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This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
I have a confession to make. I am addicted to coffee – the pricey frapps and ice blended drinks. But that’s not my only problem. In order to keep up with my caffeine addiction I’ve been charging the drinks on my credit card. Not smart at all, especially when I carry a balance.
I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten until I was reviewing my e-bill and noticed almost half the charges made were at coffee shops. My addiction began about six months ago when I took on more responsibility at work and couldn’t get out of the newsroom until 10 or 11 p.m.
Waking up extra early didn’t help either. By 3 p.m. I needed a pick me up and walked to a local coffee shop for my fix. If I didn’t have cash on me I would simply charge my $4 drinks. In no time my habit added up to $20 a week. Now I pay for my indulgence plus interest.
I shared my dilemma on the Bargain Babe Facebook page and many readers offered solutions that I am implementing. Here’s my plan. First, I’m going cold turkey. I had my last ice blended drink this weekend. I am not frequenting any coffee shops for a while and most importantly I am working hard to pay off my credit card debt. Note to self, don’t use plastic to pay for food or drink!
I am also fighting my expensive coffee addiction one tea bag at a time. Compared to coffee, tea is less expensive and doesn’t add extra calories (unless you add cream). I am using my coffee maker at home more often, as reader Janna suggested:
“I make my own cappuccinos now. I have a Senseo, which I *love* ($.25 per cup). I warm up some milk in the micro, then foam it up with an Aerolatte; simply awesome. For the counter space saved over a home espresso maker and the cost you can’t beat it.”
Having worked at a juice bar, I have enough experience to tackle making coffee at home. I also have an Aerolatte so I just need to commit to doing it myself.
Related posts:
What tempted me to use my credit card this month
June 29th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Don’t be surprised if you lose weight too.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Here’s what I do to make my own “frappacino” – I take a cup of coffee that it still warm – add 1 tsp. cocoa, unsweetened, add 2 packets of Splenda – and French Vanilla coffeemate liquid…..add ice cubes and it truly is a delicious drink!
June 29th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
@MIchelle That sounds yummy! I’m going to have to try it soon.
June 29th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Yazmin, I totally understand your addiction, as several of my friends have the same habit. I’m one of those people who likes to make fresh coffee in a coffeemaker (I have a small 4 cup, as well as a 12-cup that can blend the beans), and have no problem with warming up leftover coffee that’s been put in a glass jar in the fridge. That way I can have it iced or hot, with or without Cinnamon Vanilla creamer, and the cost is minimal. If you keep a microwave proof mug at work, you should be able to avoid the expense of “that other place” and save $$$. I find that the creamer adds enough sweetness that no sugar (or sugar sub) is needed. As for tea, I like it hot or iced with just lemon, which is much healthier, as well as tastier in the hot weather that’s coming soon.
BTW ~ A 4-cup coffeemaker that can be preset to start at a certain time is quite inexpensive at Target, and might be a good thing to have at work! I know some people who use half regular and half decaf for their coffee. They think it helps to cut down on the caffeine addiction.
June 29th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
@Linda Losing some weight would be nice. Have you had a similar experience?
June 29th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
@EllieD I have a coffeemaker at home that doesn’t get much use and I am thinking of taking it to the newsroom. I work really long hours and need to be alert at all times so I can’t give up caffeine completely.
I really like tea so having some instead of coffee once in a while should help cut down on the caffeine and cost. I’ve also read that tea has many health benefits especially when you add lemon.
June 29th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Don’t give up that caffeine addiction yet!! I just heard a news report on NPR about the BENEFITS of caffeine–on the order of 4-6 cups per day!! Neurologists who are studying this say you need at LEAST that amount to reap the benefits–one of which may be to stave off Alzheimer’s. Good luck with cutting the expensive habit, but keep some caffeine in there
June 30th, 2010 at 12:22 am
Coffee/caffeine is one of those topics that health experts say is good for you one day and the opposite another. I am an “equal opportunity coffee drinker” in that I can drink virtually any black coffee as long as I toss in a packet of Equal or Splenda. I even enjoy Folger’s instant coffee this way. (I also enjoy hot tea, and iced tea in the summer is great.) Something I really enjoy in my (instant) coffee is a packet of Splenda Flavors for Coffee–specifically, the mocha flavor. It is delicious and gives off a nice chocolate-y aroma that people around me have commented on. The only problem is that this flavor is hard to come by. I now know of only one store that carries it, and I’m not identifying it because I don’t want the store to run out if you all try it.
On a more serious and monetary note, why would you carry a balance, Yazmin? I’m asking this rhetorically in that it’s none of my/our business. But this is a blog that deals with using money wisely, and you are a guest blogger which implies some expertise . . .
June 30th, 2010 at 7:36 am
@Lisa I’m not quitting coffee. What I am quitting is buying the expensive caffeine and charging it on my credit card. I’ve also read about the benefits of coffee and love it too much to give it up completely.
June 30th, 2010 at 7:50 am
@Diane I was waiting for someone to ask the question. It seems the coffee addiction stuck a chord with people and they just glanced over the bigger problem.
Without going into details, I do know better. I work on a freelance basis meaning I don’t always have cash on me and the plastic gets swiped a lot. I tend to pay off balances as soon as cash is available but this time I went over budget with the coffee addiction and that’s how I got into this mess. In short, I slipped up and made a mistake that I am learning from and currently paying for.
June 30th, 2010 at 11:09 am
One of the problems with reading all the reports on the benefits of coffee and tea is that even the “experts” disagree on how much needs to be consumed before any true benefits are realized. Most seem to agree that tea, especially green or black, seem to provide the most benefit where antioxidents are concerned. I enjoy iced tea with fresh lemon (I have a lemon tree) all year long. Also, I drink only one cup of coffee per day, when I first get up in the a.m., as that seems to get my “plumbing” going. The rest of the day I drink water or iced tea with lemon, which provides the needed hydration for good health.
Aside to Yazmin: Do you work in the newsroom of a TV or radio station? Are you at liberty to say which one?
June 30th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
ANOTHER OPTION: friends of mine with same “addiction” buy a “gift card” for themselves that they can re-load, and simply put the amount they wish to spend in a month ($20? $30?) on coffee drinks on the card. Once the money is gone, they don’t re-load until end of month. Simple way to budget if you still want to go!
June 30th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
@Jenni What a great idea! I can’t believe I didn’t think of doing that.
June 30th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Hi, EllieD–
I’m guessing you know that tea, like coffee, is a diuretic. Also, I read not too long ago that the antioxidant benefit in tea was in question. But that was then. What day is today?
June 30th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
@Jenni What a great idea. Gift cards are a built in budget, I just never thought of them that way before.
June 30th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
For hot coffee on the cheap I go to 7-11 or Circle K. You can get different straight up coffees or mix various cappuccino blends with cocoa (for a mocha) and various flavored syrups. $1.69 at 7-11 or $1.59 at Circle K for 24 ounces. This should keep you buzzing for a while.
On the previous post for loading a gift card to control expenses – do it when they have a promotion going on of an extra $5 card when you buy $20 or $25 worth of gift cards.
June 30th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
@Myke Great tip on the gift card promotion, I’ll definitely keep an eye out for it.
June 30th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
I totally understand your addiction too! I used to work at Starbucks and then I recently quit, but I still craved the drinks. It was tough during the first week, but I found that my addiction to caffeine went away and I have tried to replace my second cup of coffee with green tea at work. Occasionally, I treat myself to a Starbucks every now and then, but I think of it only as a treat and not a necessity. I just brew my own regular coffee in the morning.