$4.50 a grande, when I have a budget that is pequeño, no-bueno.
Solution? Find a substitute. A tasty budget-friendly substitute.
I was getting
I had left over ice cream and extra caramel sauce.
Taaa-Da! I solved my problem and found the solution!
The sum of the two components were better than the original answer for the equation!
Basically, I can get what I want at a price I love!
[Oh that sounds like an advertisement!]
Another tip: If you are addicted to the lattes/espresso - a $60 espresso/steamer machine gets its worth after about 15 cups. So in less than a month you will have made a very good investment!
One more tip: Are you a chai latte lover?? Tazo Tea sells their chai tea concentrate in 32oz boxes for around $9.00. Um.. those little babies cost about $4.00 at the coffee shop. Wake up just 7-10 minutes earlier in the morning and that will save you mucho dinero!!!
Okay last tip: Do you meet up with friends at the coffe shop to chat?? Take one of the tips above and make your home into the newest cafe (o-le!).
So why all the posts on saving money!? The hubby and I have had quite the spendy year. We had a vacation and a couple visitors to Japan. And - we discovered that the plants I work try so hard to keep alive on the balcony are in fact NOT growing money (damn.). So - we want to rebuild our savings and be financially healthy! But, even though my trips to the coffee shop may be non-existant, my cravings are very much alive. Thus, alternative methods needed to be worked out so that I don't feel like I'm sacrificing my love for all things coffee & my wallet is no longer vulnerable to my urges.
Hence...my new thrifty-gotta-work-with-what-ya-got attitude!
So, I'll probably keep posting little things here about the new coupon-using-clearance-scrounging-frugalista I've turned into!
Oh, and if you can't tell, I'm loving every penny I've been saving!
-K
I like locally-owned coffee shops better anyway. That may not be an option for you, but I find the mom and pop places generally have a wider variety of higher quality products and cost less.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Unfortunately..local coffee shops are far and few between in Japan. Base has a coffee shop, but the prices are the same as Starbucks and of course there is always a Starbucks around off base. So if I wanted to beat the prices I had to get creative.
ReplyDeleteIn my hometown there is a wonderful local coffee shop that is so welcoming and comforting (and resonably priced..Sometimes I daydream about being back in there [[Sigghhhh]]
Okay back to reality.
Thanks for the post!
I like the local ones too but I may have to try the recipe you gave. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great tips! I definitely want to invest in an espresso machine once I get my own place. Don't know how my coffee-shop employers will take that, but oh well! Right? Haha.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was at Waterloo outlets yesterday!! I try to go twice a year!! When I move to Texas next year, I will probably be heading to San Antonio to find comparable outlets!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to try that Chai tip! :)
ReplyDeleteThose prices are the exact reason I had to stop going to starbucks! Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDelete