My Daily Dollars

Are you a coffee snob?  Is there no way that you’d give up your fresh-ground whole beans to save a buck?  It’s funny how much attention coffee gets in the world of personal finances, all thanks to the David Bach’s concept of the “latte factor.”  By now, we all know that the daily trip to Starbucks could cost us millions over the long haul.  Many of us have given it up in favor of home brew in a to-go mug.  But, how much further are you willing to go?  Do you still buy gourmet beans?  Do you have to have a fresh-ground cup every morning?

During my big-bulk shopping trip, I decided that I would toss my hat fully into the frugal ring and buy the biggest containers of the store brand coffee.  For years, I’ve bought whole beans or gourmet blends.  I’ve been know to buy Starbucks, but I’ve run the range from organics to store brands to Eight O’Clock coffee.  However, I’ve always stayed with the little foil packages of beans for $6 to $10 a pound.  A pound will last us two weeks or so.  I try to only brew half a pot a day, and my husband only drinks coffee on the weekends.  During my shopping trip, I realized that I could buy a 2-pound container of Meijer’s coffee for under $5.  Well, I got all swept up in my frugal, bulk-shopping frenzy and bought 3 containers. 

Flash-forward to Monday morning and my first pot.  I happily brewed it up and filled my to-go mug, dashed out the door, and joined my carpool.  Once I was all settled in for the drive, I took my first sip and almost spewed it all over the dashboard.  Oh my, it was completely and utterly disgusting.  It definitely reminded me of truck-stop pots of coffee that have been sitting around for hours and hours.  With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I thought about those six pounds of the stuff sitting in my basement.

Determined frugal-ista that I now am, I couldn’t just chalk it up as a $15 mistake and move on, perhaps donating the coffee to a shelter and going back to my nice beans.  I decided that I could make it work.  So, the next morning, I poked around my cabinets looking for ways to make the coffee palatable.  Here’s what I’ve come up with: a healthy sprinkle of nutmeg goes in the coffee maker with the ground coffee.  This livens up the flavor.  Then, I add another sprinkle of hot cocoa mix along with my usual sugar.  It’s now decent enough for everyday drinking.

And the latte factor?  Well, a $10 bag of Starbucks coffee every two weeks equals $60 over three months.  I’ve clocked in with just $15 for a savings of $45.  If you’re in debt-reduction mode, that’s a nice snowflake.  As for me, I may take some of my savings to buy a little gourmet coffee for weekends, but I still think I’ll come out ahead.