Let's be honest. It's easily become part of the quintessential college experience to wake up, rush to class, and hit up a coffee shop on the way. In a single day, one regular cup of coffee isn't that financially devastating, as it usually costs between $1 – $3.
Life begins after coffee - a mantra that millions follow. Bruno Cervera
However, a significant amount of college students (myself included) end up purchasing coffee every. single. day.
That can eventually add up – if you buy a cup of coffee every single day for a year, you would spend roughly $800 to $1000. As much as you love indulging in a good old cup o' joe, you have to face the hard truth that comes with your habitual coffee drinking: it's taking a major toll on your wallet.
I'm not saying to give up coffee altogether. That's absurd. Instead, think about the ways you can cut the cost on caffeine so you're able to pay off that student loan debt sooner than you anticipated.
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1. Join rewards programs.
Rahul Chakraborty
It's all about baby steps. With just the tap of your smartphone, you can still enjoy coffee from your favorite chains like Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, or McDonald's at a lesser price! If you join their rewards programs, you can get some pretty sweet deals and discounts.
With DDPerks, you can get free beverages when you sign up for the program, on your birthday, and every time you earn 200 points.
You'd need a Starbucks gift card or star code to get started with Starbucks Rewards, but then you'll be able to redeem free beverages once you earn 125 points.
If you download the McDonald's app, there are a few deals going on right now with their McCafe items; if you buy 5 McCafe drinks you can get 1 free, you can buy one medium or large drink and get another one for only $0.01 (yes, a penny!), and you can get a specialty medium or large McCafe beverage for $1.
2. Bring a reusable cup to Starbucks.
David Svihovec
At Starbucks, you can bring in any reusable cup you want to use for your coffee and receive a 10% off discount. Contrary to the rumors, it does not have to be a Starbucks reusable cup! However, you're not permitted to use one of Starbucks' "for here" cups to get the discount. If you come in with a reusable cup, it's a win-win – you're saving money and the environment!
3. Brew at home.
Country Living
This seems like the most obvious answer, but it's also the simplest solution! If you have a coffee maker at home, you should be putting it to good use. People who brew at home only spend around $45 a year on coffee. Yep, only $45! That's a great bargain compared to the hundreds of dollars you'd spend a year at Starbucks.
A lot of people complain that it takes too long to set up or brew when they're rushing in the morning. My pro tip is to put your coffee in the filter (or k-cup in the pod, if you're a Keurig user) and water in the pot the night before so all you have to do the next morning is press a button! I also love making coffee at home because I get to use my cute cups and favorite flavored creamer!
4. Get a reusable K-Cup coffee filter .
Kitchen Stuff Plus
For my homebodies with Keurigs, this one's for you. I'm not kidding when I say that this hack has saved my life. I recently bought my mom a Keurig for her birthday and blew at least $25 on a 40-pack variety assortment of K-cups. She then gifted me with a mini Keurig for my birthday, and I didn't want to spend so much on little coffee cups that are only good for one-and-done usage. Instead, I opted to buy a reusable K-cup coffee filter for about $4 at Walmart. I fill it with my favorite brand of standard ground coffee and I'm good to go!
I know these tips have helped me keep money in the bank and caffeine in my system. It's pretty simple for you to do the same! Just remember that at the end of the day, you brew you.
Nathan Dumlao
