2019

It has been one month since I started From Starbucks to Savings, and I thought I'd look back to 2019. How much did I spend at Starbucks during the whole year?

Well, it added up.

The total was $395.

Nearly $400 went to Starbucks, just from one person. Wow. And I bet that's maybe a low number compared to others out there who might drink more coffee than I do.

How much are you spending at Starbucks?

CBD at Starbucks?

Say what?

Just read this article... https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilyprice/2019/02/25/starbucks-might-be-the-first-big-chain-to-launch-cannabis-infused-drinks-according-to-analysts/#10b438ba6f31

My friends and family know that I'm very outspoken about the dangers of drug abuse. Marijuana is a gateway drug. Plain and simple. Yes I know that it's being "legalized," in some states but really what that means is that you can have a little more on you than you could previously and not be arrested, right? Oh, and also it's being sold in stores and called CBD.

It's still marijuana. It's still a drug. It causes the same effects and has the potential to make drug addicts.

If what this person believes could come to pass actually becomes true, I'm definitely leaving Starbucks for good. And any other place that would potentially drug their customers.

Oh, and I'm not oblivious to the fact that caffeine is a drug, too. I do know this. But it's not as harmful and doesn't lead one to become a coke-head if used too much.

2020

Ok, I couldn't resist and I went to look how much I've spent at Starbucks since the beginning of 2020.

The total is $120.

It's not even halfway through February yet, guys.

Now all I'm thinking about is what I could have done with that money had I not spent it at Starbucks.

I could've gotten new shoes and pants. I could have paid my utilities with that money. Or, it would have made up a little over half of what I spend at daycare every week.

This is a wake up call for sure.

Starting to Save

My name is Julie, and I'm a Starbucks addict.

I love Starbucks, and I don't just go there for coffee, my friend. I love their pastries, breakfast sandwiches, even the protein boxes and lunch items from time to time. I go there when I need a hot tea and am too lazy to make it at home. But mostly, I love mochas. And cinnamon dolce lattes. And frappaccinos. And regular coffee.

But, all good things add up, and boy oh boy does the cost add up at Starbucks.

So I've decided to make a lifestyle change and am going to document it here to ensure I keep it up.

This morning I reviewed my spending activity from the last week. Literally, just the past 7 days. And wow, I think it says it all.

Today is Feb 12, 2020. On Feb 6, 2020, I added $10 to my Starbucks card. On Feb 8, 2020, I added $10 to my Starbucks card. On Feb 9, same thing, $10 to Starbucks. Feb 10, also $10 to Starbucks. That's $40 in just 5 days actually.

Going back earlier, on Feb 2, 2020 I added $20 to my Starbucks card. And Jan 29, 2020, I added $15 to my Starbucks card.

I could probably go back to the beginning of the year, but this already makes me see that I need to make a change.

So, here's the idea that popped in my head this morning, as I started thinking of making a trip to Starbucks for a nice hot mocha on this cold, rainy day.

What if instead of putting money on my Starbucks card each time I fancied a coffee, that I put it into my Savings account? I wonder how much money I could actually save if I keep at this for a month. That's about as long as I think I can do this for now. Maybe after a month I'll be able to go longer. We'll see.

So this morning instead of making a trip to Starbucks, I filled up a bottle of water to bring with me to work and transferred $15 to my Savings account.

This brings my savings account total to $16.

Let's see how this week goes...