No more Starbucks - we can't afford it
Filed under: Budgets, Debt, Health, Wealth
Every morning my husband and I drive through Starbucks and get a latte. Great way to start the day. I can sip a Venti most of the morning.After looking at our budget, however, we found it was time to evaluate this little habit. Our daily stop was costing close to $8 per day or almost $250 per month. When the economy was great and my business was booming, I rarely gave the money a thought. In fact, I thought I "deserved" this little luxury because I worked so hard.I know I'm aging myself, but I remember when a cup of coffee cost a quarter. Somewhere along the line, we were sold on getting basically the same beverage, "designer" style, for a lot more money. And Starbucks did it right. A consistent drink at every store, a convenient drive through and pleasant ambiance with WIFI available. Starbucks became the place to meet; for friends, business and to get a caffeine fix.
I always thought it was pretty slick; selling a legal, addictive substance, that people had to have everyday. I would love to have a business that worked that way. Unfortunately, I don't, and my business is slow.
So we are cutting out the daily stop. We will return to making our coffee at home and packing it in a "to go" cup to take to work. I figure a pound of coffee will last us a month or more with a net savings of more than $200 a month. That is a lot of money and will help pay the bills.
Barbara Bartlein is the People Pro. For her FREE e-mail newsletter, please visit: The People Pro.



Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-11-2009 @ 4:40PM
Mike said...
5 Years cost $12000.00
If calculated with 3% compound interest it's $13250.00 approximately.
That's a big dent in Starbucks's business.
No wonder they call themselves * $ (star - bucks)
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11-12-2009 @ 7:29AM
Mike said...
I too gave up Starbucks. Yes, again it was the money problem, combine my lack of income with Starbucks making the portions smaller and the prices higher and it was a stupid habit. I have my own espresso machine at home (bought quite a while ago at under $50) and I buy my own beans at Cosco and I'm set. I have two cups in the morning (one before I leave for work and one in a mug for the trip) and I'm set. Savings?? One month of Starbucks pays for the espresso machine, the beans and the grinder and still leaves money leftover. Bye-bye Starbucks.
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11-12-2009 @ 7:41AM
DanaAngel8 said...
I think the population is wising up and realizing that they can make great coffee at home these days with the bean grinding machines and good water and so who needs Star$$$'s...also with so many people cutting down their budgets the coffeehouses are really starting to feel the ongoing new trend of people staying home and making their own brews.
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11-12-2009 @ 8:39AM
wayne1776 said...
If you want great tasting coffee you can make at home buy any top brand such as Starbucks, Seattle's Best or Caribou at the grocery store and brew a single full size cup (not an espresso size cup) in an espresso machine. You will love the taste.
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11-12-2009 @ 11:46AM
Joe said...
Coffee was 5 cents A cup in the 1960's and refills were free.
One Day I was shooting the Breeze while drinking Coffee. Every time My Cup was half full, They filled it up. After two Hours I was A Nervous wreck. I gave up Coffee for A few Years. I felt like I was coming out of My Skin after all that Coffee. I said to Myself, If this feeling goes away , no more Coffee.
I now drink Decaf. Instead of Milk in the Coffee, I use Ice Cream.
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11-12-2009 @ 1:02PM
Lee said...
Can someone logicly explain what we're doing in Iraq and Afghanistan? Seems all this war talk has done is made us forget our high unemployment is mostly due to American jobs going to China and elsewhere. One-term Obama hasn't said a single word about that.
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11-12-2009 @ 1:59PM
Sally Ysalde said...
Flat out starbucks sucks!!
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11-12-2009 @ 3:16PM
michael said...
Its about time we all wake up . EVERY THING WE BUY HAS THE SAME TRUTH..... IT ONLY HAS THE PRICE WE.... PAY!!!!.....AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO PAY IT!!
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11-12-2009 @ 3:49PM
If It TastesGood I cant afford it said...
My husband & I were very discerning coffee drinkers only buying Dunkin Donuts beans & ground it at home, one pot at a time. DD didn't have that bitterness we found in Starbucks. But guess what? Since Dunkin Donuts hiked their prices so high, & went from 16 oz to less than a pound per pkg, I'm now buying Stop & Shop brand beans in the large bag for $11.
I guess the bean counters didn't realize people were going to start counting beans! DD even used to have a BOGO free special pretty often. So now, we've tightened up our purse strings like everyone else.
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11-12-2009 @ 6:02PM
kvez said...
I understand your need to cut back, but your math is seriously flawed. A pound of coffee will not last a month. Starbuck's Venti cups are 20 oz...between you and your husband, you are drinking close to 40oz/day. Using American coffee pot standards, that is a full 8 cup carafe. It takes 2 oz of ground coffee to brew a 8-cup pot. Your pound will last you 8 days, and it will require the better part of four pounds to get through the month.
Hooked on Starbucks but want to cut back? Here's how to do it...
Go to Costco and buy the 3 pound bag of Kirkland French Roast Beans @$13.00 (roasted by Starbucks...says so on the bag). That's $4.25/lb. Or if you're really in the mood to splurge, buy the 2.5# bag of Starbuck's French Roast for $18.50 ($7.40/lb).
Next, buy a sleeve of 120 Solo Cups + Lids for $12.20 (10 cents/cup; 20 cents/day...same as Starbuck's Venti cups, but without the printing). A filter will cost about 10 cents.
Using the same math as above, your "new" Starbuck's habit will now cost $0.83/day using the Starbuck's/Kirkland coffee and
$1.23/day using the "real thing". Get yourself an automatic, programmable coffee pot, and your coffee will be ready when you walk out the door...faster than the drive thru!
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11-12-2009 @ 8:19PM
placedorders said...
The best coffee is at WAWA. It is the freshest I have found and cost about $1.40 for a 24 oz cup. I pick one up in the morning and refill the cup all day from my thermos of decaf I leave the house with. Jiffy Mart is not bad either. It's about the same price but if you bring your cup back (or your own cup) it's $1.05 for the refill. To make it better they have a card that gives you a free cup after 6 cups. That is $327.00 a year for 7 days a week.
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11-12-2009 @ 9:22PM
Rose said...
I never did think that Starbucks was worth the price. I just don't like their coffee. I can buy a 3lb can of coffee at the grocery store for less than the cost of two cups of Starbucks coffee. That's why my to go cup is my favorite fashion accessory.
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11-12-2009 @ 9:43PM
jason said...
I have and never will go to starbucks for what convenience all ya have to do is buy your own machine do it at home.Just too expensive more power to the people but i have never understood someone paying $2 or $ for a cup of coffee.
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11-12-2009 @ 11:48PM
Olan said...
Well, not everyone is "over the hill" but at my age I not only shun Starbucks, but take advantage of Senior Coffee offerings at McDonalds and Burger King. Even on Maui at 62 cents at Burger King and 72 cents at McDonalds for regular coffee, I feel no economic distress to satisfy my addiction.
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11-13-2009 @ 11:23AM
lisanie43 said...
Ms. Bartlein, I am sorry, but please stop bashing Starbucks for just one day. I have no intention of quitting Starbucks because their coffee is just as good as other coffee shops. It makes no difference on the coffee purchased anywhere else because coffee tends to be quite expensive, depending on the blend use and the location.
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