I quit smoking 2 years ago come this October. LOVED smoking, really looked forward to it most times, really, really didn't want to quit.
The money savings was a big part of it, but honestly the health aspects are what really powered me through. I'd just lost my dad the year before to an unrelated to smoking lung condition, and seeing how he struggled in the end gasping for air and the absolute terror when his oxygen wasn't helping really made me think about how awful it would be to end up with something similar - he'd told me the feeling really was the most awful he'd ever experienced - not being able to catch your breath and unable to move without feeling like you're suffocating constantly sounds just plain hell on earth to me.
I am so, so happy I quit. I feel sooooooo much better. I forgot what it was like to not get coughing fits all the time, I can smell and taste so much more than when I smoked, and my stamina and ability to exercise without collapsing in a heap is just exponentially better. And bonus - I don't need to constantly freak out about running out of smokes, or take a smoke break at awkward moments, or get antsy when I am stuck someplace like an airport for hours.
I did quit using nicotine replacement therapy - both gum and patch - and used LOTS behavioral tricks like using a small golf pencil to twiddle with (it felt the same weight as a cig), a straw to suck on, and things like drinking a glass of ice water really fast or sticking my head in the freezer and do some deep breathing (for some reason, frosty air inhaled fast helped simulate the shock of inhaling smoke). But there's lots of other suggestions on the WhyQuit site.
I also downloaded an app (ButtOut) for my phone and obsessed over that when I was in the early days.
Good luck!! You are doing a great thing for yourself so stay strong!! :D