More Coffee Please!

For those who crave the intoxicating aroma, rich flavor, and relaxing warmth of coffee, simply cutting back on consumption is not even an option. Consumer reports constantly tell of the negative impact on coffee shops due to the onset of recession, but anyone who has ever walked into a Starbucks, may think differently - there are constantly lines at coffee shops, regardless of what time of day it is. The reason behind this phenomenon also explains why the stock of coffee wholesalers and retailers is rising despite recession.

Instead of cutting back on quantity of coffee, people are cutting back on “quality” of coffee – trading the gourmet venti half caff caramel macchiato for a home-brewed cup of joe. A cup of coffee can cost anywhere from $1.25 from a street vendor to $2 at trendier shops and even as much as $3 at a sit-down restaurant. Even McDonald’s coffee prices are up – the 70 cent cup is a thing of the past. So if someone drinks two cups a day, at $1.75 per cup, that would be $1,277.50 a year! It is even more overwhelming when you factor in the price of specialty coffee drinks. A latte at Starbucks is about $4 on average, so if someone were to substitute their two high-priced gourmet lattes for just one latte and a cup of coffee, they could potentially save $821.25 or a pair of Christian Louboutin patent pumps.

If you want to cut back on coffee expenses even further, making coffee at home seems like a logical solution. For those looking for simplicity, a Keurig coffee brewer is the easiest – you just pop in a K-cup, and there is no measuring or mess. The brewers are not cheap; they run anywhere from $80 to $250, but it is an investment. The K-cups, purchased in bulk cost about 40 cents each. Some more quick math proves that 2 cups per day plus $100 for a machine results in a bill of $392, which is almost $900 less than buying coffee at a shop.

However, if you can sacrifice the extra minutes in the morning, you can prepare coffee the way I prefer – with a percolator. If you buy gourmet coffee in bulk (which is necessary for people like me), each cup averages about 25 cents, and the total bill to quench a 2 cup a day habit: $182.50.

I admit to buying coffee out when I need an afternoon pick-me-up or I am running to a morning class, but personally, I garner a certain amount of satisfaction in knowing that I saved $1.50 on my cup of coffee, but maybe that’s just me.