“Would you like that whip or no whip? Non-fat or soy? Tall, grande, or venti?” Your answer should depend on the size of your metabolism and your wallet, but if that was the way most Americans shopped, our country would be a lot less obese and not nearly as deep in debt.
For those of us in the latte generation, these questions have become an integral part of our culture… and a gradual source of strain on the pocketbook, so gradual that many of us don’t realize where all our money has gone until we see “Starbucks” listed multiple times on our monthly statement. $3.25 for a coffee may not seem like much, but when you multiply that by a couple beverages a day and add that up over the course of a week and a month, our Starbucks expenditures become substantial. The same goes for any temptation—getting your nails done, buying music or books, seeing movies… You know where you tend to rather be a sucker.
By introducing the Starbucks Card, the company hoped to make it easier for people to get that Frappachino without feeling like they were going over budget… and have they ever succeeded. After all, the money is already on the card, so why not spend it and spend it, right? It acts like a debit card, so you never have to worry about overspending. And when you run out, it’s so easy to hand over your credit card and load another $20. Did I mention that you can “save more money” by getting a Starbucks credit card which can serve as both a universal VISA and as a debit card at Starbucks? Now you can earn Duetto dollars with every purchase outside Starbucks and use that money towards your next latte. It’s all about customer service, right? As they say on their website: “A coffee break on a Card: A Starbucks Card is the easiest way for you – or someone you know – to enjoy Starbucks. How can we help you today?”
So you want to still enjoy your coffee or other little self-indulgence, but not hand your entire paycheck over to a Fortune 500 company? No problem. I take a different view on how to use what I like to call the “latte card.” Just follow these easy steps that work for me:
Get a Starbucks Debit card and only load money onto it once a month. This doesn’t mean you can put $80 on your card since you figure you already spend around $20 a week on Caramel Macchiatos. Look at your overall monthly expenses and determine how much of your take-home pay you want to invest or put into savings. Then determine your “discretionary income” or your “mad money” as my uncle calls it. These are dollars you can spend wherever and however you want without feeling guilty. Last, but not least, set aside a portion of your mad money for Starbucks. Divide by four. That’s how much you are allowed to spend per week. What if you run out? Too bad! That’s the whole point. For the first time, my Starbucks spending is sticking to my budget, not my temptations.
Do NOT get a Starbucks credit card! This will only entice you to spend more there when the whole point of this exercise is to enhance frugality.
Do NOT use cash! Even if you set aside a certain amount of cash in your wallet to be specifically used at Starbucks, you will be tempted to spend the cash elsewhere, only prompting you to spend more at Starbucks. Trust me, I tried it and it didn’t work. I spent all my cash at CVS.
Some benefits for the metabolism: Have you noticed that the most expensive Starbucks beverages also have the highest caloric content? A Venti coffee (5 calories) is considerably cheaper than a Tall non-fat, no-whip pumpkin spice latte (200). I won’t even get into the nutrition facts for a Venti pumpkin spice latte with whole milk and whip cream!
As long as you use your Starbucks card to your advantage and not the company’s, you will have a fatter wallet and a slimmer waistline! My own Starbucks spending has decreased maybe two-fold. I keep thinking, “Mmm, I only have ‘x’ dollars on this card. Maybe I’ll hold off this time.†And I keep passing up Starbucks!
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