Coffee on a Tight Budget

I apologize for the brief hiatus here. I forgot how expensive DC can be, which means I'm not going out for coffee much. I'm also not doing a whole lot of money spending anyway since my job situation is currently up in the air. We all know that I need my coffee fix, so even if I don't have much money, like every other college student really, I'm gonna find ways that I get my fill. Here's my advice- if you don't already have a coffee maker, frickin get one! Even one of those Keurig or whatever things will do, though I don't like them and wouldn't have one of my own-- too much waste for the amount of coffee you get. But I digress, if you drink coffee on a fairly regular basis, it is far more economical to buy a $8 10 oz bag of coffee, which will probably last anywhere from a week to a month, depending on how many people are drinking it/if you're making a full pot/how often you drink it, than to spend $8 on three or four coffees in a shop. That would maybe last me 2 days. Maybe even only one day, if it's a particularly rough one. Do you see what I'm saying though? In the long run, even though you have to buy the coffee maker and the filters (oh wow, that $3 really took a toll on my bank account), I'm sure it will save you money in the long run, ESPECIALLY if you buy your coffee at the S-word. So get yourself a travel mug and shut up.

or a sweet thermos like this

Now, if you don't own a coffee maker and are at AU- oh even if you're in the dorms, that's no excuse to not have a coffee maker. I know I did. Probably not legal but I don't let laws get in the way of my coffee.

But if you don't have one and want just regular coffee, my suggestion is actually to go to the Davenport Coffee Lounge. They have 50 cent small Americanos (espresso and hot water), and if you bring your own mug or use one of their ceramic mugs rather than a paper cup, it's only 40 cents. You honestly cannot beat that. It's an extra 25 cents for a shot of flavor in there too. But since an Americano is basically a coffee, I have found that it is the cheapest way to get my coffee on campus. It's way better than paying $1+ for substandard Starbucks brand coffee everywhere else on campus. Also, the Dav just has really cute mugs there, which you can take anywhere on campus. Just make sure to bring it back. If you're not at AU, look around your campus for the cheapest deals and see if you can get money off for using your own mug. It's also environmentally friendly! Ok so that's my advice for the day. Stay tuned for more thrifty ways to get your caffeine fix!

DRINK OF THE DAY: Hazelnut soy lattes. While a regular hazelnut latte is also good, the soy milk really adds a whole other flavor to the drink. It's pretty freaking delicious. I generally either ask for half as much hazelnut as usual or make sure there's two shots of espresso because I don't like mine super sweet.