Coffee shops are a definite budget kill. As a gold card Starbucks holder…I know. I discovered that World Market’s whole beans and a French press can make me just as happy. I make an occasional Starbucks visit for a hot brew when I dont have the time to get it in at home. Those times are rare though
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I make my coffee at home, its just as good as the coffee shops, sometimes better. That being said, There is NO financial, if there is NO coffee… LOL True !
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I drink coffee every day. I make it at home. I REALLY like coffee. I guess it comes off as a being a bit of a coffee snob to some. The last time I paid for a coffee outside of my home, it was because it was a date night and I felt like some espresso. It was well within budget (and tasted pretty good too).
I think coffee could affect your finances- especially those $5 per drink situations. But for myself, coffee is like a hobby. It’s a small expense that makes me very happy and functional at all in the mornings. I also am in a weird situation with my location. I live in a very small town with one restaurant and one cafe. The cafe is the opposite direction of my work so getting coffee somewhere other than home is just silly to me.
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Came across this piece today! Biggest Ways People Waste Money
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This is a bit of a hack. I make coffee at home for everyday, but do surveys and redeem the points for Panera gift cards. Since I’m signed into the Panera loyalty program, they give free perks, (pun intended), every so often too. It’s a nice place to go with friends for a treat.
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Been There…Done That. I never buy coffee at a coffee shop.
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I still drink coffee, and plan to never stop. I feel like these personal finance discussions are zero-sum, as if there’s not an entire (world?) grocery isle of coffee and coffee alternatives to choose from.
My ‘best of both worlds’ #lifehack: I purchased a $30 instant coffee maker about a decade ago. I make my own coffee at home (not Starbucks, for other reasons lol). Instead of paying a barista to make a $5 cup of coffee then charge me $15 for the privilege, I make a $5 cup of coffee at home…for $5.
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I bought an espresso machine from Sam’s Club on closeout a couple of years ago. The cappuccinos and lattes it makes rivals any coffee shop coffee I’ve tasted. And the containers of finely ground espresso are even cheaper than the coffee beans my hubby buys (only $4 - $6 depending on the brand and they make dozens of cups each). I’ve saved a ton of money since my initial investment of $115. Well worth it.
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@deon.christie I’ve been addicted to rooibos since I was a little girl. I have my morning coffee and then drink rooibos the rest of the day. 
No, I wouldn’t say I drink coffee often. Maybe once a month or so. And honestly the reason is I’m scared that I’ll become “addicted”. If you know what I mean. It’s not that I don’t eat or drink anything else that I could be addicted to; but I feel coffee is so expensive that it would really impact the bank if I felt I needed it several times a day.
I’d just rather not have one more thing that I need to buy for each day. Especially one with such a high cost. Although the older I get I do feel a need for a pick me up in the mornings.
My mother even bought me a coffee maker so she could have some if she wanted it at my place. Maybe I should give it a try. Haha, but I’ll definitely go for the best prices.
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I hate to admit, but I LOVE my coffee, but not just any coffee. It has to be good savory coffee like cappuccino. Yes, it can break the bank if you frequent buying it at coffee shops. However, I have cut back my intake and only have it at home in the early morning and another one at work (they have a nice Nespresso machine). This all came to realization when I did the math. For instance, a good cup of cappuccino can cost $4.00 and up. Then, times that by five (days), that is $20. Times that by 4, which equals to $80. Those eighty dollars can be used to pay down one of your credit cards (or whatever you want!). If you times it by 12 (for 12 months) that is $960! Imagine what you can do with $960?! Although, I am a prima donna with my coffee, I am more conscientious how I spend now. Just figure out what matters to you with your expenses. Nonetheless, if you can make your own coffee, bring some with you or get some at work, do it. An occasional splurge is fine, it will not break the bank. Nonetheless, make sure you use that little bit of change you save for you. Once you reap the rewards, you can keep your eye on the prize! 
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It does especially if you are not used to having coffee out. I was on a project and found myself stopping for coffee every morning as it was across from where I was working… After a couple of weeks… it felt like sticker shock on my ‘other’ bank account where the rare out lunch would be paid from as there was at least 1 purchase of coffee everyday plus there was more than a ‘rare’ lunch out…
Stopped that new habit in it’s tracks… as took small coffee maker with supplies into office we were given to work for the project and got everyone back on the lunch in train by coming up with menu that everyone would contribute to during the week so we all saved big by being able to have coffee in or even make ‘hot’ tea plus there were no more lunches out … I spent between $6 and $13 daily the first couple of weeks to less than $6 for the whole week for daily coffee & lunch.
Yes absolutely
I’m a coffee drinker from WAY back in the 60’s. I was born in 62, and i started getting little bits of coffee in my bottle when I was a baby. My grandparents ran a small amount of coffee via their finger over my gums to get me to stop crying when i was cutting teeth. I never stopped wanting coffee. Now, does it affect my finances…of course it does, My wife and I both love our coffee…not that fancy coffee you get from Starbucks and places like that, but REAL COFFEE!
When we got married back in 84, my family drank coffee all the time. Vivian’s family drank coffee, and her father, being an alcoholic, would just add new grounds to the old. His coffee would finally be so strong it could stand up and fight you if you tried to empty the filter. We had to live with them for a short time, and I got used to the strength of his coffee. We had and still have to make some our coffee strong. We used to always go for the cheapest coffee available, usually JFG in Georgia at that time. But, we ended up finally settling on Folgers Medium Roast. It’s usually between $7.75 and $11.95 for a container. Large on iis usually on sale at Kroger and/or Wal-Mart. We stocked up on them last year when they were on sale, and we had coffee all the time. I kept us both going and was great for losing weight. It can keep you more productive and help keep you sharp. That gives you an edge. If you send in proof’s of purchase to Folgers, at times they will send you a packet of coupons. They’ve done that with us several times. So, there again, it affects your finances.
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Yes… It affects it but doesn’t have to wreck it.
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You’ve got that correct. Let me ask you, do you use ANY brand, or do you use all brands depending on price/size of canister? I’ve used many different kinds and found that all have a slightly different flavor to them. I CAN use Maxwell House if I have to, or even JFG. There are others I can’t even touch. How many cups a day do you drink? I drink two cups in the morning, and sometimes three. Sometimes I will drink a cup or two in the noon hours. And then, there are times when I will drink it in the evenings.
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I love strong coffee too. At some point I discovered French presses, whole beans, and my personal grinder. That combined with World Market beans and I’m in coffee heaven every morning. I used to buy Starbucks beans, but tried World Market’s and they taste just as great. I get the 24 oz bag about every 3 weeks and drink 2 to 3 cups a day generally in the mornings. The bag is $10. You’re right, there are lots of differences in taste
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Thanks for those suggestions, AMYP. I’ve never tried World Market’s brand. I LOVE French Roast though. I write a column every now and again on FB. It started out as a joke between a friend of mine who’s 20 years older than I, because my Black and Decker coffee makers kept burning out before the end of the warranty and they wouldn’t honor their warranties on product. He KNEW I loved coffee and was poking fun at me. The next morning my wife and I had a new “Mr. Coffee” drip coffee maker, and I started writing about my “friend” Mr. Coffee. It’s been going on for three years. I write about everyday things that happen in life and how they affect us. I have readers all over the world who are on me to start writing the column every day again, as I have had to cut back on writing it to once a week to ten days. But, I may get to start writing it every day again. At any rate, one morning I got an email from someone asking for my mailing address. I was afraid to give it at first, but I found later on that it was one of my readers whom my column had helped, and he kept reading them and sending them to others. I ended up receiving a 5 lb container of French Roast, and I was in Heaven! We ended up buying it several times off of Amazon, and now we treat ourselves to it when we want a stronger, more flavorful coffee. And…it doesn’t break the bank since we only buy it every now and again. Blessings, my friend.
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Moore Income posted:
Today I am sitting at a coffee shop working away on my computer before I head to my job.
But instead of purchasing a coffee from the shop, I brought my own coffee from home.
Why you may ask? Because a cup of coffee can cost upwards of $5.
I am a huge coffee drinker but $5 cups of coffee tend to add up over time and before you know it, you have spent quite a bit on a cup of jo!
I have started coming here regularly and have noticed there are people who come in every morning to buy a cup of coffee! I can’t help but wonder how expensive that gets after a while!
Are you a coffee drinker? How much do you spend on coffee a week?
Do you buy from a coffee shop or make your own?
Would you stop drinking coffee if it had a significant impact on your finances?
Personally, I like to make my coffee at home. I went through a little Starbucks addiction for awhile and was averaging $50+ per month of coffee. I have found great recipes to make my favorite coffee drinks at home and have found myself saving a lot of money!
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Great story. Is your fb page under"averagejoe"? Sounds like a good read. Italian roast is one of my go tos. World market does it in decaf that is not your average decaf. I decreased the caffeine once I realized that my heart didnt need that much caffeine. The lighted headed, heart racing feelings should have been a clear sign. But it took me a minute. Anyway I use 2/3 decaf and 1/3 caffeinated. Enter a much happier feeling heart and without the loss of flavor. Other decaf brands were watery and uninteresting. But world market’s doesn’t miss a beat.
