My wife and I both recently quit smoking thanks to the NicoDerm CQ Patch system. After completing the entire 3 step program it struck me that we could have saved money in the process. The patch works by delivering a specific amount of nicotine over a 16-24 hour period. The steps are broken down like this:

• Step 1 : Weeks 1-6 you use one 21 mg patch per day.
  
• Step 2 : Weeks 7-8 you use one 14 mg patch per day.
• Step 3 : Weeks 9-10 you use one 7 mg patch per day.

Now I'll explain the money saving. All three steps cost the same amount and it is recomended that you follow the program and complete all the steps. I myself agree with this. But, as an example, why pay $40.00 for 14 patchs that have 7 mg of nicotine when you could spend $40.00 on step 1 (21 mg per patch) and cut them down to size? This means that you would buy one box of step 1 to complete your remaining 4 weeks. The only difference in the patches per each step is that the patchs get smaller. Take your step 1 patch on weeks 7-8 and cut a third of  it off and save it for your weeks 9-10. You receive the same amount of nicotine you would get if you purchased the steps seperately. This would've saved us a few bucks since we had to double what a single smoker would've used. But even a single smoker can save money by using this method.

Here's a couple other tips that I learned while using the patch system. These are also mentioned in the user's guide and should be heeded. If your a smoker that craves a cigarette first thing in the morning (like me) I found that applying the patch first thing when you wake up curves the craving rather well. It doesn't take long at all for it to work. Applying a new patch at night works too, but be warned that you might have some crazy dreams and wake up not so rested. My wife and I both experienced this and hers were so bad she had to take the patch off before she went to bed. By the third week or so the crazy dreams cease off a little and by the fifth week it's back to normal.

Be sure to apply the patch in a different place every day. For me I just switched sides, (upper) right arm one day, left arm the next. I say upper arm as it is recommended the patch of skin be hairless. If you are a pet owner use the plastic tray provided to dispose of old patches! Our cats LOVE anything adhesive and if they were to chew on these used patches there is still enough nicotine present to make them very sick or worse.

All in all, the NicoDerm patch is the greatest thing since sliced bread! I never thought I could break this 22 year dirty habit, but this stuff really does work great and I would recommend it to anyone who is ready to quit smoking. Oh yeah, save even more money and buy it off eBay! We got all of ours from here and saved $10 to $20 on each step =)