO a cigar is about the experience and not the price! I've found I almost always grab a padron,camacho or la aurora when I can't decide. As of lately some of my stuff is at a age that I enjoy and will start smoking the jdn's and pepins. But as for a answer it really just depends on you

jgibv

cabinetmaker:

Oh, and price of a cigar really is meaningless. I've had $3 smokes that blew away 12-20 $ smokes and I've had $30 cigars that weren't fit to wipe my ass with. Find what you like, then look for that flavor profile in a cheaper cigar.

So very very true.
Just because the price is higher, doesn't necessarily make it better, and it sure does not mean you will like it better.

kuzi16:

enjoyment is hard to quantify. if you like the cheap $3 churchills, by all means smoke away. just only smoke what you like.

Like.
Thumbs up


I know which $2-4 smokes I love and which ones I can't stand .... I don't have a $$ tree in the front yard so that's what fills up most of my humidors ....
There's some $3 smokes that I like much better than some $10 smokes

webmost

I tell you a bargain bundled cigar.com smoke that just blows away sticks costing four times as much, and that is the Fonseca Arana. Spicy, aromatic, delicious.

phobicsquirrel

kuzi16:

dont smoke daily. smoke less often, but smoke only what you like. i have no problem lighting a $15 cigar because i have a day off because i know i will enjoy it fully. i do have a problem lighting five $3 cigars that i dont really like 5 days in a row.

there are huge differences in the concepts of "price" and "value"

yes, a Davidoff corona is (as of 4-18-13) $11.70, but that cigar will give me over an hour of pure enjoyment. where as if i smoke four $3 churchills of some cheap brand i will end up with a cumulative 12 hours of being annoyed and underwhelmed.

enjoyment is hard to quantify. if you like the cheap $3 churchills, by all means smoke away. just only smoke what you like.

Well put!

ddubridge

webmost:

I tell you a bargain bundled cigar.com smoke that just blows away sticks costing four times as much, and that is the Fonseca Arana. Spicy, aromatic, delicious.

+1. Just awesome.

kingdavid5

I usually smoke padron 2000-3000 there about 5$ in my area but I def would like to try the AJ Fernandez overruns. I have found myself lately buying single sticks which I know is the biggest mistake because I spend 10 times as much but I have been so spoiled by higher quality cigars for example I smoke allot of under crowns, oliva V, San lotano ovals but I need to budget down

curtpick

Rain:

Here is how to works most of the time.You show up here and meet all these great people. Then they send you premi prems, so you smoke all of those. Then when you get back to your budget sticks, you have been spoiled. Then you're up late ordering smoke to hide it from your wife. Take it from me bro....RUN.

Exactly ! LOL

I dont really have a "daily" smoke. I keep a ton of different sticks around. And like them all !
Soon enough you'll find what profiles you like and you will gravitate towards that flavor profile.
DON'T GET CAUGHT UP INTO HYPE !
It will only cost you in the end.
Sit back and learn, and enjoy !

Gray4lines

kingdavid5:

I usually smoke padron 2000-3000 there about 5$ in my area but I def would like to try the AJ Fernandez overruns. I have found myself lately buying single sticks which I know is the biggest mistake because I spend 10 times as much but I have been so spoiled by higher quality cigars for example I smoke allot of under crowns, oliva V, San lotano ovals but I need to budget down

I dunno about Ovals, but Oliva V's and Undercrowns can be had for a great deal on ccom..... send them an email!

jadelt

Being the simple guy that I am here is my answer to your question. My daily smokes...

1. Ramon Bueso $3-$4

2. 5 Vegas Classic $2

My "special" stash includes Undercrown and Tatuaje Miami Noellas and as of last night AVO Classic Robusto.