Author Topic: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living  (Read 6010 times)

ChpBstrd

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TLDR synopsis:
30-something grad student / waitress feels that spending $7/day at Starbucks to buy sugar water and caffeine is a wise financial decision because her life sucks so badly that this addiction ritual is about the only satisfaction that can be had.

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/4/9/18296792/starbucks-habit-millennials-money

Observations:
1) Replace "Starbucks" with "whiskey bar" or meth and this essay takes a dark turn while retaining its essential message.It is know that caffeine is highly addictive. Addiction is addiction, and addicts always go through a euphoric phase where they think they've discovered the key to the good life.
2) Is this a veiled suicide note? Caffinated beverages are the best thing going in her life?
3) As her parents are bailing her out financially (necessary in part because she spends so much on Starbucks sugar waters) she justifies spending their charitable donations on more Starbucks sugar waters because caffinated beverages are the best thing going on in her life and she wouldn't want to feel depression / withdraw.
4) This article was reposted in the financial media (marketwatch.com). I'm sure they have their readers' financial interests at heart.
5) Do large corporations still pay freelancers to write subtle product endorsements? Did the editor change the title from the original "How the products of Starbucks corporation helped me extract a few minutes of pleasure out of an otherwise empty and miserable existence, and you can do it too!"?
6) Reading shit like this strengthens my resolve to not run off the cliff with the other lemmings.

Dicey

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2019, 08:45:40 AM »
Pre-FIRE I avoided SB assiduously.

Post-FIRE, my walking partner is a wealthy Starbucks junkie who comes to my house and makes me walk.

We take one hilly route to S/B and another on the way home.

I use hacks to keep my 3x/week costs down. It's still way cheaper than a gym or hiring a trainer to roust me out of the house and push my lazy ass up steep hills.

Recently, we took a four month break, while I healed from a serious injury. Not once did I darken the door of a S/B, despite always having a prepaid card on hand.

In short, I have Starbucks, but Bucky's doesn't have me. Too bad that insipid girl can't say the same.

remizidae

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2019, 08:51:47 AM »
The author actually says her drink is "less than $5," so less than $150/month. If it's an addiction, it's a remarkably affordable one--and let's face it, most of us even on this forum spend more than that on luxuries.

The real problem is being in grad school for *an MFA*!

Cool Friend

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2019, 09:58:42 AM »
To be fair, she doesn't claim it's a wise financial decision.  She claims that she's cut out a lot of other indulgences and would like to keep this particular ritualized creature comfort.  We all have them.  Personally I would never make mine Starbucks' overpriced, gross coffee, but to each her own!

Not mustachian, but certainly very human.

ysette9

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2019, 12:43:48 PM »
I don’t care much for Starbucks because I think their drinks are kind of crappy (way too sweet and not nearly hot enough), but I get the joy out of a morning ritual of a hot drink. I have my quality cup of tea every morning and it definitely brings me pleasure. Not having it for two weeks while on business travel was a bummer; I really enjoyed that first cup back once I got home. At $20 for a bag of 50 sachets I think I am not bankrupting myself. Poor lady making such bad choices and then compounding it by embarrassing herself on the internets.

SwordGuy

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2019, 01:03:06 PM »
The author actually says her drink is "less than $5," so less than $150/month. If it's an addiction, it's a remarkably affordable one--and let's face it, most of us even on this forum spend more than that on luxuries.

The real problem is being in grad school for *an MFA*!

Not necessarily.   There are a lot of useful skills taught in a good MFA program.    If your intent is to be a full time artist or teacher of artists it's a good option -- provided it can be achieved at an acceptable financial cost.

Becoming a doctor with $500k in student loans is apparently not unusual and is workable.   Becoming one with $5M in student loans would probably be foolish.  An MFA is no different, just the relevant workable and crazy-high price points vary due to the expected and likely income.



ixtap

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2019, 01:27:01 PM »
As a grad student, that caffeinated sugar water was also 90% of my social life. You could grab your own table and know that people existed or join in at other tables.

Bloop Bloop

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2019, 05:30:08 PM »
I don't think you can criticise others for wasting, say, $4 a day unless you also have no frivolous purchases.

Most people have some sort of money leak, and the key difference, in my mind, is whether the money leak is voluntary and controlled, or involuntary/uncontrolled.

E.g. if someone really likes a morning soy chai latte and is willing to spend $4 on it every day, and can afford it, great.

If someone does it out of caffeine addiction/compulsion, and doesn't want to do it but doesn't know how to stop, not great.

Same goes for any other expense. The only criteria I use to judge expenses are -
1) Do I get proper utility out of it, relative to other expenses and the opportunity cost of the money?
2) Is it an expense that I can control today, and into the future?

You could criticise people for spending money on church, pets, make-up, or other "frivolous" expenses or you could accept that people have different priorities.

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2019, 06:47:26 PM »
I was given some Starbucks gift cards from colleagues at work for Christmas, so I went to Starbucks and bought... bags of their Pike Place Roast coffee beans. Then I took them home and put them in my pantry. Every morning, I scoop out some of the coffee beans into the grinder my wife bought for me at JC Penney for $8 and I brew some Starbucks coffee in the little Mr. Coffee pot I bought in 2010 for $12.

Our investments just topped $200,000 this past month. You do the math here.

mavendrill

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2019, 08:40:25 PM »
This scares and amuses me, because I have a dear friend who, along with their spouse is a starbucks addict for the emotional comfort.  The real problem is that they bonded over starbucks, and 2 a day is routine and 3 a day (or occasionally 4) is typical for stress.  And they have 2 kids, so they have stress.  And now they add cake pops or 4$ cookies to their orders for the kids.

My friends and I guess that their family averages over $30 on starbucks per day for the last 9 years.

Of course they have no savings nor retirement plans.

penguintroopers

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2019, 08:04:17 AM »
Yeah, when I saw this article on FB I was wondering if I'd see it first in the antimustacian wall or mustachian wall.

I'd argue that she's actually mustachian. She's cut out other purchases that she previously valued to keep this one. I'd say there's at least one thing that all of us would hold onto and let go after all else has failed.

And $20k over 10 years is somewhere around ~2000/year. She could have spent that on clothes. On vacation. On upgrading from the regular apartment to the one with granite countertops. While the title is extremely melodramatic, it seems like starbucks didn't trigger going into debt, and she obviously prioritizes it. Prioritizing our purchases seems like a key for us: because when we prioritize we get the maximum amount of enjoyment per $.

PDXTabs

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2019, 08:10:08 AM »
And $20k over 10 years is somewhere around ~2000/year. She could have spent that on clothes. On vacation. On upgrading from the regular apartment to the one with granite countertops. While the title is extremely melodramatic, it seems like starbucks didn't trigger going into debt, and she obviously prioritizes it. Prioritizing our purchases seems like a key for us: because when we prioritize we get the maximum amount of enjoyment per $.

But she says that her drink is sub $5, that sometimes the weather is too bad to go out, and that sometimes they are free. That puts her annual spend sub $1325. Perhaps the headline figure is slightly exaggerated. 1325x12 = 15900

Dicey

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #12 on: April 11, 2019, 08:11:45 AM »
This scares and amuses me, because I have a dear friend who, along with their spouse is a starbucks addict for the emotional comfort.  The real problem is that they bonded over starbucks, and 2 a day is routine and 3 a day (or occasionally 4) is typical for stress.  And they have 2 kids, so they have stress.  And now they add cake pops or 4$ cookies to their orders for the kids.

My friends and I guess that their family averages over $30 on starbucks per day for the last 9 years.

Of course they have no savings nor retirement plans.
Interesting you mention that. I am shocked at how often I see parents with little kids at Bucky's. Like ysette9, I only drink tea (and carry my cup home and add more hot water later), but my parents certainly never would have dreamed of bringing us to something like Starbucks, except on the rarest occasions.  Except the "something like Starbuck's" was more likely to be something like McDonald's or IHOP.

pachnik

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2019, 08:41:09 AM »
This scares and amuses me, because I have a dear friend who, along with their spouse is a starbucks addict for the emotional comfort.  The real problem is that they bonded over starbucks, and 2 a day is routine and 3 a day (or occasionally 4) is typical for stress.  And they have 2 kids, so they have stress.  And now they add cake pops or 4$ cookies to their orders for the kids.

My friends and I guess that their family averages over $30 on starbucks per day for the last 9 years.

Of course they have no savings nor retirement plans.

Wow, that's pretty sad.  Waste of money + I am sure those cookies etc. aren't very healthy.  Once in a while, but not every day.   I can't imagine spending that much time in a Starbucks every day. 

ChpBstrd

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2019, 04:20:59 PM »
Fair points about how this is not exactly a McMansion, full size luxury SUV, or diamond-encrusted designer clothing. However this is a student who I am guessing earns less than $30k/year, gets by on handouts from their parents, probably does not have an IRA, and is still buying 500+ calories of sugar and caffeine solution daily. Yes, the author could do worse if they spent, say, twice as much making her own twinkie and amphetamine smoothies, but the point is we are in the same category of behavior.

To defend one's dependence on the internet though... It struck me as normalizing the idea that happiness depends upon consumption of unhealthy products.That's not mustachian regardless of the price. By all means, partake, but when consumption is the point of life you have a problem no matter how cheap your vice might be.

Side note: There seems to be a subtle pushback against the idea that caffeine is an addictive drug. Sort of an attitude like "Yes, scientifically speaking it's addictive, but this particular addiction is not a problem because it makes people's [my] life better." Hmm.

Maenad

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #15 on: April 11, 2019, 04:32:40 PM »
Side note: There seems to be a subtle pushback against the idea that caffeine is an addictive drug. Sort of an attitude like "Yes, scientifically speaking it's addictive, but this particular addiction is not a problem because it makes people's [my] life better." Hmm.

Caffeine addiction doesn't have the serious negative health impacts that other addictions do. I've seen people drink until their livers fail and it kills them. Coffee drinkers aren't getting hepatitis or infections from sharing needles. Coffee-stained teeth is not "meth mouth".

And withdrawal is a killer headache, but that's it. You don't get the DTs, you don't have to step down with methadone, or wean yourself at a clinic under the supervision of a medical team.

So yeah, not all addictions are created equal.



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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #16 on: April 11, 2019, 04:36:17 PM »
Side note: There seems to be a subtle pushback against the idea that caffeine is an addictive drug. Sort of an attitude like "Yes, scientifically speaking it's addictive, but this particular addiction is not a problem because it makes people's [my] life better." Hmm.

Caffeine addiction doesn't have the serious negative health impacts that other addictions do. I've seen people drink until their livers fail and it kills them. Coffee drinkers aren't getting hepatitis or infections from sharing needles. Coffee-stained teeth is not "meth mouth".

Also, you can get your drug of choice for relatively cheap at Costco (ask me how I know). Also, there is actually some evidence that coffee intake reduces mortality and improves test scores.

Montecarlo

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #17 on: April 11, 2019, 05:31:10 PM »
I'd argue that she's actually mustachian. She's cut out other purchases that she previously valued to keep this one. I'd say there's at least one thing that all of us would hold onto and let go after all else has failed.

Except she explicitly says the quality of Starbucks isn't so hot:

Quote
(If it’s not triple, it just tastes like milk; the hot venti is Starbucks’s most milk-diluted beverage size.)
Quote
Starbucks’s brand isn’t good coffee so much as predictability
Quote
The coffee isn’t excellent; sometimes, it tastes inexplicably floral.

And she seems uncomfortable with the values of Starbucks, or at least the demographics of the customer.

Seems like she just likes a ritual, specifically, a wasteful one:

Quote
Meanwhile, I’m surrounded by transient, consumable experiences: restaurants, bars, concerts, comedy shows. Cities are basically giant malls — as Ma puts it in Severance, “[New York] lulled you into thinking that there were so many options, but most of the options had to do with buying things.”

She seems like she's decided she has to indulge in at least one transient, consumable experience.

BookLoverL

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #18 on: April 12, 2019, 02:44:58 AM »
Side note: There seems to be a subtle pushback against the idea that caffeine is an addictive drug. Sort of an attitude like "Yes, scientifically speaking it's addictive, but this particular addiction is not a problem because it makes people's [my] life better." Hmm.

Caffeine addiction doesn't have the serious negative health impacts that other addictions do. I've seen people drink until their livers fail and it kills them. Coffee drinkers aren't getting hepatitis or infections from sharing needles. Coffee-stained teeth is not "meth mouth".

Also, you can get your drug of choice for relatively cheap at Costco (ask me how I know). Also, there is actually some evidence that coffee intake reduces mortality and improves test scores.


Just because it doesn't cause the same social problems as drinking or hard drugs doesn't mean that caffeine addiction isn't an issue. If you drink a lot of it, it can cause various problems, like anxiety, headaches, high blood pressure, making existing heart problems worse, and jitters/shaky hands. I found this website just googling now that has a list of bad side effects, though the site itself is trying to get you to quit so may be biased: https://www.caffeineinformer.com/harmful-effects-of-caffeine

PDXTabs

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #19 on: April 12, 2019, 12:09:00 PM »
Just because it doesn't cause the same social problems as drinking or hard drugs doesn't mean that caffeine addiction isn't an issue. If you drink a lot of it, it can cause various problems, like anxiety...

Absolutely, I have to limit my consumption or I do get anxious (and I struggle with dependance/addiction). However, I'm not anxious and bankrupt with Hep C and no veins left.

Goldielocks

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #20 on: April 12, 2019, 01:55:58 PM »
This scares and amuses me, because I have a dear friend who, along with their spouse is a starbucks addict for the emotional comfort.  The real problem is that they bonded over starbucks, and 2 a day is routine and 3 a day (or occasionally 4) is typical for stress.  And they have 2 kids, so they have stress.  And now they add cake pops or 4$ cookies to their orders for the kids.

My friends and I guess that their family averages over $30 on starbucks per day for the last 9 years.

Of course they have no savings nor retirement plans.

Wow, that's pretty sad.  Waste of money + I am sure those cookies etc. aren't very healthy.  Once in a while, but not every day.   I can't imagine spending that much time in a Starbucks every day.


I was thinking today about how spending choices are different depending on the life cycle position you are in.  $150/mo budget for socializing and entertainment is actually quite cheap for the under 26 crowd.   As a 40+ year old, it seems so wasteful, but then I have friends that likely spend $150/mo upgrading their kitchen tools (pots / pans, stuff) because they like to host parties, and that would be equally wasteful, even if you keep that clay tagine and that martini shaker set for a decade, you will only use it a few times.


As for MFA,  the cost for it is not too bad.   A good program near me would cost $13k/yr x 2 years.  They have a summer term, so you could finish it in 18 months if you wanted to.   

The hidden cost is not working full time while you are doing this, but they also have several intern programs (paid) and quite a few scholarship / grants to offset some of the costs.   Most of the grad student can work part time, and get well above minimum wage, while going to school, so they can pay for their housing / cost of living.

Total cost would be around $26k minus grants and scholarships.... so maybe around $18k for a masters.

remizidae

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #21 on: April 12, 2019, 02:27:12 PM »
Fair points about how this is not exactly a McMansion, full size luxury SUV, or diamond-encrusted designer clothing. However this is a student who I am guessing earns less than $30k/year, gets by on handouts from their parents, probably does not have an IRA, and is still buying 500+ calories of sugar and caffeine solution daily. Yes, the author could do worse if they spent, say, twice as much making her own twinkie and amphetamine smoothies, but the point is we are in the same category of behavior.

To defend one's dependence on the internet though... It struck me as normalizing the idea that happiness depends upon consumption of unhealthy products.That's not mustachian regardless of the price. By all means, partake, but when consumption is the point of life you have a problem no matter how cheap your vice might be.

Side note: There seems to be a subtle pushback against the idea that caffeine is an addictive drug. Sort of an attitude like "Yes, scientifically speaking it's addictive, but this particular addiction is not a problem because it makes people's [my] life better." Hmm.

She's drinking iced coffee. It's not 500 calories--more like 50 with 2 shots of syrup.

It seems like your take on this is not based on what the article says, so much as your preexisting anti-caffeine agenda. I agree caffeine is potentially addictive and costly, but spedning money is not bad per se, it's only bad if it's not in line with your values. Similarly, drinking a (potentially) addictive substance is only bad if it has bad consequences.

This person has thought extensively about her coffee habit, and mindfully decided it's worth it for her. The fact that you don't like coffee doesn't mean she is doing anything wrog.

PDXTabs

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #22 on: April 12, 2019, 02:49:46 PM »
Back to the is/is not caffeine addictive point, most/all MDs and PsyDs want to see "continued use despite harm" to diagnose an addiction. While that may actually be true for a small number of people (heart patients that just can't quit?) I haven't met any of them. I have however met many alcohol, drug, and gambling addicts that exhibit "continued use despite harm."

So that leaves it habit forming or dependency inducing in the eyes of almost everyone we call "doctor."

EDITed to add - which I know because I really really want to call caffeine addictive, because I get horrible withdrawal headaches. But my Dr won't tell me I'm addicted. He says that I'm dependent because Caffeine addiction, or a pathological and compulsive form of use, has not been documented in humans. - Malenka RC, Nestler EJ, Hyman SE (2009), ISBN 9780071481274
« Last Edit: April 12, 2019, 02:57:15 PM by PDXTabs »

Raenia

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #23 on: April 12, 2019, 03:06:46 PM »
The part that shocks me isn't that she buys coffee every day, it's that apparently she has nothing else in her life that is enjoyable and this is her only reason to live?  Seriously?  Go walk in a park, have some friends over for dinner at your place, go to events at your local library or college, listen to music, volunteer at an animal shelter, something.  Letting coffee be the only good thing in your life sounds like a pretty awful life, and never mind the money.

Quote
I am intensely future-oriented. ... This means I’m pathologically responsible, so much so that, according to Zimbardo, I “thrive on control and predictability” and struggle to take pleasure in “present, transient, consumable activities and experiences.” (True and true.)

My friend used to joke that if I were the subject of a biopic, it would just be a montage of me ordering the same thing, over and over, at different Starbucks. He was right.  My Starbucks habit feels like the spinal cord running through my life, holding it together as I move from place to place, from school to job to job to graduate school.

Girl needs some joy in her life, and it doesn't have to cost anything.

BDWW

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #24 on: April 12, 2019, 03:28:17 PM »
Side note: There seems to be a subtle pushback against the idea that caffeine is an addictive drug. Sort of an attitude like "Yes, scientifically speaking it's addictive, but this particular addiction is not a problem because it makes people's [my] life better." Hmm.

I love the responses to this, shades of "the lady doth protest too much."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ovhbT-Iulc

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2019, 08:52:20 AM »
Some folks' reaction to this woman's decision to get coffee reminds me of how some folks on the forum chastised me for collecting bottle returns to pay for movie tickets. It's okay to do things you enjoy if you can find a way to do it without significant financial impact. People have to live their lives and do things that are meaningful to them. Coffee is great and as long as the woman in the article can do it in a way that isn't mortgaging her future, then by all means she should do it.

When it comes to coffee, there are ways to get it without spending several dollars per cup. That's where the focus should be in this conversation. Not debating whether she should do something that she enjoys. That's none of our business.

BTDretire

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #26 on: April 13, 2019, 09:29:06 AM »
I went into a Starbucks 22 years ago, when I landed at LAX.
I wanted a cup of coffee and saw the coffee shop. When I saw a
plain cup of coffee was $5, I went without.
 I'm sure I have been to one since, but I can't rememeber it.
 Lifetime Starbucks spending, Under $20.

BookLoverL

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #27 on: April 13, 2019, 02:39:04 PM »
Side note: There seems to be a subtle pushback against the idea that caffeine is an addictive drug. Sort of an attitude like "Yes, scientifically speaking it's addictive, but this particular addiction is not a problem because it makes people's [my] life better." Hmm.

I love the responses to this, shades of "the lady doth protest too much."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ovhbT-Iulc

Love the video, it's hilarious. xD

Seriously, people, enjoy your coffee if you want, but don't kid yourselves that it's not a drug. Use responsibly. ;)

Bloop Bloop

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #28 on: April 13, 2019, 08:00:15 PM »
Some folks' reaction to this woman's decision to get coffee reminds me of how some folks on the forum chastised me for collecting bottle returns to pay for movie tickets. It's okay to do things you enjoy if you can find a way to do it without significant financial impact. People have to live their lives and do things that are meaningful to them. Coffee is great and as long as the woman in the article can do it in a way that isn't mortgaging her future, then by all means she should do it.

When it comes to coffee, there are ways to get it without spending several dollars per cup. That's where the focus should be in this conversation. Not debating whether she should do something that she enjoys. That's none of our business.

I agree with this. The only thing I'd say is that people only have limited processing power. Perhaps the person in the thread uses up her processing power on other more important things (which contribute more than $4 per day).

I know for myself, sometimes I do non-frugal things like take a taxi or buy something not on sale, because I don't have the mental energy to be frugal. Frugality costs willpower and mental energy, and both of those things are finite. You might decide to save the mental energy for something else (like being present and enjoying a social gathering, or working smarter at work to increase your wage).

Just Joe

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Re: I think spending $20,000 at Starbucks makes my life worth living
« Reply #29 on: April 14, 2019, 03:39:20 PM »
I love visiting Starbucks on a business trip for example when PerDiem is paying for it and I need some downtime. I like the place. Even better if it is uncrowded. It is a treat though. Something I do a couple of times per year or less. What is really fun is visiting one of our local coffee shops or pubs. Better chance of seeing a friend and chatting. Even this is a rare treat. These articles where people visit daily or multiple times per day redefine other people's worlds a little bit. No wonder we hear about money woes and such.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!