Coffee On the Cheap

Therefore stay awake- for you do not know 

when the master of  the house will come.
MARK 13:35

In my past life, I would buy a Starbucks Venti Unsweetened Iced Coffee with soy milk almost daily.  It was one of my few little splurges. Those little splurges really added up:

$3.50 per coffee (including tip) x 260 days a year (5 times a week)= $910.00 a year

Costs to make our coffee at home:

$156.00 one brick of coffee a week for a year
$104.00 one creamer/ almondmilk a week for a year
$100.00 in coffee supplies (filters, sugar)
$360.00 a year for the two of us

$910.00 - $180.00 (for just me) = $730.00 a year SAVED

I blew a thousand dollars a year on coffee. Sigh. I need you to know what I'm going to say comes from a loving place. Commit to start making your coffee at home today. Here are some tips for coffee on the cheap:

1. Invest in a nice travel coffee cup that you love.

You may want to buy a couple travel mugs to use throughout the week. Buy something that works and is easy to clean. 

2. Buy a Chemex coffee maker. 

My brother bought us a Chemex for a wedding present six years ago, and it changed our lives. Prior to the Chemex, we were spending $6.00 a bag for coffee. The Chemex is a miracle worker. It can make really inexpensive coffee taste incredible and not bitter. This saves you so much money because you can buy the cheap stuff. The Chemex is also easy to clean. I always felt uneasy about the cleanliness of our Mr. Coffee. I had no idea what was growing in the pipes and parts of that thing. The Chemex is glass. It is easy to clean, and it is durable. It isn't some electronic gizmo you have to upgrade every two years. It isn't going to suddenly quit working one morning. It is reliable, and I need that in a coffee maker. Once you taste the coffee made in one, you will never go back. How to use a Chemex Coffee Maker.

3. Buy Cafe Bustelo espresso style coffee.

Go to your Walmart and look for the yellow and red coffee bricks they are usually on the bottom shelf. It is cheap usually under $3.00. Cafe Bustelo was always my favorite coffee, but the Chemex made it taste even better. It makes a smooth, strong cup of coffee. Trust me, it will put pep in your step.

4. For espresso, buy an old school stove top espresso maker.

For the coffee drinkers, just add water to the espresso and you have an Americano. If you live alone or in a studio apartment with very little counter space, this is the coffee device for you. You don't need one of those complicated espresso machines. Stove top espresso makers are simple- no filters or space necessary. (Thank you, Mrs. Seaux, for giving me my first Cuban coffee maker for my tiny little apartment.)

5. Splurge on the stir ins.

It's okay to buy the pumpkin spiced flavored creamer and some sugar in the raw. Go crazy. Buy anything that makes you enjoy your coffee at home. Whatever flavoring, creamer, or topping you purchase is nowhere close to a thousand dollars.

6. Make it easy for yourself.

If you like iced coffee like me, use old coffee from the day before and store it in the fridge. And don't forget the straws!

7. Go to the coffee shop as a social treat. There is still nothing better than catching up with a good friend over a cup of coffee. It is a great way to spend time with someone and not spend a lot of money. Lunch, a movie or even some beers can quickly become $20.00 or more. Getting coffee as an activity is a very inexpensive way to hang out. 

One last thing.. 

8. Place the empty coffee bag in your bathroom trash can.

It is an awesome air freshener.

Chemex Coffee Maker    Stove Top Espresso Maker

For my iced coffee I like the Tervis Tumbler with a Tervis Black Lid. 

Anything you buy to make good coffee at home is worth it. As long as you don't spend 900.00 a year- you will be under what you'd spend at the coffee shop. Take the money you save and buy a real treat.

Thanks for reading!