Monday, October 17, 2011

Starbucks taste, penny-pincher prices!


I'm not a coffee drinker, so when I would go to Starbucks I'd always end up with their high-calorie 'milkshake' Vanilla Bean Frappuccino.  Then my friend CG suggested I try a spice chai tea latte... and I got hooked.

And while I love the feeling of that cute little Starbucks cup in my hand, I know it isn't a practical daily purchase.  So while I was at the grocery store, I picked up Pacific Chai's Spice Chai Latte mix.  The Starbucks Latte is delicious, and it's made with Tazo tea, but the Tall version (12 oz.) costs you about $3.  The Pacific Chai mix can sit in your pantry for years, has about 13 servings (8 oz. each) and costs $4.79 per canister.  They even have a vanilla version.  If you do the math, there are almost 9 Starbucks-sized servings in the canister, meaning you save about $23 by buying the powdered mix.  AND it's lower in sugar and calories.
So I still splurge on the Starbucks version every once in a while.  There's peer pressure involved there.  But I know that when I'm home, or in my office, I can heat up some water and make a great-tasting chai latte for pennies on the dollar.

2 comments:

  1. I just got done writing on your Facebook wall about smart finances...and then I saw this! I've always considered myself lucky for not being a coffee drinker...such a money savings! However, I'm like you, I feel much more "hip" toting a Starbucks beverage around. I usually end up with a child's sized salted caramel hot chocolate. Whenever I do get one, I consider it a special treat!

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  2. Yeah, I get one at Starbucks less than once a month. It's very rare. I'm all for saving money.

    That's not to say I don't splurge... I just stay practical/frugal to the point I can save up for things I really want (DSLR camera in November!) and enjoy a great night out every once in a while.

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