Cost

[Jaysee]

hi all,

so is it cheaper to mix you own rather than buy.I don't think ill be mixing but that would be nice to know.I know that starting up would be more expensive but do you think it is cheaper in the long run?

[snubber]

Hello...well mixing is cheaper than buying premixed by quite a bit, But it does take a little practice.Plus you can make flavors you like and mix and match them.

As far as the cost of start-up...it doesn't seem like it at first, but it does get cheaper after a while. That is unless you're one of those people that feels the need to buy every new or different device that comes on the market.

Right now I figure my monthly cost (without new toys of course) is around $60.00. which isn't bad compared to buying cartons of cigarettes each month.

So do some research and see how you compare to when you buy cigarettes.

Good luck and happy vaping.

[mcquinn]

I looked at how much liquid I use a month and it may be cheaper but for only 30 or 40 ml a month it wasn't woth it for me.And I am not really looking for another hobby.And lastly there are some pretty nice people raising families on selling supplies and I don't mind helping them when I can.But to each his own.

[kitsune]

over all mixing can be cheaper, as many buy the stronger(nic strength) unflavored or flavored liquids and dilute to desired strength.

i.e.--30ml of 36ml = 60ml of 18mg.

mixing definitley takes a bit of time to get the hang of, but it really is fun to create new flavors.

[ddavelarsen]

Mixing you own liquid is definitely much cheaper than buying it premade, and you can adjust the proportion of ingredients to your own preference. I haven't bought juice in a couple of months until this weekend when I did buy some commercial liquid -- 555, which I simply cannot (yet) replicate with any fidelity.

I calculate (roughly but I think it's close) that I can make 10 ml of liquid for about $1.25, which would cost $7-10 to buy. Getting set up for DIY though, is as costly as getting set up for vaping. You need base liquid with and without nic, and lots of flavoring. As with commercial liquid, when you initially buy flavoring get small amts until you figure out which flavors from which manufacturers you prefer. That's an ongoing process that gets better over time as you find what you like.

Anyway, short (sorry! ) answer to your question is, Yes it's much cheaper per ml to mix your own, but can be quite costly to get started. The cost savings is equal in importance to me, to being able to tweak my liquid to just the way I like it.

[Kragax]

I just recently (like yesterday) started mixing some of my own. Im learning how to do it because of a ban looming over my head, as I live in New york. My preliminary figures show a good cost savings but Im not going all homemade. I love the Grape Soda here at VT and will continue to buy my favorites from my suppliers. I don't think I could every make that Grape LOL. The thing is, If the s*** blows up here I need to be able to make my own just to be able to vape. However the mad scientist in me enjoys it. The good people here have all the info and help you could ask for if you want to get started.

Edited May 3, 2010 by Kragax

[kitsune]

Hey Kragax--knock on wood and politicians--if the ban comes through for new york--I am certain we will find a way to get nicotine to you. Colorado as far as I know, isn't squaking yet--be happy to ship some to you if you ever need. !!!

and mixing is fun

[Burn]

I beleive it is far cheaper to DIY. My recent calculations has me at $.13 per ML, please bear in mind, I am at 8MG strenght, even 24MG would be under $.50/ml

Startup cost really isnt that bad. All you really need is dropper bottles ($.79/ea for 2dram size), rubber gloves and pipettes for transferring liquid. My Original start up costs (equipment) was under $20

For materials, I use 100MG base liquid that I get for $99 for 250ML, at 8MG strength and consuming 5ML per day, that is almost a 2 year supply. PG or VG is fairly inexpensive (make sure it is USP)as well. Many can find it locally, I just get it from online vendors. Flavoring was the key, I did not like Loranns oils very much or capellas flavorings. What I did find is that I LOVE Decadent Vapours, which is sold over at TW (Totally Wicked).

Putting the mixes together is not any more complicated that being able to count drops. You have 3 basic ingredients, liquid nic, flavoring and a dilutent. You count the drops of the 3 to make the mix. You DO want to be careful and respectful of the liquid nic power. As long as you are not reckless or sloppy about it (I make my mixes in my kitchen sink) you can be very safe.

O.k. now for some linkage:

Here is where I got all of my supplies:

2dram plastic bottles, latex gloves, syringes, pipettes and PG/VG are all priced nicely at:

http://www.ecigexpress.com/diy-supplies-c-3

Liquid Nicotine is purchased here, I can state from experience that the quality of the liquid is very good:

http://myfreedomsmokes.com/diy.html

Finally, the flavorings:

The native site of the supplier (not a store) is:

http://www.be9.net/decadentvapours/flavours.htm

(favorite flavors include; apple pie, cafe brasiliano, french apple tart, Strawberry tart, Tiramisu, Choc o Mint, Mentholyptus and Sour Cherry)

These can be purchased at Totally Wicked

http://www.totallywicked-eliquid.com/products/e-liquid-flavourings/decadent-vapours-10ml-flavour-2-product.html

(this British company ships out of the US so dont let the funny accents and bad teeth fool you)

And finally, you need to create the recipes to make your mixes. There are many but I use this one:

http://www.tji-java-ide.com/e-cigarette/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=88

You can save your recipes, which is handy. You will see one towards the bottom called: "Decadent Vapors (Any Flavor) by Burn". That is my base recipe that I use, I created it when I was at 12 MG strength.

Whomever starts mixing their own, enjoy. Fresh juice, ability to customize and cost will all be benefits you will enjoy when creating your own.

[ddavelarsen]

Great post Burn, +1. (You too kitsune, for your wonderful community spirit! )

One thing I will add though is that I've found it much better to mix proportions by volume rather than by drops. That's because I use a lot of VG, which is much thicker than other components, hense larger drops by a significant margin. To measure by volume I use a baby medicine syringe, available at virtually any pharmacy or pharm section in the grocery store. They're usually about 5 ml. This really makes a huge difference in being able to accurately replicate other recipies. Just my .02. Mixing Madness!

[Burn]

Great post Burn, +1. (You too kitsune, for your wonderful community spirit! )

One thing I will add though is that I've found it much better to mix proportions by volume rather than by drops. That's because I use a lot of VG, which is much thicker than other components, hense larger drops by a significant margin. To measure by volume I use a baby medicine syringe, available at virtually any pharmacy or pharm section in the grocery store. They're usually about 5 ml. This really makes a huge difference in being able to accurately replicate other recipies. Just my .02. Mixing Madness!

that is a terrific point that I did leave out. I have been using a variant of what you suggested. I use a syringe to mix my PG/VG ahead of time for the percentage i like (65/35VG) the drops are very close to both the flavor and liquid. I am a bit of a control freak so I measured the same amount of drops for 5 ML of all ingredients seperately and they were < 5% off, I called that good enough an have been doing it in drops as I do make small amounts (6ML). With such a low nic level (8mg) measuring for that size is pretty rough.

Mixing Madness, indeed.

[Kragax]

Hey Kragax--knock on wood and politicians--if the ban comes through for new york--I am certain we will find a way to get nicotine to you. Colorado as far as I know, isn't squaking yet--be happy to ship some to you if you ever need. !!!

and mixing is fun

Thank you! I may have to take you up on that one day.