Back in February, I was scrambling to decide what to buy Mrs. Doughmaker for Valentine’s Day. Both of us are pretty well aligned in giving functional gifts over the cliche. Early in the week, I went to a local brewery to pick up a few things for my sister’s birthday when coffee from a local roaster caught my eye. I picked up the package and I was drawn in by the smell of the beans and the explanation of the coffee “notes” which included strawberry and chocolate. I felt compelled to buy it for Mrs. Doughmaker.
Most mornings, Mrs. Doughmaker and I sit in bed with our french press nearby and share a cup of coffee or two while listening to the news or talking about the upcoming day. With three kids, it’s one of the rare moments we have to ourselves. To think I could surprise Mrs. Doughmaker with a new coffee on Valentine’s Day morning seemed special.
It wasn’t a completely seamless decision to purchase the coffee however. The price point was $19 dollars for 12oz. To curb the impulse, I walked around the store to pick out some gifts for my sister before coming back to make a final decision on the coffee. I decided to buy the coffee. After all, if I were to buy flowers, they definitely would have cost more than $19. I left the brewery excited to give this gift.
I didn’t write this story to share my Valentine’s Day adventures (although Mrs. Doughmaker really enjoyed the coffee and it really did have strawberry notes!) The premium coffee got me thinking a lot about coffee consumption within our household. What I realized is that we spend a lot on coffee and that there were other options for potentially better coffee at a lower price point readily available.
For the last few months we spent an average of $40 on “at home” coffee. We drink about 7-10 cups of coffee a day between the two of us (remember…three kids under 7). After bringing home the new coffee, Mrs. Doughmaker asked if there was a big price difference between our normal coffee and the special Valentines Day blend we enjoyed so much. I was curious too so I did the math and found something pretty surprising.
Mrs. Doughmaker and I buy, arguably, the most expensive coffee at Target: it’s about $1 per ounce. The coffee is really good but most likely is a bit stale due to the time from roast to purchase.
Meanwhile I looked at coffee subscriptions but couldn’t find quite what I wanted and we don’t like being tied to subscriptions anyway. A coworker suggested looking for a local roaster. Based on where we live, I was skeptical that I would find one. However, to my surprise I found a local roaster about 10 minutes from our house!
I got down to it and reflected on the cost of each option. Doing “the math” is an important process to any change that impacts your finances. The results were interesting.
On it’s face, the local roaster had bags of coffee that seemed quite expensive: $13.50 to $15.50 per 1lb bag, depending on the roast. In doing the math, I realized the coffee roaster was actually less expensive.
Since February, we have bought coffee solely from our local roaster. Not only do we feel good about shopping local, we truly feel like the coffee is the freshest available and the cost is right. A win, win, win!
So I recently started enjoying Sheetz iced vanilla lattes and was hooked for a while. Until….I realized that I could buy very yummy creamer at the grocery store (a 2 week supply) for the same price as one drink from Sheetz. When mixed with plain old store brand coffee that’s been refrigerated overnight, I cannot taste the difference. It’s been a money saver, and a life saver since being stuck at home!
Yes! I’ve been craving a latte during my time at home so I need to come up with a solution too. I will add some creamer to our shopping list this month.