Before having children, I had no problem waking up, working out, and facing the day on little more than a granola bar. Now that I'm a mother, I can't even think about starting my day without at least one cup of coffee. In fact, I usually find myself drinking it all day long until it's socially appropriate to switch to wine. And since coffee is the drink of choice for so many moms, I feel personally responsible to share some of the Starbuck's hacks every mom needs to know.
If you love coffee as much as I do, chances are you drink it every day. And if your daily cup of joe comes from Starbucks, you're probably spending most of your child's college fund to support your habit. But it doesn't have to be that way. Sharing a large drink with a friend, using the Starbucks app, and ordering your regular coffee in a larger cup are just a few of the tricks you can use to save yourself a little time and money on your favorite Starbucks beverages.
Chances are, you're going to be drinking coffee until your kids go to college, and long after that. So there's no time like the present to start using some of these awesome hacks to help support your habit.
1Supersize Your Cup
Let's face it, even when you ask your barista to leave room for milk, something usually gets lost in translation and you're left with the heartbreaking choice to sacrifice some of that liquid gold for the sake of your half and half. Save yourself some coffee and frustration by ordering your tall coffee in a grande cup, as the website for The Today Show recommended.
2Make Your Own Iced Latte
You can save on the price of an iced latte, if you're willing to do a little work. As Popsugar suggested, order a triple espresso over ice in a venti cup then add your own milk at the condiment bar.
3Divide And Conquer
If you love Frappuccinos but don't want them to blow your budget, you can save money by sharing with a friend. Splitting a venti (24 ounces) is cheaper than buying two talls (12 ounces), according to the aforementioned piece from The Today Show. In doing so, you can save as much as $4. Now all you have to worry about is who gets the whipped cream.
4Make It A Misto
Latte lovers can save themselves money and calories by ordering a caffe misto, as Popsugar recommended. Half coffee, half steamed milk, this delicious drink is cheaper than the latte which is made with espresso. As a bonus, a grande made with 2 percent milk is only 110 calories, according to Starbucks' website.
5Get The App
Not having cash is not a problem when you use the Starbucks app on your smartphone. The app lets you find out the name of that funky song playing in the store, pay for your drinks, earn stars for each order that are redeemable for free drinks, and more.
6Save Time In Line
When you're a mom, your time is precious. Have more time to enjoy your drink by ordering and paying for your drink ahead of time with the Mobile Order function on the Starbucks app. Your barista will have your hot drink ready when you get there.
7Get Lots Of Gift Cards
Be sure to let your family know that the way to your heart is with a Starbucks gift card. Mother's Day, birthdays, and just because you're awesome are great excuses to collect cards you can cash in for your favorite coffee drinks. And every time you use your card, you collect stars that you can cash in for free drinks later.
