I just saw a chart about how much the average person spends on coffee each year

I was looking at some old bank statements online, trying to see where my money goes, and I decided to add up all my coffee shop trips. I found out I spent over $700 on coffee in the last 12 months, which is wild to me. I always thought it was just a few bucks here and there, but it really adds up fast. I got a basic coffee maker for $30 at a garage sale last month and started making my own. It's not fancy, but it costs maybe 25 cents a cup. I'm trying to put that saved money toward paying off a credit card bill instead. Has anyone else had a shock like this with a small daily habit?

3 comments

3 Comments

noranguyen1mo ago

That $700 number is actually a bit low compared to what I've seen. A lot of those yearly average charts are based on buying just one basic coffee a day, and plenty of people get pricier lattes or go twice a day. My own wake-up call was with takeout lunches, which were quietly costing me over a thousand dollars a year without feeling like big purchases.

lindaburns1mo ago

You're spot on about the takeout lunches. That's exactly how it gets you, because each one feels like a small, normal choice. My fix was to pick two weekdays to always bring lunch, no excuses. It cut my spending in half without feeling like I was missing out. @the_william, the soda fund is real too. I switched to a big water bottle I refill and buy a single case of cans for the weekend treat. The change adds up fast.

the_william1mo ago

Wait, so you're telling me my daily latte is basically a second car payment? @noranguyen is right, the lunch thing is even sneakier because a fifteen dollar salad feels like a responsible choice in the moment, not a financial crime. I did the math on my soda habit once and almost cried, it was like funding a small child's college fund but for carbonated sugar water.