My name is Holly and i'm a mocha latte addict

[hollytheteacher]

Okay really I need some kind of internal dialogue to have with myself so i can stop spending 6-8 dollars a day on mocha lattes. I have decided to partake in the Oct. No spend challenge and obviously a mocha latte would be considered unnecessary spending. While i have given up so many other things so easily (no cable, no video rentals, no cell phone, we don't go out on "dates" so no babysitter or movie theater spending, no longer do beautifying things like nails, expensive salons, etc. etc. etc.) I just can't deny myself some mocha latte goodness. I think the intense daily craving also comes from breastfeeding my 13 month old. I eat like a teenage boy these days and am always craving something sweet (i'm also struggling to maintain weight...as in i am losing it too fast). Anyway, sorry so long but if you have any tactics that help you stop spending money on something delicious please help!

[llamalluv]

I totally understand. I am a former latteholic and I managed to give them up almost completely about a year ago. I now have one every 2-3 months.

The trick I used was to teach my husband how to use the coffee maker and make me a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. And also switch jobs to one that has a commute that goes NOWHERE NEAR a starbucks.

[hollytheteacher]

One of my biggest problems with it is that i don't like coffee. Only lattes and only mocha ones...sigh

[Selesai]

You can still make one at home. We have an espresso maker, so my husband will make the espresso shots, add milk, and then lots of syrup. It actually works pretty well with regular coffee too.

But I understand the conundrum. I like the whipped cream, myself. I wonder if there is a way for you to make yourself a decadent drink without spending money. What about hot chocolate?

[monkey's mom]

The gingerbread latte was mine. Thank god it was only out for a few months of the year.....of course that didn't mean I wasn't getting other drinks the other part of the year.

Figure out a way to make it yourself--or at least SOMETHING similar and fancy and sweet and that helps you feel like you are getting a treat. Because I seriously think it's not just the drink for many of us. It's the pampering aspect. Treat yourself at home. Buy a very cute travel mug now if you need to, get some ingredients, and recreate your routine at home. No matter what you do, you will save money over the long haul.

And I highly recommend the No Spend Challenge. You can not escape the three lattes you bought last week when they are right there on your post. My brain forgets VERY quickly what I spent two weeks ago. Seeing it on that challenge is a very useful reminder.

I can't imagine spending on ONE cup of coffee now, what I used to spend without blinking. I'm even getting uncomfortable with the $4 I spend on a bag of Senseo pods....and that lasts for weeks.

Good luck! You can do it!!!!!

[3*is*magic]

Can you start by cutting back? I'd try getting rid of the first latte of the day - that way you know that you still have one to look forward to. It helps to replace the behavior with another - positive - behavior. Like taking a walk, or going to the library, or having a (made at home) cup of tea with a friend.

As a fellow caffiene addict, I understand .

[Astrogirl]

Can you make them yourself? Maybe invest in a good but cheap coffee maker so its "instant"?

I started making my own coffee and mixing hot chocolate in it. I guess its been so long since i've been to a real Starbucks, that this actually tastes really good to me.

[mama2simon]

Just a thought with the holidays approaching - maybe you could ask for latte gift cards. People tend to give those to me (know that I love coffee) and it makes a very nice treat . Good luck this month - I am with you on the challenge.

[HydeParkB]

I second (third?, fourth?) trying to make them yourself. We make our coffee at home. When we have whipping cream left over from making ice cream, I will use it for mochas. Coffee + cream (or whole / 2% milk) + chocolate syrup. And then I whip up some of the cream for the top. I was surprised how easy it was to do with a wisk.

Good luck!

[jen0608]

Same situation as my friend she is getting addicted to coffee...since we because night shift...I want to help her but I don't know what to do...

[WaitingForKiddos]

My name is Cindy and I'm an Iced Chai Tea Latte addict.

I was able to make my drink at home. The concentrate is still another 5 bucks...and more milk used up. But it's much better than 3-4.50 a pop!

[Matt's Mom in MT]

My name is Candy and I'm a pumpkin spice latte addict.

I so feel your pain.

[shayinme]

Well I have been a Starbucks junkie for 12-13 years. I am talking 2-3 times a day and yes I love mochas. That said last year when I lost my job, I had to cut back, no way I could spend $8 a day. First I made my trips every other days and only 1 drink a day. However I did discover the international house coffees, they have a mocha style version and when you add cream its not bad. That allowed me to reduce my trips to Starbucks to only a few times a week. Another cutback I did was change my drink, in hot months rather than getting a iced mocha, I get a iced coffee and have them add a couple shots of mocha. Its smiliar to a mocha in taste but almost $2 less. For a hot drink, I get a misto and get a shot of mocha, again similiar in taste to a mocha but cheaper. I am now at the point when I go to Starbucks I get these drinks so its a savings. Good luck!

Shay

[nolansmummy]

I'm a pumpkin spice latte addict

Me too. I look forward to october all year when they bring out the pumpkin flavors. Today i got a pumpkin bagel at Einstein bagels mmmm.

I used to get mocha lattes all the time, well, everytime i went to target. Now i just don'tgo to target anymore. Do you drive by the coffee place on your way to work? if so, take a different way. If you make a special trip out, take a walk instead. Just do whatever brings you to the coffee differently. Avoid the things that make you crave coffee. Easier said then done i know.

For me the only thing that works is cold turkey. No more lattes. Nothing i can make at home will ever compare (maybe i'm just bad at making lattes who knows) so i just switched to plain coffee with the flavored creamers. Much cheaper, and good in a different way. Maybe you could try the mixes at the store, like international coffee's or slowly switch to hot chocolate. Once you go one month and see how much money your saving it might be enough incentive to keep not going.

[mum4boys]

Originally Posted by hollytheteacher

Okay really I need some kind of internal dialogue to have with myself so i can stop spending 6-8 dollars a day on mocha lattes. I have decided to partake in the Oct. No spend challenge and obviously a mocha latte would be considered unnecessary spending.

Hold your horses, since when is a latte not an essential? I think it is the top four: food, shelter, clothing and lattes. Good luck giving it up though.

[Jilian]

Make them at home, they aren't the same but you'll save a small fortune. I love, love, LOVE Starbucks White Chocolate Mochas - they are to die for. But we just cannot afford them. Instead I use International Delight's "white chocolate macadamia" cream in my coffee in the morning. I buy it when it is on sale and pay $2.50 for a large creamer. I pay $3 for enough coffee to last us 2 weeks. When I realized that my beloved white chocolate mocha cost just as much as over 2 weeks worth of coffees I stopped buying them.

I do however ask for Starbucks giftcards for my birthday and Christmas DH got me one last year and I got to have a white chocolate mocha once a week for a few months. I appreciated it so much more too.

[Jilian]

BTW you can buy a cappucino maker and make awesome lattes at home. It requires a little work but they taste just as good as store bought. We have a Krups (sp?) and it was $50 and we've had it for 6 years now and it is still going strong. It has the milk steaming/frothing attachment.

[AuntNi]

I've so been there, except I like mine without the chocolate. I second the suggestion that you invest in an espresso machine and make your own.

Here's what scared me straight. When I took my preschool DD to Starbucks every day, I was spending like $9/day. Multiply that times 240 work days per year, and I was spending $2160 a YEAR on Starbucks. Holy ****!

So now I have a cash envelope for Starbucks: $15/month, and I save it for the PMS migraine days. I really do need an extra caffeine boost on those days. Plus it gives me something nice to look forward to, and I don't feel totally deprived. Of all the financial moves I've made the past year and half, giving up daily Starbucks was truthfully the hardest. But making the chance was so worth it, financially.

Good luck to you!

[my2girlz]

Originally Posted by Matt's Mom in MT

I'm a pumpkin spice latte addict.

I so feel your pain.

Me too! I've been thinking of taking out $20 and putting into a starbucks envelope. It really doesn't help that there is a drive thru in town and inside my supertarget.

[pumpkin]

The most frugal thing I ever did was to spend LOTS of money (over $1000) on a super-automatic espresso maker. It became ridiculously easy to make any coffee beverage imaginable at home. All I had to do in the morning was press a button and I had my latte. It easily paid for itself within a year.

My old inexpensive machines just drove me crazy so I would resort to stopping at Starbucks on the way into work.