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Starbucks and frugal in the same sentence? Yes. I all too often hear about Starbucks as a symbol of excess and high prices, and as the opposite of "frugality". And in many ways, much of that is true. But I think Starbucks gets a bum rap by always being stereotyped as an indulgent luxury, because in many ways, it's not. (And, by the way, if you don't like Starbucks in particular, you can substitute any similar cafe/coffee shop.)
I go to Starbucks usually once or twice a week. I usually pay anywhere from $1.50 to $2.00 for a cup of coffee, because I usually get the plain old coffee. On occasion, I get tea, which runs roughly the same price. I love both their coffee and tea; they're not my absolute favorites, but I do like them a lot.
But, when I go to Starbuck's, it's not just a cup of coffee I'm paying for. I'm also getting the experience and environment. Yes, of course, I could buy enough coffee to make 10 (or more) cups of coffee at home for $2, I'm well aware of that. But that doesn't do me a whole lot of good when I'm in the city or away from home and need a break and a cup of coffee. It also doesn't do me much good when I'm meeting up with a friend and can't (or i don't want to) meet in my home. For my <$2.00, I'm getting a delicious cup of coffee which relaxes me at the moment (and peps me up for whatever's next), and a nice place to sit and relax. They usually have magazines and papers to read, and they often have nice, comfortable chairs.
Or to meet with a friend or two, it's a great alternative to a bar. I don't have to worry about drinking and driving. It's inexpensive enough that I can treat the others - even if they go with "premium" beverages like lattes and cappucinos, they don't really cost any more than a few beers at a bar (and I'm still getting regular coffee for myself). You can sit and linger and talk as long as you like.
And...refills of regular coffee are only 50 cents (to be honest, they usually don't even bother charging this). And still...there are offers through their website where you can register and get free refills, free wi-fi, and other discounts and specials.
Another thing people bash about Starbucks is their ubiquity, but I see this as a positive, also. Anywhere I go, I can find a Starbucks, where I know what to expect in terms of product, price, and service.
Also, I budget by refilling my Starbucks card. Typically, I put $15 on it and that lasts me a month.
Starbucks can really complete a "frugal" night out and make it enjoyable. An example is just this past Wednesday evening, I went to see the NY Philharmonic in Central Park (free!). After an incredible night of music and fireworks on a perfect midsummer's eve, I walked back to midtown (also free ), taking in the sights and the crowds... I walked amongst the tourists towards Times Square, where I stopped in at Starbucks and relaxed with a coffee. I got a refill and walked with it, and wound up sitting at a table in Times Square. The evening wouldn't have been the same with a grab'n'go coffee from a street vendor. Starbucks was a perfect spot to sit, relax, re-energize, and enjoy some good coffee. For under $2, I get a lot of mileage from that cup of coffee.
So use Starbucks wisely as part of your frugal lifestyle, and it will help you get out into the city or wherever else you'd want to go, to enjoy being out and about. Yes, it's much cheaper still to drink coffee at home - but that requires being home. Starbucks is all over out there, it's not that expensive if you're careful and wise about it, and it can really complement a frugal night out.
I'm sure you will meet or hear from someone who will still say... a place to relax? Why pay for that? Go to the park for free! Everyone's got a different lifestyle. If there's really no park nearby and you don't like your home environment and there's a Starbucks nearby, well... it might very well be worth it to an individual.
But two things you mentioned that I'd appreciate more details on...
1) Where are you buying 10+ cups worth of coffee for $2?
2) Where/when on Starbucks website are they giving away free wifi access?
Most people don't sit there and dig around on the wifi, or include free concerts in the park as part of their coffee or compare it to alcohol. They get their coffee, go to work, and go silently insane at their desks. If you just look at the coffee itself then it's about 8x what I pay for beans and the maker at Costco.
I agree that a coffee house can be a great inexpensive day or evening out. Several of our local places have entertainment a couple nights a week with no cover. Where else can you go, buy a $2 drink, and hang out with friends for a couple of hours--including live entertainment?
My local Barnies has a refill program, $15 buys you a travel mug and you get $1 refills forever. No trees were harmed the the drinking of this cup of coffee, and for $1 it's a reasonable splurge a few times a week.
I grind and brew my own Starbucks beans. However I've noticed the prices have steadily increased over the years. Used to be about $3-4 a pound at Costco, now it's more like $6-7. My kids love the coffee though at the actual Starbucks cafe. Is it illegal to serve coffee to a 3 year old? Feels like dealing dope to a minor...
I worked at Starbuck's for a little while, earning extra Christmas money for the kids, and I know the markup... and just knowing that makes it hard for me to spend money at places like that.
It's just coffee. Tea. Boil some water, brew it yourself, and invite your friends over for a game of Clue or something. And to me it's also not just about money wasted, but about all the trash, too. When I worked at Starbucks, they didn't recycle or compost anything. Hopefully they do now... and all those disposable cups and java jackets and straws and sugar packets and paper napkins and... just trash. It's just one little piece of this disposable culture we live in, and it makes me sad.
And not all the coffee served at Starbuck's is triple-cert. A lot of the coffee people are drinking - and that's a lot of coffee, actually - are contributing to clearcutting of wilderness areas and loss of habitat for wild animals. It must be "shade-grown". You also want to look for coffee that is certified fair trade... so that you aren't supporting slavery or unethical business practices. And the milk, unless it's organic... it'll have GMO growth hormones in it. Gross.
Ummm.... you might want to discuss giving coffee to your three-year old with your family doctor. Unless you were joking?
is probably fine if just here & there. The stuff that makes adults hyper doesn't have that effect on kids til they reach puberty...this I read in researching ADHD for my cousin's child.
Plus, as a kid, we had it from time to time with toast & jelly and no one was the worse for it
As to the whole issue of coffee, I have cut waaay down on Starbucks, but will have it 1-2x a month, and consider it a nice treat to look forward to when I have a busy day.
At home, I like to drink Eight O'Clock Italian Roast, which is around 12.00 for 2lbs. I'm a heavy coffee drinker and this lasts me about 10 days. It's a lot, but I like my coffee very strong and I drink like 4-5 cups throughout the day. I'm a coffee junkie, I guess
If I didn't notice how many posts the OP's put up I'd swear he's an agent for Starbucks. The post reads like a commercial. Not that I disagree, I'm just sayin.
starbucks is cheap chair rental. in france you pay to sit--- same here.
by the same token outback is expensive chair rental. but my 1.60 cup does not pay the light bill. its that gal with 3 kids buying vertical banana splits in a coffee cup that pays the bills of starbucks.
Unless it changed very recently, Starbucks provides health insurance to their parttime employees (which may explain why they don't deal with a lot of turnover). That is almost unheard of anymore. And based on that alone, I will continue to support them, although their brand is not my favorite coffee.
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), taking in the sights and the crowds... I walked amongst the tourists towards Times Square, where I stopped in at Starbucks and relaxed with a coffee. I got a refill and walked with it, and wound up sitting at a table in Times Square. The evening wouldn't have been the same with a grab'n'go coffee from a street vendor. Starbucks was a perfect spot to sit, relax, re-energize, and enjoy some good coffee. For under $2, I get a lot of mileage from that cup of coffee.
Re: coffee to a three year old
