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Some people consider coffee a luxury, whatever. The fact is that many types of foods and almost all beverages (other than plain water) could be considered luxury items. For some reason people always hone in on coffee. I have no idea why. These same people will eat steak instead of hamburger, but sit there and talk about my drinking coffee and how "expensive" that is.
Heck, yes, I'll give up meat before I'll give up coffee! Two things I do to save: I like the fancy flavored coffees and of course they cost extra- but I go to Marshall's/TJ Maxx and their food section always has a good selection. Typically 12 oz. will run $5 or $6. I wish I could find the Toasted Coconut flavor again- it was fantastic.
Second trick- my Starbucks habit isn't all that expensive since I go maybe 3 times a month and get boring old black coffee- but by answering surveys for e-Rewards and donating at the blood bank, I accumulate credits that can be used to buy Starbucks gift cards. I haven't needed to use my credit card to add to that account in years, even though my 4-year old granddaughter has developed a great affection for Starbucks cake pops!
Some people consider coffee a luxury, whatever. The fact is that many types of foods and almost all beverages (other than plain water) could be considered luxury items. For some reason people always hone in on coffee. I have no idea why. These same people will eat steak instead of hamburger, but sit there and talk about my drinking coffee and how "expensive" that is.
People really love to get on coffee. In part it's the assumption that every person in the world goes to a coffee shop and buys a $4-6 drink at least once a day. So every time you read an article on how to save money, it's practically the first thing: stop buying expensive coffee. Mind you, most of the people I know who are reading articles on how to save money can barely afford to walk past a Starbucks, let alone buy something there... but that's how it goes.
People really love to get on coffee. In part it's the assumption that every person in the world goes to a coffee shop and buys a $4-6 drink at least once a day. So every time you read an article on how to save money, it's practically the first thing: stop buying expensive coffee. Mind you, most of the people I know who are reading articles on how to save money can barely afford to walk past a Starbucks, let alone buy something there... but that's how it goes.
Every quarter, a friend send me a $50 Starbucks gift card for a few errands that I run for him. Fortunately, I have a lot of generous friends.
I use the Starbucks cards to buy a small cup of coffee or an iced tea occasionally as Starbucks has a pleasant atmosphere and they allow me to sit for a few hours and use the internet, especially when I am on the road.
One of the reasons most articles talk about eliminating Starbucks as a way of saving money is the incredible amount of money that a lot of people spend on their daily coffee(s) and other assorted treats. I watch it everyday. I am near the local university Starbucks and at that location, I think that the average tab is something like $9. What always blows my mind is when a group of students are complaining about student debt while sipping their $6 coffees. Ah, it is a sign of the times.
Reminds me of my old HR director back at the plant. She was always preaching about the need to contribute to the company's 401(k) plan. At the end of the presentation, I asked when she intended to start. She said that she did not have the money ... but she dropped $8 for breakfast at Dunkin Donuts and $12-15 for lunch out everyday.
Do people actually live without coffee? I got on the train about a decade ago and there's no chance I can get off now.
i started also about a decade ago. i feel i could easily drop it. it doesnt really fill any requirement, its just become a habit.
my morning cup costs me something like 40 cents, with the K cup/milk/splenda. there are a lot more expensive items to cut before i would need to look at that.
Do people actually live without coffee? I got on the train about a decade ago and there's no chance I can get off now.
One of our personal goals is to shift our diet to be exclusive things that we produce on our farm. Trying to grow coffee here in Maine would be far from practical. I can grow tea though, so I shifted to tea instead of coffee.
One of the reasons most articles talk about eliminating Starbucks as a way of saving money is the incredible amount of money that a lot of people spend on their daily coffee(s) and other assorted treats.
Yes, some people do, but like I said, people reading articles about how to save money never had the cash for fancy coffee to begin with... eliminating things like that is a no-brainer when you're low on funds.
I prefer the "Clever Coffee Dripper," which is sort of a cross between a French Press (where you "steep" the coffee for several minutes) and a Melita (where you use a paper filter). See: https://youtu.be/m_-wyjaCPj8
The clever dripper is the best brewer I've ever owned.
People really love to get on coffee. In part it's the assumption that every person in the world goes to a coffee shop and buys a $4-6 drink at least once a day. So every time you read an article on how to save money, it's practically the first thing: stop buying expensive coffee. Mind you, most of the people I know who are reading articles on how to save money can barely afford to walk past a Starbucks, let alone buy something there... but that's how it goes.
Yes there does seem to be an over-reliance on pointing out coffee expenses, when there's about a hundred other expenses that people could eliminate from their budgets. I've never understood why coffee was singled out. I don't know anyone who spends goes to Starbucks every day. I go 2 or 3 times a month for an espresso that is $2.00 but it's not eating away at my finances. There are other things I'd rather work on getting under control, like utility bills and clothing purchases.
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