Help with a decision. . .

[Bahianut]

Well, received some good news and bad news. Good news is I just landed another job with a MAJOR raise in salary. (My wife can now quit her job and stay home with the munchkins!) :thumbs:

Bad news. . . to get the discount on health care, must be "tobacco free" :angry:

I had told my wife if I got the new job, I was going to buy a box of Padilla 8&11 Lancero's from the Outlaw. My question is should I go ahead and get the box and let them sit until I no longer have to be tobacco free? Or put the money aside and let it grow and pick up a box of something better later?

So the question is age some awesome smokes or buy a more expensive box later?

Any thoughts appreciated.

(I've been smoking like a hound since the news of tobacco free. Gotta get them in while I can!)

Thanks,

Andy

 

[Ginseng]

Well, if you have them now and start aging, then they'll be readier when you can smoke again. But I would consider how long you have to wait? Why would your next box necessarily need to be more expensive? Those are great cigars in their own right.

I would prefer to have cigars on hand...since for cigars of this type, time is one thing you can't really buy as there is no retail market for aged NC's.

Wilkey

 

[cuppajack]

Congratulations!

I agree w/ Wilkey...

 

[BlindedByScience]

If you're supposed to be "tobacco free" personally, I'd rethink the discount. My life insurance, for example, was written with full disclosure about my cigar habit.....and I still got a "preferred rate". There are a few cigar friendly companies out there.

If (god forbid) you need to make a major claim down the road, and they find you've been less than honest about your tobacco use, you can count on the insurance company doing everything they can to invalidate your coverage and you could be in for an uphill fight....with little to stand on.

I'm not a lawyer, so please take this with a grain of salt, YMMV, etc.....

Edit - as far as the box purchase goes, I had three boxes show up here today so you know where my vote would go....

Good luck - B.B.S.

 

[Dave]

I concur with the above posts. Is the discount really that much of a break? Does the new health care plan offer the same coverage for your family as well as or better than your current one? I don't like to think in terms of money (although it is important) but the benefits the new job offers as compared to the old one.

On a side note, I understand that spending time with your children is important, very important, however if your wife keeps her job, or gets something that allows for more flexibility to spend time with the little ones, then maybe the new opportunity is worth it and your family will have some extra liquid to fill the moat.

This might be a redundant, but I still have to say, think of your family first, cigars come in second.


On another side note, I'll tell you a story. I was in college at the time, my friend at the time (we have since drifted apart seeing as how I learned he was "connected") was a serious herbal smoker. He applied for a job, but he later found out that there was a drug test involved. So, he had 2 weeks to clean his system, and what he had would normally take 30 days. So he went out and got some herbal cleansing teas. Passed the drug test, but didn't get the job because others were more qualified. Not that this has any relevance to your situation or anything, just typing to myself.... Gosh, I must be getting old.

 

[JoeyBear]

How long do you have to be "tobacco free"? For my insurance, I can not use cigarettes at all, but cigars are okay for some reason.

My wife did benefits for an insurance company and she just told me that no tobacco, for the most part, means no tobacco while employed or taking the company's benefits.

 

[tsmckenney]

Some rules are meant to be broken. Buy the box, brush your teeth before your exams. That's my .o2.

 

[H311oLHD]

Some rules are meant to be broken. Buy the box, brush your teeth before your exams. That's my .o2.

Can they even check that you are not? If they can check via CC bills..then use cash/debit, or if they dont want you smellin like smoke before your exams..then dont smoke before your exam. I dont see how it can't be easy to get out of this...its not like a drug test...right?

 

[jcritt]

Some rules are meant to be broken. Buy the box, brush your teeth before your exams. That's my .o2.

Can they even check that you are not? If they can check via CC bills..then use cash/debit, or if they dont want you smellin like smoke before your exams..then dont smoke before your exam. I dont see how it can't be easy to get out of this...its not like a drug test...right?

Yes they certainly can and yes they will. The company I work for requires a health assesment every year.(a physical) If you refuse the assesment you are required to pay the full premium for the insurance. If you smoke you can take a smoking cessation class that you get reimbursed for. I can still smoke and not take the class but I have to pay 5% of the cost of the premium. Prior to all this my insurance was free. They have machines that work much like a breathalizer that can detect if you are a smoker or not.

 

[LilBastage]

To your original question...I'd buy the box now. They're not going to get any less expensive and they are a good cigar (so I hear). No use saving up for something else if those are what you really want.

As far as the tobacco free thing goes, I would suggest not trying to get around it. If they find out, you're toast. Possibly in more ways than one. It's a remote possibility, but you may not lose just your insurance coverage, you may also lose your new job.

I personally wouldn't want to set the example of breaking the rules deceptively, but that's your decision to make, not mine.