Not a random question, DC!

Let me say first that I've never smoked. But I had problems 'justifying' to myself the cost of my first 'expensive' guitar - a £1,395 Lowden. So I simply calulated the cost of smoking 20 a day for a year which came to roughly the same as the cost of the Lowden. Realising that a lifetime of enjoyment of making music on a fine instrument could be had for one year's-worth of coffin-nails, and the guitar wouldn't damage my health.

Had you been a smoker, I'd have suggested you stopped and spent your fag-money on a nice guitar (and at the same time made a very positive move towards improving your health).

I guess that doesn't work for you as a student, and doing without lager and baked beans probably isn't a choice you'd want to make! :-) :-)