Different type of NSV

Before my VSG, I took my wife, daughter and her little friend to California for a vacation. We flew into San Diego, rented a 4-door Wrangler and drove up the PCH stopping everywhere we felt like along the way. Eleven days later, we got to San Francisco where we finally left for home.

I smoked cigarettes from when I was 19yrs old, a pack a day straight through with the exception of a 3-year break when I was successful in staying off the nasty things. Anyhow, obviously, the risks of smoking to VSG patients (not to mention any lung breather...) that I gave up smoking once and for all prior to my operation, in fact it was prior to my CA trip because of what a PITA it is to smoke in CA anyway.

Where am I going with this? Well, on the East Coast we have a chain of convenience stores/gas stations called WaWa. They are extremely successful and you can't go 50 feet in NJ without coming up on your next store. It wasn't unusual on a work day for me to stop at WaWa in the morning, get a coffee, a pack of smokes, maybe a breakfast sandwich and then again midday for another cup of joe or a sports drink and sometimes a sandwich. I could easily spend $60-100 per week depending if I was in the field or in my office.

After I got out of the hospital, we had tickets to go see the Train concert in the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City. I couldn't eat (obviously) so we walked around and played some slots. My wife gave me a couple hundred bucks and I hit a machine for $750. 

I ended up walking out of the casino after drinks for her, playing, parking, etc with just under $900. I gave her $800 and kept about $90 in my pocket. That was Sept 1st.

I noticed that the Powerball Lottery was $175million this morning while I was filling up with gas. I walked into the Store to get some tickets and I realized that I still had the same $80 of the same $90. I haven't stopped at a convenience store (except once to get gummy bears, but that's a different story) since my surgery. 

I figure that, just in pocket cash (allowance, honey?) savings alone, the VSG is worth about $4,000 a year to me. 

So, that's my NSV. My VSG saved me $4,000 a year on coffee, cigarettes and the same food that made me need the surgery in the first place. I hope you enjoy similar benefits.

I gotta go now, I am booking a trip to Vegas to enjoy some of my first year's savings. 





 

 Congratulations! The sleeve is the gift that keeps on giving. My grocery bill is down and we are choosing to eat in instead of dining out. Good for our wallets!

Well, I did the deed and booked a trip! I chose Puerto Rico instead of Vegas, the first weekend in November.... A 5-star on the bea*****ondado, all the amenities and an excursion every day so I won't obsess about all the awesome food!

I hope the weather is awesome so I can enjoy the beach, shirtless, for the first time in 20 years!

 When I lived in NJ we had a WaWa 50 steps from our office. I spent way too much money there on smokes, sodas and sammiches.  

Love the vacation idea. Use that money for cool experiences rather than food.  I'm diggin' it.