Hi all. I guess I should've announced myself before jumping in with the questions and posts. TA-DAAA! I'm new here too and already I've received some good buys and good advice.
I'd be interested to hear some of your stategies to justify our sometimes expensive hobby/habit to a significant other?

... just be glad I'm not spending the money on drugs and prostitutes.

Well dearest, I could spend the babies food and diaper money on lap dances if you'd like...

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How to justify spending the dough? Good question. Especially for me because I have a $200+ shipment due this week. In my case I do have some ammo in my arsonal:

Stocking up on good buys keeps costs lower.
It's less expensive to age my cigars than to buy aged cigars.
Larger, less frequent orders save shipping costs.

If that don't satisy I bring out my big guns:

For economy and for health reasons I'm obstaining from cigars until New Year. Had my last cigar on July 31. On Jan 1 it'll be five months.

After New Year my limit will be one cigar per week and I'll be spending less money on cigars than the better half spends on soda pop--she's a Pepsi junkie. Then I challange her to give up the pop for five months. By this time she's defeated and makes a hasty retreat.

Hey efm,
Have you got your New Years stogie picked out yet? I would bet that you've got your eye on something special. After 5 months you should catch quite a BUZZ too.

Been giving it some thought. I have some pretty good stuff hibernating in the vault and some more on the way. I'm thinking maybe a 5 Vegas Piramide would be just the thing or maybe a Cupido Churchill. I have some nice Ashton Vintage's and some Bolivar (DR) Fuerte's and some ERDM Robusto Largas, Gurkha Robustos, Leon Jimenes, Padron #5000's, Perdomo Reserves, PI Toros and some little cigarette sized Cuban Montecristo Joyas--I think I could count two of those as one cigar.

Any suggestions? Anyhow you can be sure what I'll be doing on 1 January at 00:00:01 hours.

Nah, no suggestions from me. You know what you like.
Wait, I do have a suggestion. As Capt. Miller said to Pvt. Ryan..."Make it count!"

Get your S.O. hooked too!

She's not interested at all. She smokes 1 cigarette a day and isn't fond of cigar smoke.

Make her toes curl every Saturday morning, it decreases the nagging sensors.

Mines more demanding than just Saturday morning.

Lucky ****....

What? And be late for golf? There's got to be an easier way.

Welcome... My advice is that your get a large humidor...then an even larger humidor. Tell your S.O. that the humidors look better and only work if they are filled with cigars....enjoy!

Tell her if you buy in bulk, it's much cheaper

I'm very proud of the guise I came up with. I simply tell her that I order for some other guys in the office, and they give me cash to cover the cost. It makes perfect sense to her and she doesn't watch the cash that closely so there's really no way for her reconcile the #'s. In fact, she thinks I'm a pretty nice guy for doing the "favor" for the other guys in the office!

Yup, when in doubt, lie.