Cigar math is a dangerous subject—equal parts logic, denial, and creative accounting.

Ask any cigar smoker how many boxes they really need, and you will get a ton of different answers.

The truth? One box is never enough, two is barely survival mode, and by the time you’re calculating humidity packs per square foot, you’ve already lost the battle.

Not sure any of this will help, matter of fact, it just might push you into expanding your collection, or at the very least, having more excuses for your significant other.

Start With A Cigar Budget

Decide what you can afford. Nobody wants their kid on powdered milk because dad (or mom) needed that LE that only comes out around Christmas.

Your budget should be an amount you are totally comfortable spending on cigars.

Now…double it.

Hey, you didn’t think it was going to be THAT easy, did you? Cigars are awesome, so if you are outside your budget, you need to look at realistic things that you can cut. Do you really need that subscription to HULU, Biker Magazine, or Pickle Of  The Month*?

*I looked it up..that one is real.

Make a few cuts, but stay within that budget.

One Cigar Now, One Cigar Later

You can’t smoke through a limited edition box AND save it for when your kid graduates college. So, you are going to need two. One to smoke, one to save.

I used to save a LOT of cigars. Since Avo died, I really try not to put off cigars too far into the future…especially if they are smokable now. That said, if it is something you think you won’t be able to get again, it might be time to stock up a few.

The Law of [Humidor] Expansion

For every box you buy, you will need a bigger humidor. Oh, maybe not today, but you will tomorrow.

One thing is for sure: the people who are SELLING humidors seem to think a lot more cigars fit in there than the real world does.

That advertised 100-ct humidor will fit 600 or so. Layout and boxes vs sticks really comes into play here….but it will NEVER be near the advertisers count. Ever.

So, what do you do with that info?

Whatever size you are looking at…just double it. You will save yourself a lot of time and avoid rolling around too many coolidors.

Math According To Season

Summer is Two Boxes (outdoor cigars), Winter is two boxes (shorter cigars), Fall is two boxes (football cigars), Spring is…well…I think you see that pattern here…just get two boxes.

All kidding aside, it is a good time to grab boxes when you see a deal or something you know is difficult to get hold of.

Important Message About Cigar ‘Deals’

I want to clarify ‘deals.’ I am NOT suggesting you buy a deal…because it is a deal. Some of those sample packs seem like a great idea until you realize that 4 out of the 10 are, well, say “not in your wheelhouse.” – That money you ‘saved’ on a deal just went out the window if you don’t like ALL of the cigars.

Only buy ‘deals’ in two situations. One, it is a cigar you already love to smoke and heavy in your rotation. Two, it is a cigar you are fairly confident you will like (or it is rare).

That’s it. Blowing a bunch of money on an occasional smoke just cuts into your budget for stuff you could load up on, at a discount, later.

Some Final Thoughts

Always have some excuses in the bag…

“It was on sale.”

“It was an investment.”

“You can never find these anymore.”

“It would have been irresponsible NOT to buy it.”

“I’m not buying another humidor, I’m buying a ‘rotation’ or ‘quarantine’ humidor to take better care of my collection.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t say keep an eye on our monthly contest at CigarPress.com – that stuff works for any budget. #winning