i would definitely stick with a vape. i've switched for the past 2 years now and i haven't looked back! i would recommend the Solo or the eXtreme Q both by Arizer. they're just the most efficient and price wise, it's not too heavy on the pocketbook. as for saving, i see it as another way. i may not "save" a lot more than i would if i was using a water pipe or something but the vape leftovers from the vapes definitely help. i save them in a jar until i've got a sufficient enough amount, i find a 1kg jar of PB is enough, and then use something like a crock pot or something specialized like the Magical Butter to create the cannabutter. it's like the gift that keeps on giving!
The plenty vape is by storz & bickel, and it's a great whip vape, same price as the Buddha. I find it better than the Buddha, but not quite as good as the VapeXhale or Volcano. As far as portable vapes go, the Pax was the best until it was trumped recently by the Ascent (all glass components, no plastic or metal). If you're wanting an all glass vape at home, just be careful with friends, but the vapexhale will not disappoint. Is there a smell? Of course. But unlike smoking, it doesn't linger for hours and soak into your clothing and furniture, rather with the vape, it dissipates quickly with airflow (10-30 minutes, depends how much weed you vape, how long you hold your hits, and how much vapor leaks from the bowl). I've never smoked weed, but I have gotten plenty of smokers high off my vapes. And yes, the vape is definitely more efficient and more potent...although the high differs in quality, to where some prefer smoking (let them, fuck it). I'm not sure it's 5 times as efficient, but it's perhaps as much as 1/4 more efficient, ie, 800 mg vaped produces the same intensity as 1000 mg smoked. This is probably explained, in part, by the more efficient delivery, the lack of poisons in the vapor which detract from the smoking high, or the partial destruction of THC by the extreme heat of fire. If you vape weed properly, at 405-415 F, and cake the bowls, then there are very little actives left. I've done iso, butane, butter, and oil extractions off my vaped weed, and never gotten much. For example, a batch of brownies got three people mildly high, and 4 oz of vaped weed produced 2 gs of black iso hash. Not really even worth my time. Of course if you only cake the bowl halfway or keep the temperature below 390 F, then actives will be left behind. You could grind your weed up finely at this point and either vaporize it at a higher temperature or perform an extraction. That's why I vaporize at a higher temperature the first time. Sometimes I don't cook my weed all the way, and I have a tiny jar of half cooked weed. I never really extract it, I just fall back on it during dry spells (hopefully no more than a couple days). As well, vaporizing allows you to hold your hits deeper and longer (ghost your hits) and it allows you to consume more herb per sitting (if desired) without feeling shitty, because the negative health effects normally experienced with heavy smoking are nearly completely absent. Even at 415 F, I dont' feel there are many carcinogens or pyrolytic toxins produces. 420-430 F is where the vapor becomes harsh and smoke-like.