Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Memories of Lattes Swirling 'Round My Head

My New Commute Buddy

I remember the good old days, when meeting up with a friend at Starbuck's or Peet's or any cute coffee joint was a regular occurrence. My hubby and I think back on those days fondly, when money wasn't an issue, and we didn't have to monitor our bank balance like a sleeping newborn. We were wasteful and I'm not proud of that. I can remember comparing prices at different places for whatever item we were shopping for at the time, vs. the distance we would have to travel to get the deal...and if it was $20 bucks or less I'd say, "It's not worth it. I could drop a $20 bill in the street and not even notice." Bleah. Ugly, arrogant me.

I stopped hitting the pricey coffee joints on a regular basis toward the end of 2007. Every once in a while, for a treat, I'll stop and get my usual skinny vanilla latte. But its funny now that after I pay, I quietly calculate in my head how many cups of regular drip coffee I could have made on my home machine for that price. Oh my gosh, I say, I could buy nearly a bag of ground Starbuck's at Walmart for that much. It's great now, when I get gift cards for coffee places as gifts, I appreciate them so much more than before. I used to be glad to get them because I was going to those places all the time, and it was great to get my treat for free. Now, I am grateful to get the gift cards...because that actually means I will get to go to those places at all!

Speaking of Walmart, I found this little gem shown in the photo for $5. Isn't it just adorable? I don't know how its possible, but its BPA free, and microwave and dishwasher safe. I had another one before, but the top was made out of some other type of rubbery material that had a smell and taste to it that I didn't particularly care for. This makes my morning cup of coffee cute and girly and happy. They also carried it in blue and green as well in case cute, girly and happy aren't your cup of, ahem, coffee.

Wishing you all a happy day-before-Friday!

4 comments:

  1. I just saw this cup yesterday! Definitely need to pick on up. I too used to be a Starbucks queen. With twins at home, we are definitely spending that coffee money on diapers and formula these days....plus, it is killer to think about just how many cups I can make at home for the one $5 cup at SB. Good for you for allowing yourself the treat still from time to time. If you're able to once in a while, be indulgent. Allow yourself, because you are doing everything you can otherwise to make smart, budget conscious decisions. It sounds to me like you are making the best choices you can to ensure you make it through financially - so the every once in a while is ok in my book. ;-) Thanks for stopping by to see me! I am working on my next Sundance post today...make sure to add me to twitter/facebook/google reader so you get the update when it's up. :-)

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  2. I had to cut back on coffee, too, but for calorie reasons as much as financial. When I discovered just how many calories were in those mochas....yeeeeesh!

    I stick to drip coffee now and once a week or less often I treat myself to a light latte at Caribou.

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  3. Does the cup keep your coffee hot? I've seen them but I have a real love/hate relationship with coffee mugs.

    april@Party of Five
    http://www.westerhold.blogspot.com

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  4. I saw that cup at Walmart's too, it's really cute but I only drink 1 cup of coffee a day in a mug.

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