Starbucks

[JackieTreehorn]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-ways-recent-grads-waste-091700033.html

My favorite part:

"Carr recently met with a young woman who was making good money but never seemed to have anything left at month’s end. Reviewing the woman’s spending Carr noticed a pattern. Monday: Starbucks. Tuesday: Starbucks. Wednesday: Starbucks. She must really like Starbucks. Nope. It turns out she got coffee every morning because it seemed like something people did before work. She didn’t even really like the taste."

Sometimes I think they have to be making this stuff up.

[Ann]

Quintessential example of unthinking consumerism.  I mean, really?  Even most Spendypants get a least a brief moment of enjoyment as they slide down to the depths of debt and waste.

It reminds me of the story/parable of the woman who always cut the ends off her roast because that's what her mother always did, but didn't know why.  When eventually questioned by a third party, the mother said the reason SHE had always done it was because her roasting pan was too small.

[shelivesthedream]

This is a really great article. I know the Starbucks thing sounds crazy, but I can see how someone would want to fit in (maybe a lot of coworkers go there in the morning and she doesn't want to miss out on their bonding time) or feel successful (it's in every film, every photograph of some celebrity on downtime - you've just graduated and are feeling insecure and want to feel like you belong in the corporate world so you fake it in obvious external ways).

I wish new grads would read this. It's very true, gentle and accessible. My favourite bit was the girl having to guess how much rent she could afford. When I first started living independently, I had to guess a good food budget semi-blind and it felt terrifying. Because NO ONE TELLS YOU and how are you supposed to know if no one tells you? I know we have the internet these days but sometimes googling it can make it more confusing, not less.

[Helvegen]

I have never been to Starbucks. I don't really want to go either. I am not a big fan of coffee and many of the items I would order are too high in calories to have on any regular basis.

I do see several co-workers that make multiple trips a day to Starbucks, although we have free, freshly ground coffee machines in house.

I can't say I have ever experienced any peer pressure to go there. No one cares what I am drinking.

[socal0218]

My "Starbucks Splurge" is a $0.96 soda from the fountain at the gas station. I really have very little sympathy for people who go to a coffee shop just so they can carry around a paper cup with their name on it.

[MgoSam]

I think this brings up a good point. There is a correlation between doing what people expect of you and wasting money. I could buy a McMansion, which my family thinks that I should, or I could spend half as much in mortgage, utilities, and save that money up. I could trade in my 10 year Camry that runs perfectly well and buy a new version, or I could instead cherish my car for another 10+ years (fingers crossed) and instead invest that money.

[steadierfooting]

I often notice college age kids at starbucks or dunkin donuts tip, or say, "keep the change".  Even I used to do it around that age at dunkin donuts.  I guess they see a tip jar and don't know what to do?  For me I can't remember exactly why I did it (and it was only a handful of times), maybe i briefly thought they made server salaries?

I travel often internationally, and I love the lack of tipping everywhere outside of the US.

[No Name Guy]

... My favourite bit was the girl having to guess how much rent she could afford. When I first started living independently, I had to guess a good food budget semi-blind and it felt terrifying. Because NO ONE TELLS YOU and how are you supposed to know if no one tells you?

Not picking on you dream but......

Uhhhh......ask your parent(s)?  Ask older friends?  Ask and Aunt or Uncle?  Ask the boss or a more senior person at your crappy teenage job?  Ask a teacher, especially the Home Economics one.

How simply asking wouldn't come to a person escapes me.

[Giro]

My coworker goes to Starbucks (conveniently located in our building) twice a day and she views it as a much needed reward.  She also complains about money and her car payment.  She recently took a significant pay cut to transition to a government employee.  I told her she could save $40 a week by skipping Starbucks.  she acted like I wanted to rape her child.

[Xlar]

... My favourite bit was the girl having to guess how much rent she could afford. When I first started living independently, I had to guess a good food budget semi-blind and it felt terrifying. Because NO ONE TELLS YOU and how are you supposed to know if no one tells you?

Not picking on you dream but......

Uhhhh......ask your parent(s)?  Ask older friends?  Ask and Aunt or Uncle?  Ask the boss or a more senior person at your crappy teenage job?  Ask a teacher, especially the Home Economics one.

How simply asking wouldn't come to a person escapes me.

It's kinda funny but even though my parents are "good" with money (i.e. they didn't have any debt and have nice things) the advice from them and everyone else that I met was that you should spend as much as you could afford and save 10% for retirement. It wasn't until I found this site that I even discovered that there was a different opinion! Discovering the concept of FIRE has completely revolutionize my approach to work and money!

[Elderwood17]

I think this brings up a good point. There is a correlation between doing what people expect of you and wasting money. I could buy a McMansion, which my family thinks that I should, or I could spend half as much in mortgage, utilities, and save that money up. I could trade in my 10 year Camry that runs perfectly well and buy a new version, or I could instead cherish my car for another 10+ years (fingers crossed) and instead invest that money.

Choices choices choices!  I think a lot of people simply make the choice to do what others seem to be doing, but when they see someone making a contrarian choice (which perhaps deep down they envy?) they get upset at the one not going with the crowd.

[zephyr911]

My coworker goes to Starbucks (conveniently located in our building) twice a day and she views it as a much needed reward.  She also complains about money and her car payment.  She recently took a significant pay cut to transition to a government employee.  I told her she could save $40 a week by skipping Starbucks.  she acted like I wanted to rape her child.

Damn, that's at least $200 pretax.

[civil]

... My favourite bit was the girl having to guess how much rent she could afford. When I first started living independently, I had to guess a good food budget semi-blind and it felt terrifying. Because NO ONE TELLS YOU and how are you supposed to know if no one tells you?

Not picking on you dream but......

Uhhhh......ask your parent(s)?  Ask older friends?  Ask and Aunt or Uncle?  Ask the boss or a more senior person at your crappy teenage job?  Ask a teacher, especially the Home Economics one.

How simply asking wouldn't come to a person escapes me.

My parents almost never talked about money and told me it was a personal topic and it's inappropriate to pry. I asked co-workers, but they lived with their parents or at their SO's parents' house. My school didn't offer Home Ec. All of this infused with that it's-inappropriate-to-pry attitude, and I had to figure it out on my own.

Even now, I know very few people who will talk about money. Including things like how much they bought/sold a house for, which is public record. Co-workers complain about how much their rent is going up, I ask them how much (I know a lot of property managers and can often point them to good places) and they usually mumble something about how they're not comfortable talking about it. Same with food, and laundry, and gyms, and cars. And these are government and military co-workers whose salaries, BAH, BAS are public.

[Dicey]

First, may I report that I'm not a coffee drinker, never have been much of one. Second, I am FIRE. Just so you know...

Lately, I've found a great walking partner. We walk at the same pace and she gets me to climb hills that I wouldn't climb by myself. We hike in and around my neighborhood because hers is flat, so no transit costs for me. She's super smart and very involved in the community, so I learn a LOT on our walks. But here's the thing: we have to stop at Bucky's on nearly every outing. (She uses SB as her office and I kid you not, is probably at three of them on an average day.*) We kill ourselves, stop and chat a while over a beverage and then kill ourselves on the way back. I have pretty much decided that it's worth the price to have a great exercise partner, and I certainly spend way less that a gym would cost AND I can afford it, but what I can't reconcile is the WASTE. OMG, there is so much packaging! And they don't recycle anything! Worse still, they throw away unsold food every day. Since I've never supported fast food or coffee, I've never experienced this level of waste. I can't hardly stand it! Also, their pricing is so obscure. My friend pays less for brewed iced tea than I seem to have to because I only drink decaf and that costs more. I just don't get it...

Okay, thanks for letting me get that off my chest...

*tl;dr - She's not a mustachian but is FI, so she can easily afford it. No worries on that front.

[shelivesthedream]

... My favourite bit was the girl having to guess how much rent she could afford. When I first started living independently, I had to guess a good food budget semi-blind and it felt terrifying. Because NO ONE TELLS YOU and how are you supposed to know if no one tells you?

Not picking on you dream but......

Uhhhh......ask your parent(s)?  Ask older friends?  Ask and Aunt or Uncle?  Ask the boss or a more senior person at your crappy teenage job?  Ask a teacher, especially the Home Economics one.

How simply asking wouldn't come to a person escapes me.

It is a good question, actually, and my answer is much the same as the others who have answered, but I thought I'd give detail.

- My parents are, I suppose, conventionally good with money but I was brought up not to talk about it. I still do not know how much my parents earned. I asked them once to find out if I would qualify for a student grant at university, and they just laughed and said they earned too much for me to apply. We don't have that kind of close relationship. Also, my parents have a cushy middle class life right now. They buy organic aubergines. I am not going to be spending like they do on food, and their numbers from thirty years ago are not going to be any use to me now.
- I didn't have older friends. All my friends were from my year at school or university, so were almost exactly my age and going through the same thing. I did not interact regularly with adults as friends as a child.
- I haven't seen any of my aunts or uncles for several years. We are not a close extended family.
- I didn't have a crappy teenage job. I wasn't allowed one because it was my 'job' to get straight As at school and do extra work to get into a good university.
- My school did not teach home economics. We only did academic subjects, art, music and sport.

My version of 'asking' was looking on the internet, which was the only resource I had, and gave so many answers I couldn't work out what to do.

[Megma]

I had a similar experience with food budgeting, in my mind food was a need so as long as I had money in my account I just bought whatever food I wanted cost not so considered. Ok I've always shopped the sale cycle but it never occurred to me that I would not buy whatever food I wanted because it was a "need".

Clearly I've been lucky to never have been that poor. Even now there's a lot of wants in my food budget but there's at least a budget!

[bloomability]

I used to struggle with spending at Starbucks, and at coffee shops in general. I could blame working at home and being a millenial, but really, I can be just as productive at my library or even my desk. I get way more enjoyment going to coffee shops less frequently and going to non - chain coffee shops.

It's just taken me a long time to wake up from zombie habits and look to maximize the experience. I'm happier not being part of the daily grind, and I got here by asking me "why am I doing this?".

I also like word play.

[sleepyguy]

Well I was the EXACT same way, probably even worst a few yrs back (5-7yrs).  I thought it was 'standard' to go to coffee twice a day, eat out at least 1-2x per day, spend $30-50 on drinks on weekends.  Pro sports outings $100+, movies outing $35, no problem.  This was multiple times per week, with zero issues. 

So I 'get' it.  It was pointless spending honestly that didn't make me any happier then not spending, or spending efficiently.  Can't say I've made a full 180, but at least a 120 I would say :)

[LiveLean]

When I was a young adult, my accountant/CFO dad taught me how to do my taxes. Even now, 25 years later, he still checks them and I pride myself on finding some new obscure tax savings every year that even he isn't aware of. I'm also the executor of his will (Mom died years ago). I see nothing wrong with knowing about family money, though my wife's parents are financial trainwrecks and I wouldn't want them knowing the first thing about ours.

I'm also thankful that Dad also unwittingly taught me to hate coffee. He smoked when I was a kid and would begin each morning chain-smoking and pounding coffee. To this day I can't stand the smell of coffee and cigarettes. I buy my wife Starbucks because she likes it, but I've never bought anything for myself. Howard Schultz is one of America's true villains, convincing people from a young age that they need sugary, caffeinated crap just to get through the day. It wasn't that long ago that the only people who drank coffee were 50-plus. If you're Generation X or older, you can recall the only coffee ads were of seniors drinking Maxwell House, Folgers or Taster's Choice.

Eat a better diet, get some sleep, turn off the TV and you won't need coffee.

[okits]

First, may I report that I'm not a coffee drinker, never have been much of one. Second, I am FIRE. Just so you know...

Lately, I've found a great walking partner. We walk at the same pace and she gets me to climb hills that I wouldn't climb by myself. We hike in and around my neighborhood because hers is flat, so no transit costs for me. She's super smart and very involved in the community, so I learn a LOT on our walks. But here's the thing: we have to stop at Bucky's on nearly every outing. (She uses SB as her office and I kid you not, is probably at three of them on an average day.*) We kill ourselves, stop and chat a while over a beverage and then kill ourselves on the way back. I have pretty much decided that it's worth the price to have a great exercise partner, and I certainly spend way less that a gym would cost AND I can afford it, but what I can't reconcile is the WASTE. OMG, there is so much packaging! And they don't recycle anything! Worse still, they throw away unsold food every day. Since I've never supported fast food or coffee, I've never experienced this level of waste. I can't hardly stand it! Also, their pricing is so obscure. My friend pays less for brewed iced tea than I seem to have to because I only drink decaf and that costs more. I just don't get it...

Okay, thanks for letting me get that off my chest...

*tl;dr - She's not a mustachian but is FI, so she can easily afford it. No worries on that front.

Since you're going to go anyway, bring your own travel mug?  And sign up for their loyalty program so every 13th drink is free (+1 for signing up, +1 for your birthday.)

I'm surprised they don't donate leftovers to Second Harvest or some other such charity. Baristas don't earn a fortune; you'd think they'd take leftovers home.

[Logic_Lady]

First, may I report that I'm not a coffee drinker, never have been much of one. Second, I am FIRE. Just so you know...

Lately, I've found a great walking partner. We walk at the same pace and she gets me to climb hills that I wouldn't climb by myself. We hike in and around my neighborhood because hers is flat, so no transit costs for me. She's super smart and very involved in the community, so I learn a LOT on our walks. But here's the thing: we have to stop at Bucky's on nearly every outing. (She uses SB as her office and I kid you not, is probably at three of them on an average day.*) We kill ourselves, stop and chat a while over a beverage and then kill ourselves on the way back. I have pretty much decided that it's worth the price to have a great exercise partner, and I certainly spend way less that a gym would cost AND I can afford it, but what I can't reconcile is the WASTE. OMG, there is so much packaging! And they don't recycle anything! Worse still, they throw away unsold food every day. Since I've never supported fast food or coffee, I've never experienced this level of waste. I can't hardly stand it! Also, their pricing is so obscure. My friend pays less for brewed iced tea than I seem to have to because I only drink decaf and that costs more. I just don't get it...

Okay, thanks for letting me get that off my chest...

*tl;dr - She's not a mustachian but is FI, so she can easily afford it. No worries on that front.

Since you're going to go anyway, bring your own travel mug?  And sign up for their loyalty program so every 13th drink is free (+1 for signing up, +1 for your birthday.)

I'm surprised they don't donate leftovers to Second Harvest or some other such charity. Baristas don't earn a fortune; you'd think they'd take leftovers home.

Donating leftovers probably violates safety standards. And in my experience taking leftovers home (even if they are just going to be thrown out) is a fireable offense. (This makes sense from a corporate standpoint--letting employees take leftovers home gives them an incentive to sell less product)

[phillyvalue]

The whole "coffee culture" in the U.S is quite weird once youve seen a society that has long embraced it (Italy). There are the usual faults of American interpretations of foreign cuisine - the portion sizes are way bigger than necessary, tons of sugar added, things made unnecessarily complex, etc. And then coffee is seen as an expensive product in America where the prices of shitty coffee at Starbucks is twice what youd pay at a great caffe in Italy and for a small independent coffee shop in the U.S, probably even more.

Plus you have the change in the culture of drinking your coffee in the shop to taking it to go in a disposable cup creating a ton of waste.

[MgoSam]

The whole "coffee culture" in the U.S is quite weird once youve seen a society that has long embraced it (Italy).

What is the culture like in Italy? Is it simple espressos while people watching (that's the impression I've had)?

[Jags4186]

My parents never taught me anything money related. Money was always a topic of conversation (as they were always tight on money). 

In fact I remember when I got my first job and I suggested I save 15% in my 401k (which looking back was ridiculous--I should have saved 35% to max it) my father said "your young don't constrict yourself...make sure you can live a little". I was living with them at home and paying no rent! 

[EngineerMum]

The whole "coffee culture" in the U.S is quite weird once youve seen a society that has long embraced it (Italy).

What is the culture like in Italy? Is it simple espressos while people watching (that's the impression I've had)?

The thing that struck me in Europe (I can't remember now if it was Italy or Austria or France) was the workers coming in, getting their espresso, they would stand at the standing bench, skull it quickly, and leave for the office. I know in France there are different prices for standing at the bench (cheapest), sitting at an inside table, or sitting at an outside table (most expensive) (not universal, but definitely a thing). So coffee is more of a functional thing than a social outing, yet no one would drink take away (IME). In Italy, a cappuccino is an afternoon drink, you would never have one for breakfast, and if you try to order a latte, you'll get a cup of milk, and you certainly don't have syrups or flavours. In France (based on a year of living there) they didn't seem to have the culture of sitting over a cup of coffee in the same way we do. They went to bars instead. My Italian ILs bought us a fancy coffee machine as an engagement present, as they couldn't imagine setting up a grown up household without the means to make decent coffee.

We have a reasonable Italian population here in Aus, so our coffee is far more European than what you get in America. Starbucks opened in Sydney a while back, and I was quite excited about trying it having heard so much about it, but even for me (I drink my coffee highly polluted - lots of milk and some sugar) it was way too sweet, way too milky, and the coffee itself was terrible. SB has never infiltrated WA, and I think it's actually disappeared in the eastern states too. 

[MLKnits]

The thing I love about Starbucks is how obvious it makes the "easy savings" metaphor. Like, pre-SB, "make your coffee at home" might save you $.80 or something, which for most people translates as "why bother?" But now, lots of people--pre-MMM-me included--can easily drop $10 at SB. Saying "try not doing that" turns into pretty solid savings pretty damn fast.

I think Starbucks actually provides a big boost to the financial-independence point of view, the same way that endless turning over of almost-new cars for brand-new cars does. Previous generations mostly didn't (couldn't, I assume--tougher credit requirements?) do that, even if they had money--my dad's car history was about four well-used cars between 1960 and 1999, but you couldn't count his cars since then on both hands, particularly since lots of them are "the same thing, but the current model year instead of two years old."

[zephyr911]

We have a reasonable Italian population here in Aus, so our coffee is far more European than what you get in America. Starbucks opened in Sydney a while back, and I was quite excited about trying it having heard so much about it, but even for me (I drink my coffee highly polluted - lots of milk and some sugar) it was way too sweet, way too milky, and the coffee itself was terrible. SB has never infiltrated WA, and I think it's actually disappeared in the eastern states too.

I actually just had some Starbucks drip - biggest waste of $1.50 all week. I rarely do it, but the breakroom was closed for cleaning so I couldn't brew my own, and I wanted to duck out for a phone call (blah blah blah) so I went next door to the cafe, which "proudly" serves Pike Place Medium Roast.
The shitty taste you mention is very real and fresh on my tongue. Even with 2-3x the added cream/sugar/flavor compared to my normal coffee, it still just tastes like burned shit. I'm convinced they over-roast and overheat everything to ensure you skip right past simple coffee or espresso and pay $5 for an elaborate latte or macchiato. If coffee tasted good (and it easily can) their expensive additions would vanish and profit margins would fall.
I remember this every time I try it, but somehow I forget a few months later and convenience or fatigue catches me in a weak moment and I try it again. Rinse and repeat.

[justajane]

But now, lots of people--pre-MMM-me included--can easily drop $10 at SB. Saying "try not doing that" turns into pretty solid savings pretty damn fast.

Yeah, I only go there once or twice a year, usually with my kids, since there is one next door to their doctor's office, and we usually drop $15 on a coffee, 2 milks and 2 sweets.

[btmarquis]

In Italy, a cappuccino is an afternoon drink, you would never have one for breakfast,

Not a huge deal, but I believe you have this reversed.  Capps and milk are indeed for breakfast time, with only straight espresso being the norm for the rest of the day.

And each EU country does indeed have its own coffee culture.  The Italian stand-up espresso bar was mentioned, but Austria and Vienna in particular have a rich sit down and hang (read, talk, think, eat a sweet) cafe history.

[cautiouspessimist]

We have a reasonable Italian population here in Aus, so our coffee is far more European than what you get in America. Starbucks opened in Sydney a while back, and I was quite excited about trying it having heard so much about it, but even for me (I drink my coffee highly polluted - lots of milk and some sugar) it was way too sweet, way too milky, and the coffee itself was terrible. SB has never infiltrated WA, and I think it's actually disappeared in the eastern states too.

I actually just had some Starbucks drip - biggest waste of $1.50 all week. I rarely do it, but the breakroom was closed for cleaning so I couldn't brew my own, and I wanted to duck out for a phone call (blah blah blah) so I went next door to the cafe, which "proudly" serves Pike Place Medium Roast.
The shitty taste you mention is very real and fresh on my tongue. Even with 2-3x the added cream/sugar/flavor compared to my normal coffee, it still just tastes like burned shit. I'm convinced they over-roast and overheat everything to ensure you skip right past simple coffee or espresso and pay $5 for an elaborate latte or macchiato. If coffee tasted good (and it easily can) their expensive additions would vanish and profit margins would fall.
I remember this every time I try it, but somehow I forget a few months later and convenience or fatigue catches me in a weak moment and I try it again. Rinse and repeat.

Starbucks coffee is actually really good...if you grind/brew it yourself. I mean, I'm hardly convinced it's better than cheaper options you can get elsewhere, but it definitely tastes a lot better when I make it at home vs getting it at Starbucks. Not that I can remember the last time I went to Starbucks...

[cripzychiken]

Since you're going to go anyway, bring your own travel mug?  And sign up for their loyalty program so every 13th drink is free (+1 for signing up, +1 for your birthday.)

I'm surprised they don't donate leftovers to Second Harvest or some other such charity. Baristas don't earn a fortune; you'd think they'd take leftovers home.

Donating leftovers probably violates safety standards. And in my experience taking leftovers home (even if they are just going to be thrown out) is a fireable offense. (This makes sense from a corporate standpoint--letting employees take leftovers home gives them an incentive to sell less product)

The "can bring home leftovers" also encourages employees to open and display too much food.  As for donating the food, currently if a business donates prepared food, and the hopeless guy gets sick, they can sue the business that donated - since they prepared the food.  When I was a caterer, we had to trash hundreds of lbs of food per event.  The new guy always asked why (I did too my first time) and they gave us a 1 page printout that showed that they were liable for anyone who eats the food, even if donated.

People have been trying to get that changed for years, but since it only helps people and has no political gain, it never goes anywhere.

[justajane]

Since you're going to go anyway, bring your own travel mug?  And sign up for their loyalty program so every 13th drink is free (+1 for signing up, +1 for your birthday.)

I'm surprised they don't donate leftovers to Second Harvest or some other such charity. Baristas don't earn a fortune; you'd think they'd take leftovers home.

Donating leftovers probably violates safety standards. And in my experience taking leftovers home (even if they are just going to be thrown out) is a fireable offense. (This makes sense from a corporate standpoint--letting employees take leftovers home gives them an incentive to sell less product)

The "can bring home leftovers" also encourages employees to open and display too much food.  As for donating the food, currently if a business donates prepared food, and the hopeless guy gets sick, they can sue the business that donated - since they prepared the food.  When I was a caterer, we had to trash hundreds of lbs of food per event.  The new guy always asked why (I did too my first time) and they gave us a 1 page printout that showed that they were liable for anyone who eats the food, even if donated.

People have been trying to get that changed for years, but since it only helps people and has no political gain, it never goes anywhere.

Panera donates all their bread and perhaps their food as well. I even saw them advertising this fact on the side of a truck today. I wonder how they get around the liability issue?

It always bothers me at Sweet Tomatoes that I know they likely chuck tons and tons of soups and ingredients at the end of a day or two. Just imagine how many people in a food kitchen that could feed, especially considering how hearty soup is.

[Dollar Slice]

In fact I remember when I got my first job and I suggested I save 15% in my 401k (which looking back was ridiculous--I should have saved 35% to max it) my father said "your young don't constrict yourself...make sure you can live a little".

Our fathers must be long-lost twins or something. He has mentioned on several occasions that I should enjoy my money when I'm young, and not save so much. (And I'm not even saving that much, maybe 20%.) I can understand in his life that not saving worked out great for him - he made huge gains on every house he bought, his salary increased about 1500% in 30 years, he had some great stock market returns, he inherited six figure sums on two occasions, etc. So it doesn't make a difference to him that he didn't regularly save money in his 20s like I did. But... it's pretty darn unlikely that I will have the same kind of luck/privilege/whatever you want to call it. I certainly wouldn't want to plan my life around that assumption.

[chouchouu]

First, may I report that I'm not a coffee drinker, never have been much of one. Second, I am FIRE. Just so you know...

Lately, I've found a great walking partner. We walk at the same pace and she gets me to climb hills that I wouldn't climb by myself. We hike in and around my neighborhood because hers is flat, so no transit costs for me. She's super smart and very involved in the community, so I learn a LOT on our walks. But here's the thing: we have to stop at Bucky's on nearly every outing. (She uses SB as her office and I kid you not, is probably at three of them on an average day.*) We kill ourselves, stop and chat a while over a beverage and then kill ourselves on the way back. I have pretty much decided that it's worth the price to have a great exercise partner, and I certainly spend way less that a gym would cost AND I can afford it, but what I can't reconcile is the WASTE. OMG, there is so much packaging! And they don't recycle anything! Worse still, they throw away unsold food every day. Since I've never supported fast food or coffee, I've never experienced this level of waste. I can't hardly stand it! Also, their pricing is so obscure. My friend pays less for brewed iced tea than I seem to have to because I only drink decaf and that costs more. I just don't get it...

Okay, thanks for letting me get that off my chest...

*tl;dr - She's not a mustachian but is FI, so she can easily afford it. No worries on that front.

Perhaps you could get a keepcup? That would at least save on the beverage. Where I live many places give you a discount for bringing your own container.

[MoneyCat]

I've never really understood spending money on coffee in coffee shops.  I can get 250 cups worth of coffee at the warehouse store for what it would cost me for 2 (TWO!) cups of Starbucks coffee.  And my coffee at home tastes better and I don't have to wait in line for it.  People are so stupid.