Mustachian People Problems (just for fun)

[zolotiyeruki]

My MPP: we are 9 years into a 15 year mortgage, and our interest rate is only 3%, so we are paying very little in interest. Nevertheless, when we got a letter from our mortgage company, offering 2.5%, I figured it was worth a look. I mean, we owe about $100k, and $500/year savings is $500/year, right?

Sadly, the closing costs would have been around $4000, so we passed.   Silly us, being all responsible and paying off debt... :P

[never give up]

^^LOL!^^

Last week, I committed a "reverse" robbery. Wearing a mask and a hat pulled down low, I walked into a bank, carrying a bag full of cash,. The teller gave me a hand-written note. I thrust the bag of money past the bulletproof glass and fled with a piece of paper..

Haha yes I had to visit a bank for the first time this week wearing a mask. That was a strange experience too.

[LennStar]

Aspiring MPP: cancelling Netflix and having to finish two shows till the end of month to finish the story.

Maybe more legit problems:
- it's not easy to set the shower at my Grandma's place to a temperature that is cold enough for my new comfort zone.
-apparently family members now think I'm financially irresponsible because I'm not jumping at the chance to buy every insurance under the sun.

Oh, do they do that? How about an insurance against Tyrannosauris Rex bites?
They have nasty teeth!
(btw. they might have walked slower than a human according to newest research)

^^LOL!^^

Last week, I committed a "reverse" robbery. Wearing a mask and a hat pulled down low, I walked into a bank, carrying a bag full of cash,. The teller gave me a hand-written note. I thrust the bag of money past the bulletproof glass and fled with a piece of paper.

Well, technically, if you are armed, it is a bank robbery now if you deposit money (at least here in the EU) since the negative interest of the central bank means they make a loss.

[RWD]

I was out mowing our front lawn with a reel mower (human-powered) as I've been doing for five years now and our neighbor stopped by to ask if I wanted to borrow his gas mower. Said he'd never seen a reel mower before. Our lawn is very tiny (like 1000-1500 sq ft) so there's really no reason to burn gasoline and make a ton of noise while mowing it. Plus its good exercise!

[GreenSheep]

We drink our coffee black and know nothing about all the stuff people buy to put in it. We're having new friends over for coffee, and they said they take it with cream and sugar. Sugar is pretty obvious, but cream? What exactly does one buy for cream to put into coffee? Do you just pick up the carton that says "heavy cream" at the grocery store? Or does it have to be something that is specifically labeled "coffee creamer"? I know someone who uses half&half in her coffee, but I don't think that's typical. Help, fellow Mustachians who spend some of your hard-earned budget on cream for your coffee!

[Adventine]

We drink our coffee black and know nothing about all the stuff people buy to put in it. We're having new friends over for coffee, and they said they take it with cream and sugar. Sugar is pretty obvious, but cream? What exactly does one buy for cream to put into coffee? Do you just pick up the carton that says "heavy cream" at the grocery store? Or does it have to be something that is specifically labeled "coffee creamer"? I know someone who uses half&half in her coffee, but I don't think that's typical. Help, fellow Mustachians who spend some of your hard-earned budget on cream for your coffee!

Coffee addict here :)

People can be so particular about their coffee that it's best to just ask your friends directly what they would like!

Myself, I like either heavy cream or the liquid coffee creamer. Some are perfectly happy with powdered creamer, while others won't even touch the stuff.

[Sugaree]

I like heavy or whipping cream, but rarely buy it for my coffee.  I drink it black at work.  At home, I've been blending together evaporated milk and cookie butter to make a flavored creamer.  I'm trying to cut down on dairy, but haven't found a non-dairy option that I like in coffee.  I like almond milk, but it just doesn't do it for me in coffee.

[Catbert]

"Cream and sugar" may just be a phrase for white-dairy-product-with-some-butterfat and sugar.  1/2 and 1/2 is probably the most common dairy additon to coffee.  That's what your most likely to find at a coffee shop especially in those little plastic one serving containers.  Actual cream, especially heavy cream can sorta curdle when added to hot coffee/tea.

And then there is what kind of sugar?  Just don't go there.

[GreenSheep]

"Cream and sugar" may just be a phrase for white-dairy-product-with-some-butterfat and sugar.  1/2 and 1/2 is probably the most common dairy additon to coffee.  That's what your most likely to find at a coffee shop especially in those little plastic one serving containers.  Actual cream, especially heavy cream can sorta curdle when added to hot coffee/tea.

And then there is what kind of sugar?  Just don't go there.

Thank you all for your help! The bolded part above is what I should have asked about specifically... just whatever is in a restaurant or coffee shop is what I'm going for. And that's a very important point about the heavy cream curdling! That would have been embarrassing! Good to know about half and half -- I just thought the person I know who uses it was being different and everyone else used something else!

And yeah, the sugar... they're getting white sugar, which we already have in the house. If something else were super important to them, they should have specified, or they can bring it themselves!

[Mighty Eyebrows]

I like almond milk, but it just doesn't do it for me in coffee.

I drink my coffee black, but my DW says Oat or Soya milk behaves better in coffee.

I prefer almond on my cereal, but oat is a close second.

[GreenSheep]

I like almond milk, but it just doesn't do it for me in coffee.

I drink my coffee black, but my DW says Oat or Soya milk behaves better in coffee.

I prefer almond on my cereal, but oat is a close second.

Funny you say that... I didn't want to delve into too much boring detail in my original post, but my husband is the black coffee drinker, and I usually make a mocha shake (1/2 cup coffee frozen into ice cubes, 6oz soy milk, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 frozen banana, 1 pitted Medjool date --> YUM!!) on the weekends and don't have any coffee during the week.

But I just discovered oat milk creamer, which I bought to make a chocolate White Russian out of homemade chocolate vodka (cocoa nibs + chocolate + time -- about a week = chocolate vodka). I also had to try it in coffee, of course, and it's delicious! I just hesitate to spring that on people we don't know very well, because I try to save my "coming out" as the "weird vegan" for a bit later in the relationship. :-) You know the joke, right? "How do you tell when someone is vegan? Don't worry, they'll tell you within 8 minutes of meeting you." I don't want to be that person if I can help it.

[Imma]

"Cream and sugar" may just be a phrase for white-dairy-product-with-some-butterfat and sugar.  1/2 and 1/2 is probably the most common dairy additon to coffee.  That's what your most likely to find at a coffee shop especially in those little plastic one serving containers.  Actual cream, especially heavy cream can sorta curdle when added to hot coffee/tea.

And then there is what kind of sugar?  Just don't go there.

Thank you all for your help! The bolded part above is what I should have asked about specifically... just whatever is in a restaurant or coffee shop is what I'm going for. And that's a very important point about the heavy cream curdling! That would have been embarrassing! Good to know about half and half -- I just thought the person I know who uses it was being different and everyone else used something else!

And yeah, the sugar... they're getting white sugar, which we already have in the house. If something else were super important to them, they should have specified, or they can bring it themselves!

I think that's what most people with very specific wishes do. I have several friends who carry small bottles of vegan/lactose-free alternatives to cream or sugar-free sweeteners in their bag.

In my country the "standard" option for white liquid in coffee is semi-skimmed, non-sweetened condensed milk (just called coffee milk) and that's what I drink myself as well. But if someone else provides coffee creamer (yuk! But I'll drink it when I'm someone's guest) or cream or any vegan alternative, I'll just drink that. I try to accomodate for people's preferences, especially if someone is vegan or allergic, but if you only drink coffee with some kind of fancy sugar-free hazelnut syrup or whatever, you'll have to bring your own.

I think vegan alternatives to dairy are getting so common that people won't automatically assume you're a weird preachy vegan, but maybe that's my urban, liberal bubble. Lots of people want to cut back on animal proteins, are allergic or simply just prefer the taste of non-dairy products. I buy oat and soy milk fairly often.

[dragoncar]

If someone at my house asks for cream and sugar they are probably getting milk.  Honestly most people aren't going to notice the difference and I’m not buying a pint of half and half or cream so some rando can splash a bit in their coffee. 

If you want to be ready for any occasion, though, I highly recommend the shelf stable whipping cream from Trader Joe’s.  It works for coffee or if you need an impromptu whipped cream (although it’s better chilled first). 

But yeah, ask them if milk is ok.  Find out what kind of people they are pretty quickly

[Loren Ver]

When MIL stays over night she has to bring her own coffee, accoutrements, and coffee maker since we don't drink coffee and have no way or knowledge on how to make it. 

My mom just brings a Starbucks can of something to chug when she road trips through.  Something fast to get her back on the road.  She doesn't like coffee and likes to use the canned stuff to keep her alert while she drives cross country. 

Luckily both moms are self accommodating when staying with us and don't expect us to provide things for them that we don't provide for ourselves. 

[Plina]

When MIL stays over night she has to bring her own coffee, accoutrements, and coffee maker since we don't drink coffee and have no way or knowledge on how to make it. 

My parents didn’t like my Nespresso machine, that I have now sold, so next time before they came to visit I got a notification of a packet from a home appliance store. They had ordered me a coffee machine.

My grandmother and many in her generations put cream and sugar into their coffee. It was the cream that you whipp cream from.

When I was in Vietnam I ordered coffee with milk and sometimes I got this horrible sweet coffee. It took me a while to realise why I only got it sometimes. Sometimes they asked me if I wanted real milk, which I said yes to. Other times I ordered black to avoid the hideous sugar thing and the Vietnamese were asking if I really wanted it like that because it is strong. Then I realised that when it was disgustingly sweet it was condensed milk.

Here oatmilk is pretty common in companies but you can also get regular and lactosefree. If I am visiting I would drink what was offered, while I drink lactosefree daily milk at home.

[Sandi_k]

We drink our coffee black and know nothing about all the stuff people buy to put in it. We're having new friends over for coffee, and they said they take it with cream and sugar. Sugar is pretty obvious, but cream? What exactly does one buy for cream to put into coffee? Do you just pick up the carton that says "heavy cream" at the grocery store? Or does it have to be something that is specifically labeled "coffee creamer"? I know someone who uses half&half in her coffee, but I don't think that's typical. Help, fellow Mustachians who spend some of your hard-earned budget on cream for your coffee!

If you're looking for what's on offer at restaurants, there are several options:

- In the metal pitcher with lid: could be milk, could be half and half.

- In the plastic cups with rip-off foil lid: I've seen both half and half, and non-dairy creamer, like Carnation or Nestle Coffee Mate, or Mocha Mix. It could also be FLAVORED, like Carnation Irish Coffee, or Coffee Mate Hazelnut - which are FULL of sugar.

Might also be that they prefer almond milk, or heavy whipping cream, or skim milk.

Honestly, no way to know unless you ask them....

[ixtap]

I feel like I am spending with wild abandon. The truth is, even if the purchases and plans were frivolous (which, as you can imagine, they are not), they won't affect our saving rate. Not even taking my parents and an aunt on the Roving Family Reunion Road Trip in a couple of months.

[Fomerly known as something]

Just made a donation to my local botanical garden, which is named after my local grocer.  Freaked out when I initially saw my “grocery” category for the month on personal capital since it recorded my donation as a grocery stop.  Needless to say I was way over budget.

On coffee, due to having to travel a lot last fall due to work, I now own a 2nd coffee maker I keep in my work car for hotel rooms.  Not all my hotels had decent coffee makers in the rooms and many weren’t offering it at the grab and go breakfasts.

[ixtap]

Just made a donation to my local botanical garden, which is named after my local grocer.  Freaked out when I initially saw my “grocery” category for the month on personal capital since it recorded my donation as a grocery stop.  Needless to say I was way over budget.

On coffee, due to having to travel a lot last fall due to work, I now own a 2nd coffee maker I keep in my work car for hotel rooms.  Not all my hotels had decent coffee makers in the rooms and many weren’t offering it at the grab and go breakfasts.

Does that mean you could get a bigger % back with the next donation or do you not play that game? Our local food bank is bizarrely categorized as education.

[Fomerly known as something]

Just made a donation to my local botanical garden, which is named after my local grocer.  Freaked out when I initially saw my “grocery” category for the month on personal capital since it recorded my donation as a grocery stop.  Needless to say I was way over budget.

On coffee, due to having to travel a lot last fall due to work, I now own a 2nd coffee maker I keep in my work car for hotel rooms.  Not all my hotels had decent coffee makers in the rooms and many weren’t offering it at the grab and go breakfasts.

I don’t play the game, I use my first adult credit cards that are flat 1% cash back to keep them active and it keeps it simple for tax purposes since I only make donations on those cards (I still itemize).

Does that mean you could get a bigger % back with the next donation or do you not play that game? Our local food bank is bizarrely categorized as education.

[Sugaree]

I've found that just because something is listed as groceries (like when I order online pickup from Walmart) doesn't necessarily mean that I'll get the points for groceries.

[fuzzy math]

When MIL stays over night she has to bring her own coffee, accoutrements, and coffee maker since we don't drink coffee and have no way or knowledge on how to make it. 

My parents didn’t like my Nespresso machine, that I have now sold, so next time before they came to visit I got a notification of a packet from a home appliance store. They had ordered me a coffee machine.

My grandmother and many in her generations put cream and sugar into their coffee. It was the cream that you whipp cream from.

When I was in Vietnam I ordered coffee with milk and sometimes I got this horrible sweet coffee. It took me a while to realise why I only got it sometimes. Sometimes they asked me if I wanted real milk, which I said yes to. Other times I ordered black to avoid the hideous sugar thing and the Vietnamese were asking if I really wanted it like that because it is strong. Then I realised that when it was disgustingly sweet it was condensed milk.

Here oatmilk is pretty common in companies but you can also get regular and lactosefree. If I am visiting I would drink what was offered, while I drink lactosefree daily milk at home.

Blasphemy!!! Vietnamese iced coffee (and Thai iced coffee) are amazing delicacies! They are meant to go over a huge cup of ice to thin them out and be sipped leisurely. I wouldn't want to be served one for breakfast, but with lunch or dinner they're a great pairing. They help cut the spice in your mouth if you order your food too spicy accidentally

[dragoncar]

When MIL stays over night she has to bring her own coffee, accoutrements, and coffee maker since we don't drink coffee and have no way or knowledge on how to make it. 

My parents didn’t like my Nespresso machine, that I have now sold, so next time before they came to visit I got a notification of a packet from a home appliance store. They had ordered me a coffee machine.

My grandmother and many in her generations put cream and sugar into their coffee. It was the cream that you whipp cream from.

When I was in Vietnam I ordered coffee with milk and sometimes I got this horrible sweet coffee. It took me a while to realise why I only got it sometimes. Sometimes they asked me if I wanted real milk, which I said yes to. Other times I ordered black to avoid the hideous sugar thing and the Vietnamese were asking if I really wanted it like that because it is strong. Then I realised that when it was disgustingly sweet it was condensed milk.

Here oatmilk is pretty common in companies but you can also get regular and lactosefree. If I am visiting I would drink what was offered, while I drink lactosefree daily milk at home.

Blasphemy!!! Vietnamese iced coffee (and Thai iced coffee) are amazing delicacies! They are meant to go over a huge cup of ice to thin them out and be sipped leisurely. I wouldn't want to be served one for breakfast, but with lunch or dinner they're a great pairing. They help cut the spice in your mouth if you order your food too spicy accidentally

Likewise I can enjoy sipping one of those crazy sweet Starbucks beverages as like a dessert or something.  But if I got that when I was expecting a regular coffee I’d be a bit put off

[Plina]

When MIL stays over night she has to bring her own coffee, accoutrements, and coffee maker since we don't drink coffee and have no way or knowledge on how to make it. 

My parents didn’t like my Nespresso machine, that I have now sold, so next time before they came to visit I got a notification of a packet from a home appliance store. They had ordered me a coffee machine.

My grandmother and many in her generations put cream and sugar into their coffee. It was the cream that you whipp cream from.

When I was in Vietnam I ordered coffee with milk and sometimes I got this horrible sweet coffee. It took me a while to realise why I only got it sometimes. Sometimes they asked me if I wanted real milk, which I said yes to. Other times I ordered black to avoid the hideous sugar thing and the Vietnamese were asking if I really wanted it like that because it is strong. Then I realised that when it was disgustingly sweet it was condensed milk.

Here oatmilk is pretty common in companies but you can also get regular and lactosefree. If I am visiting I would drink what was offered, while I drink lactosefree daily milk at home.

Blasphemy!!! Vietnamese iced coffee (and Thai iced coffee) are amazing delicacies! They are meant to go over a huge cup of ice to thin them out and be sipped leisurely. I wouldn't want to be served one for breakfast, but with lunch or dinner they're a great pairing. They help cut the spice in your mouth if you order your food too spicy accidentally

Likewise I can enjoy sipping one of those crazy sweet Starbucks beverages as like a dessert or something.  But if I got that when I was expecting a regular coffee I’d be a bit put off

I didn’t order iced coffee but a regular coffeee. If someone wants to drown their coffee in sugar and destroy it they are welcome. For me it is bladphemy to destroy a good beverage by turning it to a sugar drink.

In Sweden Starbucks has been closing down their coffee shops one after another. Their watered down version of coffee that americans call coffee is rejected. It is commonly referred to as tea with coffee taste. Hawaii, though, has amazing coffee.

[lemanfan]

I didn’t order iced coffee but a regular coffeee. If someone wants to drown their coffee in sugar and destroy it they are welcome. For me it is bladphemy to destroy a good beverage by turning it to a sugar drink.

It sounds like what you experienced is more like what in Singapore is called Kopi (coffee with sugar and condensed milk) and Kopi O (coffee with sugar but no milk). 

Back in the mid 1990ies a Kopi would cost 30 Singapore cents where I took my coffee at the NTU campus, and a Kopi O would cost 25 cents.  One time I managed to get them to make the coffee with neither milk nor sugar, just plain black.  They tried to warn me, "very bitter, very bitter!" but I insisted and they had to make an extra pot especially for me... and for all that extra work they charged me 20 cents for the cup.  :)

More Kopi versions here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_(drink)#Etymology

[Imma]

When MIL stays over night she has to bring her own coffee, accoutrements, and coffee maker since we don't drink coffee and have no way or knowledge on how to make it. 

My parents didn’t like my Nespresso machine, that I have now sold, so next time before they came to visit I got a notification of a packet from a home appliance store. They had ordered me a coffee machine.

My grandmother and many in her generations put cream and sugar into their coffee. It was the cream that you whipp cream from.

When I was in Vietnam I ordered coffee with milk and sometimes I got this horrible sweet coffee. It took me a while to realise why I only got it sometimes. Sometimes they asked me if I wanted real milk, which I said yes to. Other times I ordered black to avoid the hideous sugar thing and the Vietnamese were asking if I really wanted it like that because it is strong. Then I realised that when it was disgustingly sweet it was condensed milk.

Here oatmilk is pretty common in companies but you can also get regular and lactosefree. If I am visiting I would drink what was offered, while I drink lactosefree daily milk at home.

Blasphemy!!! Vietnamese iced coffee (and Thai iced coffee) are amazing delicacies! They are meant to go over a huge cup of ice to thin them out and be sipped leisurely. I wouldn't want to be served one for breakfast, but with lunch or dinner they're a great pairing. They help cut the spice in your mouth if you order your food too spicy accidentally

Likewise I can enjoy sipping one of those crazy sweet Starbucks beverages as like a dessert or something.  But if I got that when I was expecting a regular coffee I’d be a bit put off

I didn’t order iced coffee but a regular coffeee. If someone wants to drown their coffee in sugar and destroy it they are welcome. For me it is bladphemy to destroy a good beverage by turning it to a sugar drink.

In Sweden Starbucks has been closing down their coffee shops one after another. Their watered down version of coffee that americans call coffee is rejected. It is commonly referred to as tea with coffee taste. Hawaii, though, has amazing coffee.

I don't think Starbucks is doing too well in my country either. They're mainly in railway stations and in my city they're located right between the fancy Italian coffeeshop and the decent cheap coffeeshop, and Starbucks coffee is like €6, almost twice what fancy Italian costs and 3 x the price of the cheap decent coffee. And they take at least 5 minutes to make your coffee, which is a long time when you need to catch a train or bus. Starbucks customers seem to be young women who don't actually like the taste of coffee but want to be seen carrying "cool" coffee. Ever since the pandemic, Starbucks is empty whenever I pass.

[Freedomin5]

Now I want a Vietnamese iced coffee, or one of their very orange-hued milk teas. Haven’t had one in a very long time. They’re so delicious! My thinking is always, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” No point getting mad that the local doesn’t know how to make a regular coffee, because what is defined as being “regular” depends on the culture you’re in. To them, they are making you a regular coffee — you’re the one who wants a weird coffee that may taste disgusting to them.

[Fomerly known as something]

When MIL stays over night she has to bring her own coffee, accoutrements, and coffee maker since we don't drink coffee and have no way or knowledge on how to make it. 

My parents didn’t like my Nespresso machine, that I have now sold, so next time before they came to visit I got a notification of a packet from a home appliance store. They had ordered me a coffee machine.

My grandmother and many in her generations put cream and sugar into their coffee. It was the cream that you whipp cream from.

When I was in Vietnam I ordered coffee with milk and sometimes I got this horrible sweet coffee. It took me a while to realise why I only got it sometimes. Sometimes they asked me if I wanted real milk, which I said yes to. Other times I ordered black to avoid the hideous sugar thing and the Vietnamese were asking if I really wanted it like that because it is strong. Then I realised that when it was disgustingly sweet it was condensed milk.

Here oatmilk is pretty common in companies but you can also get regular and lactosefree. If I am visiting I would drink what was offered, while I drink lactosefree daily milk at home.

Blasphemy!!! Vietnamese iced coffee (and Thai iced coffee) are amazing delicacies! They are meant to go over a huge cup of ice to thin them out and be sipped leisurely. I wouldn't want to be served one for breakfast, but with lunch or dinner they're a great pairing. They help cut the spice in your mouth if you order your food too spicy accidentally

Likewise I can enjoy sipping one of those crazy sweet Starbucks beverages as like a dessert or something.  But if I got that when I was expecting a regular coffee I’d be a bit put off

I didn’t order iced coffee but a regular coffeee. If someone wants to drown their coffee in sugar and destroy it they are welcome. For me it is bladphemy to destroy a good beverage by turning it to a sugar drink.

In Sweden Starbucks has been closing down their coffee shops one after another. Their watered down version of coffee that americans call coffee is rejected. It is commonly referred to as tea with coffee taste. Hawaii, though, has amazing coffee.

I don't think Starbucks is doing too well in my country either. They're mainly in railway stations and in my city they're located right between the fancy Italian coffeeshop and the decent cheap coffeeshop, and Starbucks coffee is like €6, almost twice what fancy Italian costs and 3 x the price of the cheap decent coffee. And they take at least 5 minutes to make your coffee, which is a long time when you need to catch a train or bus. Starbucks customers seem to be young women who don't actually like the taste of coffee but want to be seen carrying "cool" coffee. Ever since the pandemic, Starbucks is empty whenever I pass.

When I go to Starbucks in Europe, I’m generally buying a coffee in order to use their bathroom.  I know it is there and I know I can use it with purchase, no guessing required.

[Plina]

Now I want a Vietnamese iced coffee, or one of their very orange-hued milk teas. Haven’t had one in a very long time. They’re so delicious! My thinking is always, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” No point getting mad that the local doesn’t know how to make a regular coffee, because what is defined as being “regular” depends on the culture you’re in. To them, they are making you a regular coffee — you’re the one who wants a weird coffee that may taste disgusting to them.

If you meant me, I didn’t get mad. It just took me a while to figure out what I needed to order to get good coffee and avoid all the sugar. Vietnam was actually, the country with the best coffee of those countries that I visited. Vietnam is  the second largest coffee producer in the world so they know how to make coffee. In US, outside of Hawaii, you have to add some doses of espresso to get the taste of coffee.

[Alternatepriorities]

When I go to Starbucks in Europe, I’m generally buying a coffee in order to use their bathroom.  I know it is there and I know I can use it with purchase, no guessing required.

DW refers to international Starbucks as the "real American Embassy" No matter where we've been been the Starbucks seem to be run like they are in America. They will have clearly identified public bathrooms, they will have WiFi, and they will have the AC cranked if it's summer... The inside of the Starbucks was the coldest place in Crete! I could feel it rolling out through the wide up doors...  The only exception I've ever seen was the "Starbucks" in Lukla Nepal that was pretty clearly not affiliated with the chain. It was a very nice place with good coffee though.

[Plina]

I didn’t order iced coffee but a regular coffeee. If someone wants to drown their coffee in sugar and destroy it they are welcome. For me it is bladphemy to destroy a good beverage by turning it to a sugar drink.

It sounds like what you experienced is more like what in Singapore is called Kopi (coffee with sugar and condensed milk) and Kopi O (coffee with sugar but no milk). 

Back in the mid 1990ies a Kopi would cost 30 Singapore cents where I took my coffee at the NTU campus, and a Kopi O would cost 25 cents.  One time I managed to get them to make the coffee with neither milk nor sugar, just plain black.  They tried to warn me, "very bitter, very bitter!" but I insisted and they had to make an extra pot especially for me... and for all that extra work they charged me 20 cents for the cup.  :)

More Kopi versions here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_(drink)#Etymology

There is so many coffe versions to choose between. The ones I liked best in China and Vietnam was a form a drip coffee

.

When MIL stays over night she has to bring her own coffee, accoutrements, and coffee maker since we don't drink coffee and have no way or knowledge on how to make it. 

My parents didn’t like my Nespresso machine, that I have now sold, so next time before they came to visit I got a notification of a packet from a home appliance store. They had ordered me a coffee machine.

My grandmother and many in her generations put cream and sugar into their coffee. It was the cream that you whipp cream from.

When I was in Vietnam I ordered coffee with milk and sometimes I got this horrible sweet coffee. It took me a while to realise why I only got it sometimes. Sometimes they asked me if I wanted real milk, which I said yes to. Other times I ordered black to avoid the hideous sugar thing and the Vietnamese were asking if I really wanted it like that because it is strong. Then I realised that when it was disgustingly sweet it was condensed milk.

Here oatmilk is pretty common in companies but you can also get regular and lactosefree. If I am visiting I would drink what was offered, while I drink lactosefree daily milk at home.

Blasphemy!!! Vietnamese iced coffee (and Thai iced coffee) are amazing delicacies! They are meant to go over a huge cup of ice to thin them out and be sipped leisurely. I wouldn't want to be served one for breakfast, but with lunch or dinner they're a great pairing. They help cut the spice in your mouth if you order your food too spicy accidentally

Likewise I can enjoy sipping one of those crazy sweet Starbucks beverages as like a dessert or something.  But if I got that when I was expecting a regular coffee I’d be a bit put off

I don't think Starbucks is doing too well in my country either. They're mainly in railway stations and in my city they're located right between the fancy Italian coffeeshop and the decent cheap coffeeshop, and Starbucks coffee is like €6, almost twice what fancy Italian costs and 3 x the price of the cheap decent coffee. And they take at least 5 minutes to make your coffee, which is a long time when you need to catch a train or bus. Starbucks customers seem to be young women who don't actually like the taste of coffee but want to be seen carrying "cool" coffee. Ever since the pandemic, Starbucks is empty whenever I pass.

When I go to Starbucks in Europe, I’m generally buying a coffee in order to use their bathroom.  I know it is there and I know I can use it with purchase, no guessing required.

I used Starbacks in China when I was studying as you could sit for a couple hours there with your computer. One day I ordered one of the specialty coffees accidentally and it was a big production to make it with a lot of steps. As a blond foreigner I always drew some attention and I got to talk with the barista while waiting for the coffee. I got invited to an event and decided to go to see what it was. I ended up becoming the guest of honor in an event that launched their Chinese coffee. There was a photographer that took a lot of pictures of the event.

[frugalnacho]

[dragoncar]

When I go to Starbucks in Europe, I’m generally buying a coffee in order to use their bathroom.  I know it is there and I know I can use it with purchase, no guessing required.

DW refers to international Starbucks as the "real American Embassy" No matter where we've been been the Starbucks seem to be run like they are in America. They will have clearly identified public bathrooms, they will have WiFi, and they will have the AC cranked if it's summer... The inside of the Starbucks was the coldest place in Crete! I could feel it rolling out through the wide up doors...  The only exception I've ever seen was the "Starbucks" in Lukla Nepal that was pretty clearly not affiliated with the chain. It was a very nice place with good coffee though.

This is so true and kinda sad.  I have an uncle who is constantly in a cruise and collects a Starbucks mug from every country (city? Not sure)

[Sugaree]

When I go to Starbucks in Europe, I’m generally buying a coffee in order to use their bathroom.  I know it is there and I know I can use it with purchase, no guessing required.

DW refers to international Starbucks as the "real American Embassy" No matter where we've been been the Starbucks seem to be run like they are in America. They will have clearly identified public bathrooms, they will have WiFi, and they will have the AC cranked if it's summer... The inside of the Starbucks was the coldest place in Crete! I could feel it rolling out through the wide up doors...  The only exception I've ever seen was the "Starbucks" in Lukla Nepal that was pretty clearly not affiliated with the chain. It was a very nice place with good coffee though.

This is so true and kinda sad.  I have an uncle who is constantly in a cruise and collects a Starbucks mug from every country (city? Not sure)

Well, to be fair cruising is to travel what Starbucks is to coffee...

[Alternatepriorities]

When I go to Starbucks in Europe, I’m generally buying a coffee in order to use their bathroom.  I know it is there and I know I can use it with purchase, no guessing required.

DW refers to international Starbucks as the "real American Embassy" No matter where we've been been the Starbucks seem to be run like they are in America. They will have clearly identified public bathrooms, they will have WiFi, and they will have the AC cranked if it's summer... The inside of the Starbucks was the coldest place in Crete! I could feel it rolling out through the wide up doors...  The only exception I've ever seen was the "Starbucks" in Lukla Nepal that was pretty clearly not affiliated with the chain. It was a very nice place with good coffee though.

This is so true and kinda sad.  I have an uncle who is constantly in a cruise and collects a Starbucks mug from every country (city? Not sure)

I don't usually care to go somewhere just like home while traveling but there are times when tired or weary from trying to figure out an entirely new system that it is nice to take a short break from the adventure...

It's been some years now, so it might not be the same now, but i once went to a pizza hut in Morocco (group's choice) and it was nothing like the American version. Instead, it was a very fancy restaurant, nicer than any I've been to in the US. While backpacking OZ in 2012, McDonalds seemed to have a decent free WIFI connection. I promised myself that for the sake of my health I'd never eat their food again when I turned 25, so I'd get a coffee to update my blog... Everything felt super expensive at the time, turns out I had terrible timing on the exchange rates.

[sui generis]

When MIL stays over night she has to bring her own coffee, accoutrements, and coffee maker since we don't drink coffee and have no way or knowledge on how to make it. 

My parents didn’t like my Nespresso machine, that I have now sold, so next time before they came to visit I got a notification of a packet from a home appliance store. They had ordered me a coffee machine.

My grandmother and many in her generations put cream and sugar into their coffee. It was the cream that you whipp cream from.

When I was in Vietnam I ordered coffee with milk and sometimes I got this horrible sweet coffee. It took me a while to realise why I only got it sometimes. Sometimes they asked me if I wanted real milk, which I said yes to. Other times I ordered black to avoid the hideous sugar thing and the Vietnamese were asking if I really wanted it like that because it is strong. Then I realised that when it was disgustingly sweet it was condensed milk.

Here oatmilk is pretty common in companies but you can also get regular and lactosefree. If I am visiting I would drink what was offered, while I drink lactosefree daily milk at home.

Blasphemy!!! Vietnamese iced coffee (and Thai iced coffee) are amazing delicacies! They are meant to go over a huge cup of ice to thin them out and be sipped leisurely. I wouldn't want to be served one for breakfast, but with lunch or dinner they're a great pairing. They help cut the spice in your mouth if you order your food too spicy accidentally

Likewise I can enjoy sipping one of those crazy sweet Starbucks beverages as like a dessert or something.  But if I got that when I was expecting a regular coffee I’d be a bit put off

I didn’t order iced coffee but a regular coffeee. If someone wants to drown their coffee in sugar and destroy it they are welcome. For me it is bladphemy to destroy a good beverage by turning it to a sugar drink.

In Sweden Starbucks has been closing down their coffee shops one after another. Their watered down version of coffee that americans call coffee is rejected. It is commonly referred to as tea with coffee taste. Hawaii, though, has amazing coffee.

I don't think Starbucks is doing too well in my country either. They're mainly in railway stations and in my city they're located right between the fancy Italian coffeeshop and the decent cheap coffeeshop, and Starbucks coffee is like €6, almost twice what fancy Italian costs and 3 x the price of the cheap decent coffee. And they take at least 5 minutes to make your coffee, which is a long time when you need to catch a train or bus. Starbucks customers seem to be young women who don't actually like the taste of coffee but want to be seen carrying "cool" coffee. Ever since the pandemic, Starbucks is empty whenever I pass.

I don't drink coffee but I sometimes do go to Starbucks.  When I feel like having a milkshake they are usually the closest at hand with a great variety of choices!  I think the people I most often see drinking Starbucks are teenagers and even younger children.  Which makes sense, since most of what they serve are milkshakes! But also reminds me of when I was a kid and my parents would tell me I can't have coffee because it would "stunt my growth".

[crocheted_stache]

I was out mowing our front lawn with a reel mower (human-powered) as I've been doing for five years now and our neighbor stopped by to ask if I wanted to borrow his gas mower. Said he'd never seen a reel mower before. Our lawn is very tiny (like 1000-1500 sq ft) so there's really no reason to burn gasoline and make a ton of noise while mowing it. Plus its good exercise!

I don't remember if the reel mower was present when the neighbors found us gardening on a Saturday last spring and stopped to ask if we were still working. I'm pretty sure it was part concern over the pandemic and part "can't they afford a gardener?"

I've lived here longer than them them and done my own gardening the whole time.

New-to-us reel mower (Fiskars) is as effortless as I've ever used. I need to decide whether to keep the corded electric one, which is slightly better at taller weeds and much better at vacuuming up autumn leaves that are a little too small to rake easily. It's a little noisier, cord is a PITA (only mowed one once, oops), and it takes up a mess of space.

Longer term plan is to replace the lawn with better stuff.

[Plina]

When I go to Starbucks in Europe, I’m generally buying a coffee in order to use their bathroom.  I know it is there and I know I can use it with purchase, no guessing required.

DW refers to international Starbucks as the "real American Embassy" No matter where we've been been the Starbucks seem to be run like they are in America. They will have clearly identified public bathrooms, they will have WiFi, and they will have the AC cranked if it's summer... The inside of the Starbucks was the coldest place in Crete! I could feel it rolling out through the wide up doors...  The only exception I've ever seen was the "Starbucks" in Lukla Nepal that was pretty clearly not affiliated with the chain. It was a very nice place with good coffee though.

This is so true and kinda sad.  I have an uncle who is constantly in a cruise and collects a Starbucks mug from every country (city? Not sure)

What is the thing with the freezing AC? I can understand some AC if it warm but why does it have to be so cold? I have left some coffee shops that were so cold I could not imagine sitting down without getting frostbites. The cleaners in some hotels also likes to turn down the ac to freezing, which makes the temperature go like a Yo-Yo when I turn it back to more comfortable temperature.

[Alternatepriorities]

When I go to Starbucks in Europe, I’m generally buying a coffee in order to use their bathroom.  I know it is there and I know I can use it with purchase, no guessing required.

DW refers to international Starbucks as the "real American Embassy" No matter where we've been been the Starbucks seem to be run like they are in America. They will have clearly identified public bathrooms, they will have WiFi, and they will have the AC cranked if it's summer... The inside of the Starbucks was the coldest place in Crete! I could feel it rolling out through the wide up doors...  The only exception I've ever seen was the "Starbucks" in Lukla Nepal that was pretty clearly not affiliated with the chain. It was a very nice place with good coffee though.

This is so true and kinda sad.  I have an uncle who is constantly in a cruise and collects a Starbucks mug from every country (city? Not sure)

What is the thing with the freezing AC? I can understand some AC if it warm but why does it have to be so cold? I have left some coffee shops that were so cold I could not imagine sitting down without getting frostbites. The cleaners in some hotels also likes to turn down the ac to freezing, which makes the temperature go like a Yo-Yo when I turn it back to more comfortable temperature.

While at university I had the same three flat mates for a couple years. One from Phoenix, one from Texas, and one from Turkey. You'd think the battle over the thermostat would be between the Alaskan on one side and those three on the other, but it wasn't. It was between my Phoenician and Turkish friends. The former want the AC at 65 all the time and the later the heat 75. They were both very unhappy at 70... It was actually pretty comical to me coming from a place with wild temperature swings between summer and winter and no AC anywhere. 

One thing I have noticed about myself, is that I am much less comfortable in warm temps when I am either overweight or eating lots of carbs. I'm also much less cold resistant without carbs in my diet. Maybe that is playing out on the national level...

[fuzzy math]

Now I want a Vietnamese iced coffee, or one of their very orange-hued milk teas. Haven’t had one in a very long time. They’re so delicious! My thinking is always, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” No point getting mad that the local doesn’t know how to make a regular coffee, because what is defined as being “regular” depends on the culture you’re in. To them, they are making you a regular coffee — you’re the one who wants a weird coffee that may taste disgusting to them.

If you meant me, I didn’t get mad. It just took me a while to figure out what I needed to order to get good coffee and avoid all the sugar. Vietnam was actually, the country with the best coffee of those countries that I visited. Vietnam is  the second largest coffee producer in the world so they know how to make coffee. In US, outside of Hawaii, you have to add some doses of espresso to get the taste of coffee.

Where were you buying coffee in the US? if it was at an actual coffee shop (not a gas station, not someone serving you Folgers), our coffees are generally reasonably strong. The difference here is we brew what we call a drip coffee, and its meant to be 8 - 16 oz of pure black coffee. If you're going to a chain and ordering a latte its going to be quite weak in comparison. But in Europe a drip coffee is generally closest to being an Americano and they don't even like to make those more than 8 oz or so. Here in America a 16 oz Americano would have 2-3 shots of espresso in it. I'm thinking its in whatever you ordered, not knowing the differences in serving styles.  I had weaker coffee in Spain than I generally find in the US, they tend to serve coffee that's half coffee half milk if you ask for it to be creamed. Vietnamese coffee is ground and brewed like Turkish coffee, its quite strong.

[dragoncar]

Sometimes there’s logic to low AC and sometimes not. 

You already touched on maids turning down the AC.  They are physically working hard so they get hot.  When your body temp is elevated, you cool off faster with a lower room temperature.  The same can be said of restaurants and coffee shops: slaving over a stove or steamer does make you hotter.  If the cooks have any control over the thermostat then they will be more comfortable with a lower set point.  Waiters also are moving  around a lot so they also like it cooler.

Likewise when it’s really hot/humid out it feels really refreshing to step into a cold store.  They want as many people to walk into their store as possible, some even going so far as to leave their front doors open so people can feel and be enticed by the ridiculous AC. 

But it’s only refreshing until your body temp returns to normal.  Then you feel cold (every woman I know wears a jacket/sweater to the movie theater even when outside temps are blazing)

That’s the rationale that has some basis in reason, even if it’s faulty or wasteful

Then you have the people who think a lower set point  will cool the room faster, which is generally untrue without a multistage system of some kind.... and even a good multistage system doesn’t need to be “tricked”

Thanks for listening to my Ted talk

[LennStar]

If someone at my house asks for cream and sugar they are probably getting milk.  Honestly most people aren't going to notice the difference and I’m not buying a pint of half and half or cream so some rando can splash a bit in their coffee. 

If you want to be ready for any occasion, though, I highly recommend the shelf stable whipping cream from Trader Joe’s.  It works for coffee or if you need an impromptu whipped cream (although it’s better chilled first). 

But yeah, ask them if milk is ok.  Find out what kind of people they are pretty quickly

I am a tap water person. I don't even really know how to make coffee. Also I don't drink alcohol, because my brain is the only thing in my body that works above average. I am also not interested in sports, cars, Hollywood movies or celebrities.

I am also that kind of person very used to getting strange looks. ;)

Starbucks customers seem to be young women who don't actually like the taste of coffee but want to be seen carrying "cool" coffee.

Yes, you are totally correct. Concept and marketing wise Starbucks is not about coffee, it is about being able to show that you can afford having something slightly different that is extra expensive. Status symbol. That is also the secondary use of writing your name on a cup (besides making you feel special, I am told).

The only exception I've ever seen was the "Starbucks" in Lukla Nepal that was pretty clearly not affiliated with the chain. It was a very nice place with good coffee though.

Yes, definitely not affiliated LOL!

The cleaners in some hotels also likes to turn down the ac to freezing

They probably base it on their temp feeling, and if you clean you are working hard - 16 to 18C is the right temp for that. In my company the office ladies (who walk around at least) always make fun of the sauna of the programmers (who only move their fingers).

[Weisass]

Starbucks customers seem to be young women who don't actually like the taste of coffee but want to be seen carrying "cool" coffee.

As a younger woman, the only reason I go to Starbucks is because people keep giving me gift cards to there. Because it’s easier than a gift card to a local shop that is actually good.

[GreenSheep]

I never thought of Starbucks as a status symbol! Maybe that's more the case outside of the US? To me, it's a fast food chain that happens to serve a lot of coffee. When I do go there, which is infrequent, I give them a fake name rather than try to teach them to pronounce and spell my real name. So the name on the cup means nothing because it's not even me. Here, coffee at mom and pop coffee shops costs about as much as Starbucks, so there's no "benefit" (status-wise) to one over the other.

[Sibley]

Sometimes there’s logic to low AC and sometimes not. 

You already touched on maids turning down the AC.  They are physically working hard so they get hot.  When your body temp is elevated, you cool off faster with a lower room temperature.  The same can be said of restaurants and coffee shops: slaving over a stove or steamer does make you hotter.  If the cooks have any control over the thermostat then they will be more comfortable with a lower set point.  Waiters also are moving  around a lot so they also like it cooler.

Likewise when it’s really hot/humid out it feels really refreshing to step into a cold store.  They want as many people to walk into their store as possible, some even going so far as to leave their front doors open so people can feel and be enticed by the ridiculous AC. 

But it’s only refreshing until your body temp returns to normal.  Then you feel cold (every woman I know wears a jacket/sweater to the movie theater even when outside temps are blazing)

That’s the rationale that has some basis in reason, even if it’s faulty or wasteful

Then you have the people who think a lower set point  will cool the room faster, which is generally untrue without a multistage system of some kind.... and even a good multistage system doesn’t need to be “tricked”

Thanks for listening to my Ted talk

All this, plus the office specific issues....

Culturally in the US at least, men are wearing long pants and often long sleeves in the office, and those materials are traditionally wool and heavy cotton. Since men also tend to run warmer (generalization), that means they're hot. Women on the other hand wear skirts/dresses/short sleeves, with much lighter weight materials, and also tend to run cooler (generalization), that means they're cold. Basically, our cultural clothing expectations is completely screwed up from biology. Men should be wearing shorts and short sleeve shirts all summer, even in the office. That wouldn't completely fix the temperature discrepancy, but it would help.

Also, the "standard" indoor temperature in office buildings was basically designed for men. Who are wearing wayyyy too much clothing in the summer. So A/C is set to 72, which keeps the men comfortable but turns the women into icicles.

Women who are going through menopause will often have hot flashes and thus switch to running warmer, regardless of what they did previously. Same with pregnant women. So they like the 72 temps. However, while I'm sympathetic (and will be one of them in the future), this is an individual issue and the preferences of the individual should not inconvenience the group. Adjust clothing materials and styles, get a fan, etc.

And yes, we have a ridiculous number of overweight and obese people in the US. The extra fat they're carrying is literally acting as insulation so they're hot.

The A/C should be set to 75, and tell everyone who's uncomfortable to adjust. And for those who think 75 is way too warm, it's a nice balancing point between the 72 you want and the 78 I want. So I'll still be cold. I just won't be an icicle. We're both unhappy, that means it's a good compromise.

[Jenny Wren]

According to a former barista friend when I once complained about this very thing, the reason for the cold temperature is two fold -- 1) cold people drink hot coffee faster and therefore order more. 2) Cold people are less prone to camp out and work and if they do, see point 1. Number 2 has something to do with Starbucks tried to limit the use of their shops as work stations a decade or so ago by imposing minimum orders in certain locations, and the blow back was severe, so they use thermostat warfare instead.

I'll post a mustachian problem to stay on subject - I'm not a fan of wasting money on coffee-flavored sugar, plus pandemic, so this last year I found a perfect little covered picnic table to take my laptop to work outside. There are several tables available, but this one is perfect. I can see the ocean and there is a wifi hotspot from my internet provider coming off of a nearby hotel. I went all winter on sunny-ish days, and would bundle up and bring a thermos of coffee to work.

Now that the weather is getting nice, others have discovered my perfect spot and they bring their expensive Starbucks sugar drinks to sit and stare at their phones. It's (almost) annoying enough to drive one to working in a coffee shop, but patience usually ends with me getting my table back.

[Plina]

Sometimes there’s logic to low AC and sometimes not. 

You already touched on maids turning down the AC.  They are physically working hard so they get hot.  When your body temp is elevated, you cool off faster with a lower room temperature.  The same can be said of restaurants and coffee shops: slaving over a stove or steamer does make you hotter.  If the cooks have any control over the thermostat then they will be more comfortable with a lower set point.  Waiters also are moving  around a lot so they also like it cooler.

Likewise when it’s really hot/humid out it feels really refreshing to step into a cold store.  They want as many people to walk into their store as possible, some even going so far as to leave their front doors open so people can feel and be enticed by the ridiculous AC. 

But it’s only refreshing until your body temp returns to normal.  Then you feel cold (every woman I know wears a jacket/sweater to the movie theater even when outside temps are blazing)

That’s the rationale that has some basis in reason, even if it’s faulty or wasteful

Then you have the people who think a lower set point  will cool the room faster, which is generally untrue without a multistage system of some kind.... and even a good multistage system doesn’t need to be “tricked”

Thanks for listening to my Ted talk

All this, plus the office specific issues....

Culturally in the US at least, men are wearing long pants and often long sleeves in the office, and those materials are traditionally wool and heavy cotton. Since men also tend to run warmer (generalization), that means they're hot. Women on the other hand wear skirts/dresses/short sleeves, with much lighter weight materials, and also tend to run cooler (generalization), that means they're cold.

The A/C should be set to 75, and tell everyone who's uncomfortable to adjust. And for those who think 75 is way too warm, it's a nice balancing point between the 72 you want and the 78 I want. So I'll still be cold. I just won't be an icicle. We're both unhappy, that means it's a good compromise.

I totally agree with you about the temperature. I grew up with 78 indoors due to Wood furnace and basically everything under is in my world freezing. I actually wear more clothing to the office then at home were I normally have higher temperatures in summer due to lack of ac. Because I grew up in north I always get crap about being frozen.

Regarding maids turning down the ac, I can understand doing that while working but why can’t they turn it up again when they are done. And basically, in most cases they are not there long enough to benefit from the freezing temperatures.

@fuzzy math Probably Starbucks or some other coffee shop, at least not gas stations. It was a while ago. US seems to have weaker coffee then northern Europe at least if you buy whatever the regular coffee is called, with the exception of Hawaii. Or at least that have been my experience from the East coast and Florida.

[dragoncar]

Also I don't drink alcohol, because my brain is the only thing in my body that works above average.

Ah, I’m like wicked smaht so the only way I can relate to average humans is to drink heavily

[SwordGuy]

Also I don't drink alcohol, because my brain is the only thing in my body that works above average.

Ah, I’m like wicked smaht so the only way I can relate to average humans is to drink heavily

I don't think I'm particularly smart but I read a lot, I practice what I'm interested in or paid to do so I get better at it, and I actively think about ways to do those tasks faster, cheaper, more easily and at a better quality level, and I do my best to cross-pollinate my thinking with knowledge on a wide variety of subjects.

It's not hard to seem way smarter than lots of folks when they aren't even trying or are doing the bare minimum.

[ixtap]

Also I don't drink alcohol, because my brain is the only thing in my body that works above average.

Ah, I’m like wicked smaht so the only way I can relate to average humans is to drink heavily

I don't think I'm particularly smart but I read a lot, I practice what I'm interested in or paid to do so I get better at it, and I actively think about ways to do those tasks faster, cheaper, more easily and at a better quality level, and I do my best to cross-pollinate my thinking with knowledge on a wide variety of subjects.

It's not hard to seem way smarter than lots of folks when they aren't even trying or are doing the bare minimum.

I was just chatting with someone and pointed out that while people are often impressed with my knowledge on a particular subject, it boils down to three factors:
-google/library
-practice
-I actually have sooooo much left to learn, I just keep at it