Good morning everyone!

Happy Friday!

Out of curiousity I decided to do the "math" with regards to my buying a "fancy" coffee 4 times a week. Let me preface this with I work in Downtown Minneapolis so there is a coffee place on nearly every corner. Well I am very strict with our money so I pretty much know where every cent is spent so I decided 4 times a week treat was justified because we've been doing so good. Well....This week I didn't. Here is what I saved:

$17.20 - (4 grande White Mochas)

and the kicker...

1880 calories!!!!

680 fat calories
72 total fat
200 cholesterol
960 sodium
252 carbs
236 sugars
60 protein
200 calcium
600 caffeine

And to think...I wondered where those extra 20lbs came from this year!! DUH.

Boggled in MN,
Jennifer

That's why it pays to count calories and plan ahead!!

I'm sorry, I didn't realize I posted this in the wrong forum

That is amazing! It is nice to get a coffee drink, but I see that the $$$ and the calories add up pretty fast. That's about $70/month. You could be getting another pair of shoes every month, or at least half a pair!

That's why my drink of choice is a 12oz soy latte (2 shots, no sweetener or syrup) or an Americano with no room for cream (and no sweetener.) I try to drink coffee at home, though. It is so much cheaper (even if you buy premium coffee.)

Ha, Zenor, that is exactly what I do - buy premium coffee. Sometimes I feel a little guilty about the $$$ I spend on nice food for me, but in the long run, I may actually be saving money since I don't buy treats or eat meals in restaurants. I think I sound like I am rationalizing and justifying .

Yesterday I spent $10 (cringe) on a bag of Starbucks espresso coffee because I had a craving.

You can make your own premium drinks and control the calories. I don't drink coffee but learned I like espresso/latte. (Maybe because it tastes like coffee ice cream. DH likes black coffee, but can't stand coffee flavored anything.)

When DH's coffee pot needed to be replaced, I asked him to find one with an espresso/latte maker side. He found one with a cappachino maker. So I make cappachino with skim milk and artificial sweetener. This allows me to get in the milk serving (1.5 cups) I find so hard otherwise to plan in. And since I make it myself it's the cost of the coffee, milk and sweetener. On weekdays I make it into togo cups and take it with me. I've paid for the coffee pot over and over by now.

I'm a huge fan of Starbucks tall skinny mocha - 90 calories! I order it "extra hot" so I have to sip it and make it last

Wow... if you drank that many extra calories (on top of what it takes to maintain your weight) every single week for a year, you'd gain 28 pounds! WTG on doing the math and making a great change for your health!

I drink coffee at home, where I use skim milk and little or no sweetener. (Somehow, when I order coffee out, I always end up adding cream! ) During the warmer months, I'm always tempted to get iced coffee from McDonald's or Dunkin' Donuts... so I've started making extra coffee and keeping it in the refrigerator! Add some milk and a couple of ice cubes and I'm happy.

Just a tip...

A Grande Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee is only 160 calories. So if you want a nice treat that is a good way to go - it wont save you any money, but it will save you calories! A tall one is 130.

So 4 grandes = 640 calories

I love coffee now too. I like Starbucks but i refuse to pay the amount of money they want for a drink. But i use splenda and sugar free coffee mate in my coffee. My Starbucks travel mug full of coffee only has 45 calories...so i can drink two of them a day. I'm just waiting for the Mudslide creamer to come in sugar free. I hate a cup of coffee costing me 135 calories instead of 45 calories.

But that is awesome that you figured out how much money and calories you are saving by not "splurging" 4 times a week!!! Congrats!!!

WOW, what an eye opener...makes me glad we have NO coffee places like starbucks within an hours drive!

I generally get coffee, iced coffee, tea, iced tea or a light frappucino... And when i do the frappucino, I do a tall.. Otherwise its grande...and the coffees and teas are cheaper

I didn't know that places existed anymore that haven't been overrun with Starbucks!

I just looked and realized yours what a white mocha so my Carmel one above doesn't do much good. So I went and looked and starbucks has a light white mocha as well! It is 180 calories for a grande!

a regular mocha light is only 140 calories for a grande.

mmm I could really go for one right now.