Here’s How You Can Save Money At Starbucks, One Drink At A Time
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A Starbucks habit can be an expensive one. Dropping $5 here and $4 there might not seem like a big deal in the moment, but it adds up quickly. A skinny vanilla latte might only cost $4.15 per beverage, but over the course of a year, you’ll end up spending close to $1000 on Starbucks drinks alone. Image what you could do with that money. Luckily, Starbucks baristas have a reputation for bending the rules when you know what to ask for. Here’s how to save yourself money at the international coffee chain.
Bring your own cup.
You may not always remember to bring your own cup, but when you do, Starbucks rewards you with a $0.10 discount per cup. There’s also a certain comfort zone with your own mug. Plus, you won’t have to stress about a finicky Starbucks lid slipping off (and spilling all over your outfit) when you have your favorite trusted mug on hand.
Make sure you ask for light ice.
Watch a Starbucks barista make any iced drink and you’ll get pretty annoyed. They fill three-fourths of the cup with ice, giving you basically one-fourth of actual coffee. Ask the barista for light ice or tell them to leave the ice out altogether. This way you’ll be getting your money’s worth of coffee. If they ask you if you’d like room for milk, just say no. You can easily take a sip or two from the top and fill it with milk afterward at the condiments bar.
Become a Starbucks Rewards member.
Download the app and become a Starbucks Rewards member. With the green level rewards membership, you’ll get two stars per $1 spent, a birthday reward, pay by phone access, the option to order ahead, free in-store refills and access to member events and special offers. Once you hit the gold level rewards membership with over 300 stars, you’ll get monthly double-star days, a personalized gold card and an extra reward for every 125 stars.
Make your own latte at the milk station.
Order a single or double shot of espresso in a venti-sized cup — espresso shots are $1.75 each — and make your own latte at the milk station by adding milk, sugar and any of the powders available. If you bring your own cup, you could make your own latte right there on the spot.
Order the French press.
When you go to Starbucks with a group, opt for the 64-ounce French press. The eight-cup serving will run you $4.95, which comes out to $0.62 each. If it’s just the caffeine you’re looking for and you don’t need any sort of elaborate latte, this is the affordable way to go. Have a smaller group? You could also order a venti black coffee, split it up between two smaller cups and then split the price with a friend.
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