It's would baffle me if anyone here has met anybody who smokes nearly as much as I do. At my peak, I smoked 3 packs per day. Granted, I was working outside all day and making roughly $4000 per month. It didn't hurt my economy much then. To be honest, it never really hurts any smoker's economy. It's something that is taken into account when planning your funds, like groceries or rent. I'm not saying that it isn't expensive (it is), but the effects are far less noticeable if you plan for your habit. It's similar to the upkeep of anything else. When there is something you want or need to buy, you plan for it. Cigarettes aren't exactly an impulse purchase.
As far as addiction goes, I couldn't begin to tell you anything about how it works. There are far too many variables, and I doubt that anyone here has done the research to determine whether it is more physically, chemically, or mentally addicting. Anyone here who claims to know how addiction work should shut their mouth unless they are a chemist, molecular biologist, neural biologist, or anybody else who is qualified to research and understand the implications. Far too many studies have been done with varying degrees of accuracy to determine any solid conclusion. Are cigarettes addictive? Yes. Is addiction different for everybody? Yes. Does anybody know why each individual person gets addicted? Yes and no. There are far too many specifics that factor into this.
Brand selection is no different than any other brand selection. It isn't rocket science. It's a combination of comfort with the product and fear of change. I've smoked several different types of cigarettes. I regularly smoke American Spirits, but on a rare occasion buy a pack of Unfiltered Lucky Strikes or Camel Wides.
As for taste...I think it tastes awesome. If I thought cigarettes tasted like shit, I wouldn't smoke them.
For the record, I currently smoke almost 2 packs a day and have no plans to quit in my immediate future.
That is all.