It is still amazing to me that one little gadget could make such a difference in my life. As a personal finance influencer, I’m always looking at where my money is going and I’m always up to save money whenever possible. I’m endlessly amused when people go crazy about The Latte Factor by David Back and avocado toast. To be clear, I’ve met David Back and he’s freaking awesome. He also made the point that The Latte Factor is a METAPHOR for the small financial leaks that can sink your financial ship. And, as a coffee and tea lover, I enjoy spending time at local coffee shops with friends/family/ or on my own while sipping on a cup of my favorite brew. But, this summer, I felt like this habit became a little excessive and I started noticing that I was hanging out at coffee shops almost every single day that it was warm outside. That’s a lot of coffee. As we moved into winter, I decided to work on breaking this habit and spend less on coffee. Because, I used to work at a coffee shop. I actually know how to make good coffee.
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How Much DOES Your Coffee Habit Cost?
Have you ever asked yourself that question. I did after looking at my bank account and seeing almost daily charges for coffee. The thing is, I wasn’t ordering the largest sized coffee. And, I hardly purchased food or snacks during my coffee breaks. So, why was I alarmed? Because $1 coffee no longer exists and when I looked at the yearly cost for my habit, it was not ok.
The numbers
These are all guestimates.
- 4 coffee breaks a week at a cost of $2.25 a visit=$9 a week or $36 a month, or $432 a year. The thing is…I’m pretty sure that my coffee breaks were something like the following…
- 5 coffee breaks a week at a cost of $5 a visit on average (sometimes I would buy food) $25 a week or $100 a month or $1200. What the f#ck?!
$432-$1200 in Mindless Coffee Spending
Let me be clear about what I could do with that money instead of drink coffee.
- $432 in a year=Pay off a bill, pay a bill ahead, or spend 5 days in Breckenridge, Colorado at my favorite hostel and go snowboarding.
- $600 in Coffee Spending=A weeklong trip to Mexico to hangout with Stephanie from Vaycarious and some money left over for accommodation. Uh, or pay off a bill LOL!
- $1200 in Coffee Spending=See you in Europe. Or, I could save money, pay a bill, gift money to someone else. You get the picture.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying coffee out. But, when I looked at the numbers, something had to change. I thought about the kinds of drinks I enjoyed and what would make a difference during the colder months of the year. Let’s be clear, Colorado has great weather but we get snow from September/October until…potentially June.
I decided to get the one thing that I was missing from my coffee arsenal. A milk frother.
The Aicok Milk Frother
I’ve shared an image of it below. Basically, I’m able to make hot or cold “froth” or foamy milk that enables me to make lattes, matcha, etc. I’m seriously obsessed with this thing because it has already saved me $20 a week since I’ve purchased it.
How it works:
- You pour in the amount of milk based on the number of cups of coffee/lattes you plan on making.
- There is a tiny whisk inside that whisks the milk within 25 seconds. Then, you’re done.
- As for the coffee, I’ve continued to use my French Press to make the coffee, but you could also pick up a coffee percolator the percolator will basically make a smaller quantity of coffee/espresso like experience.
The Milk
You do have to use the right consistency milk/non-dairy milk product in order for the frother to work perfectly. Do not use your regular milk/non-dairy milk. It’s typically too thin and won’t whip up to the type of foam/latte consistency that most people like.
Use the barista blend for non-dairy. It works perfectly. And, creamer (non-dairy or dairy) froths nicely as well.
- Oatly (love this one)
I’ve also used the Safeway non-dairy creamer, you know, the big one for $2.29 a bottle. That works well too. I love my coffee habit, but I do want to be mindful about where my money is going. Since it’s the end of the year at the time I’m sharing this review, I looking through my finances without judgement to see if there are opportunities to:
- Save money
- Make more
It’s amazing to me how one simple device such as a frother can save me such a significant amount of money. Now, I enjoy coffee on the weekends versus during the week. Because I’m typically working at my favorite co-working spaces around town, there’s no reason for me to spend money on coffee. All of my co-working spaces provide free coffee.
The Beans
There is nothing worse than bad quality, weak coffee. My grandma, finally came to terms with the fact that I needed better (stronger) coffee and she actually spoils me when I visit her with a specific coffee blends. That she picks up at T.J. Maxx LOL! It’s surprising where you can find a decent bean without going broke.
- Whole Foods 365 Espresso Roast blend. Just throw that in your Amazon Fresh shopping Amazon Prime users.
- Trader Joe’s Espresso beans. They come in a can and are $3.99 or $4.99. GREAT value if you live near a Trader Joe’s.
I will admit that I was gifted several bags of coffee recently and am working my way through those as well. I won’t need to buy coffee beans for at least a month.
The Social Part of My Coffee Habit
I think it’s also important to mention the social aspect of my coffee habit. I enjoy spending time with others, typically while sitting outside on a patio, with the people in my life.
These meetings happen all year long, but especially during the summer. Because of that, I’m making sure to add a line item to my budget in order to anticipate that expense. Also, I will look for other ways to spend time with people that don’t include spending money. Those things look like: hiking, exploring town, or enjoying all of the free events that are always happening in town.
If you’ve been thinking about how to break up with your expensive coffee habit, a good frother may be the way to do it.
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I like drink first coffee of the day at home then I decided to stop twice per week in the cafe near office (pr rules;P) SO i save money but I keep connection with peolple at same time not bad!!!
I love meeting people for coffee!!! Now, I’m managing this experience better.