Welcome to Day 13 in our Month of Savings discussion. Today I wanted to discuss some ways that you can get your java fix without spending a lot of money. As a self-confessed coffee junkie, I fully admit to falling into the trap of buying coffee when I am out and about. I did change some things and found some recipes though that could satisfy those cravings without going to Starbucks all of the time.One of the things that has recently helped me is purchasing a programmable coffee maker. I had a chintzy coffee maker that I bought when we first got married, but once I became a mom (and became dependent on my coffee fix) I realized that I should have sprung for the one that had the programming function on it. This alone is one reason why I have been able to stay within my budget.
The night before, I preset the coffee maker and put the grounds in. I rest my coffee mug next to it and program it to be ready a half hour before I am supposed to get up. When I wake up to the smell of the coffee already waiting for me, I can pour my cup and run out the door.
I have lots of recipes in my bag of tricks including my faux Starbucks Iced Peppermint Mochas and the Pumpkin Spice Lattes, which make for fun coffee drinks without the $5 price tag.
Coffee syrups are easy to make and can be a great addition to your coffee routine. Slashfood has an excellent entry on different types of syrups you can make (be sure to read the comments with additional recipes!) You can also check if your favorite coffee shop will sell their syrups directly to you or check your local wholesale club for some great prices on coffee syrups. At our Sam’s Club, I was able to find tons of different syrups (including the sugar-free varieties). They were a little over $4 for 25.4 ounces.
If you are a girl that likes a beautiful coffee experience, throw on some coffee shop music. I love this station from Yahoo Music. If you are a Yahoo customer, they provide this music commercial free, otherwise you do have some commercial breaks while listening. You can also check Starbucks website for the artists they are featuring and try to pick up the music at the library.
You can find cute coffee cups at thrift stores (or have your child decorate a special one just for you!) To pretty up your drink a little more you can add the fixings to your coffee, if that is your kind of coffee, by stocking your fridge with the chocolate & caramel syrup and a can of whipped cream. I usually stick to the basics, but I do add these things around the holidays when I make my hot chocolate.
If you are as unedumakated about coffee as I am, try checking out Coffee Geek to learn from the real experts. They have a great forum where you can interact and chat about coffee and all things coffee related!
As far as the best type of coffee to buy, Consumer Reports ran a test of the best coffees in 2004, and two of their top choices were also offered at the best prices. Dunkin Donuts Original Ground Coffee (priced at approximately $7.66 per pound) and Eight O’ Clock Coffee Beans (priced at approximately $5 per pound) came up as two of the best tasting in their taste test.
Grinding and roasting your own coffee beans does not need to be an expensive process. You can pick up coffee grinders for about twenty dollars at any of your local superstores. I found a great resource for learning how to roast those beans yourself. I had never thought to use a popcorn popper to roast my beans until I read this article.
Personally, I have no idea what half the coffee labels even mean so here are some of the meanings on those labels:
Arabica and robusta are the two main beans. Robusta plants are hardier; arabica beans can make higher-quality coffee. Even arabicas vary, so one “100% arabica” brew can taste better than another. The best include floral or fruity scents.
Decaffeinated coffee generally has 5 mg or less caffeine per 6 ounces, vs. 50 to 90 mg for regular. Caffeine can be removed via a solvent, liquefied carbon dioxide, or a hot-water process.
Fair trade is a program that guarantees prices for small-scale farmers.
(These definitions are from Consumer Reports Magazine)
What about going green with your coffee and tea experience? TreeHugger.com has a great piece on how to accomplish this, including small and large steps for achieving a green cup of joe.
Don’t give up on having the perfect coffee experience, just give up on paying for it elsewhere!
Potential Monthly Savings: $20 or more
Sound Off: Do you have any great coffee tips to share?
Wow. You really ARE a coffee junkie! Great info Amy!
[Reply]
Great tips!
We have a good coffee maker that makes wonderful coffee, so that helps a lot. But we also have a cappucino maker, and I am quite confident that it has paid for itself! I can now easily forgo Starbucks as I can make my own at home much better and cheaper!
Now if I could just find a good at home version of white chocolate mocha I would be set……
[Reply]
We put the leftover coffee in the refrigerator, and then the next day add syrup or liquid creamer, pour over ice, and voila, latte! We’re still trying to figure out the correct ratio of coffee/milk/sugar, though.
Thanks for the great tips and the coffee info!
[Reply]
Amy, I love this suggestion and the savings too. I am a huge coffee drinker, but the closest Starbucks is a 30 minute drive for me
I like to make my own vanilla iced coffee at home, it is super yummy, and affordable too.
I try to take a coffee and computer break once a day when the kids are taking a nap.
[Reply]
A lady I babysit for brings a carafe of her own coffee and her cup wherever she goes. She has 7 children and says she learned to bring it along years ago. It’s too expensive to buy it in a coffee shop.
She also got a great commercial pump carafe at Goodwill! What a deal!
[Reply]
Mrs. Pear- I will work on trying to find a recipe for you. I know that you can buy the mix at Starbucks and it is much cheaper than buying a prepared mug of it. You could try that!
Kelly- those are excellent ideas too! I do the frozen ice cubes and make those mochas out of our leftover coffee. They are so yummy!
Nico- Every girl needs a break
I love the idea of a scheduled break.
Heather- I have one of those coffee carafes and I absolutely love it. I use it whenever we have company and I used to fill it and take it down to my office with me when I had a mommy’s helper come and watch the kids. If the kids saw me, they would start crying so I just brought the coffee pot down with me. The carafes also are nice for preparing coffee the night before and having it ready for you in the morning. I did that before we had the programmable coffee maker.
Yes, I have now embraced my addiction and I adore talking about it
[Reply]
Amy, delurking to post a comment with a little insider’s insight (I used to be a marketing consultant for a large coffee franchise). If you’re going for what will get you the biggest caffeine kick, get a regular drip-brewed cup of coffee. The darker the roast (espresso and french roast are the darkest), the lower the caffeine content. So don’t think you’re compromising caffeine by ordering a regular cup of coffee versus an espresso-based beverage.
Also, I invested in a Tassimo single-serve machine. It’s a little bit of a splurge, but I can have decent cappuccino at home for about $1 a cup, versus $3 or $4 at a coffee shop.
[Reply]
Kristin- Thanks for coming out of hiding and for the great coffee tips. I would have never known that!!
Continue coming out of hiding
I am glad to meet ya!
[Reply]
I love coffee, too. I also love my senseo coffee maker, my french press, and my french coffee ind. cup brewer, and my thermal carafe brewer is great for when you have company over. If you love flavored coffees, like mocha, look at your warehouse store for Big train gourmet coffee mix. It is delish and can be used for hot or cold coffees. Yummy! Also, Big Lots has a large selection of big bottles of flavored coffee syrups, a steal at 1.99 each. I’ve been paying 5.00 at the whse. store. Hope this helps!
Mimi
[Reply]
I can vouch for Amy’s iced peppermint mochas….they are AWESOME! Honestly, I think better than Starbucks (& that’s using the Starbucks syrup). I use the coffee ice cubes and even add a handful of regular ice to make it more frappucino-like. I bought the syrup for something like $6-$7….you’d pay more for just 2 venti-sized drinks at Starbucks! And I found my big can of Folgers (the 2+ lb size) on sale for $2.99! My blender has gotten quite the workout since I discovered Amy’s recipe. And this coming from the girl who is not a big coffee drinker.
AnneMarie
[Reply]
We have a programmable coffee maker and it makes waking up in the morning just a little bit easier! I set it the night before, set out my travel mug and am ready to go!
[Reply]
My husband used to work at Starbucks (got another job last month) and they are VERY willing to help you learn how to make coffee at home. Feel free to ask questions (try when it’s not very busy though). Also might ask how long the person’s worked there and try to ask someone who’s experienced.
Do you have suggestions for making cream-based frappucinos? I don’t drink coffee!
(my husband just told me they have a special mix, he didn’t know what was in it)
Jennifer
[Reply]
I am a total coffee snob, I like my coffee from fresh ground beans, I use good water (we have a whole house system, so it’s truely good water but before I only used filtered with the Brita) and I want it good and strong =)
One thing I learned years ago (working at Dunkin’ Donuts) is that coffee is only good for 20 minutes after brewing if left in the pot on the burner. If you brew it into a carafe, it can last much longer than that. Or if you pour it into a carafe immediately after brewing. It’s the cooking on the hotplate and the exposure to air that causes it to loose it’s yumminess (ok, not technical but still)
I just read a great tip for making delicious Iced Coffee.
http://tinyurl.com/yokp8c
You have to read through the article to get to the directions, but it’s worth it!
[Reply]
must have coffee! I with ya girl!
[Reply]
Hi Amy!
Does the Target near you have a Starbucks?
If so, there are some great Starbucks/Target coupons at
http://coupons.50webs.org/
Enjoy!
[Reply]
For cost-free, commercial-free music online, try http://www.Pandora.com You type in a couple artists/songs you like and pandora will find similar music and play it for you. You can give songs a thumbs up or thumbs down and pandora will adjust to your tastes. Fun!
[Reply]
Hi Amy, it rarely nice.We have a good coffee maker that makes wonderful coffee, so that helps a lot.Thanks…
[Reply]