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BUSINESS Monday 2 SepteMber 2019
A25

Millennial Money: Drink up savings at Starbucks

By COURTNEY JESPERSEN a Starbucks gift card onto the flavor of that iced lem-
NerdWallet the Starbucks app with your on loaf cake, go to Pinter-
Associated Press coffee money allotment est and check for a similar
One Starbucks grande for the month. Then don’t recipe you can make at
Cold Brew with Salted reload the card again for home.
Cream Cold Foam, please. the next 30 days. “Somebody out there has
Even if your order sounds “You put $40 on that card, a copycat where you can
fancy, enjoying your cof- and when that $40 is done, make it at home and get
fee shouldn’t have to put guess what? Your Starbucks the Starbucks experience
you over budget. run ends for the month.” without paying the Star-
Whatever your drink of SWAP STARS FOR SAVINGS bucks price,” Fobes says.
choice, following these tips You can maximize your Stevens puts her Starbucks
could help keep you from monthly coffee allotment food advice this way: Don’t
overspending at your fa- by joining Starbucks Re- linger too long. The more
vorite coffee spot — with- wards and downloading time you spend there, the
out giving up your habit. the coffee joint’s app. more likely you are to be
WRITE A MONEY RECIPE The Starbucks loyalty pro- tempted by the food items.
First and foremost, recog- gram offers customers the With a little extra work, you
nize your Starbucks pur- ability to earn stars — two can drink up your favor-
chases as a part of your stars for every $1 spent ite coffee with a helping
actual budget. — that can later be re- of whipped cream — and
“I prefer that people be deemed for free drinks and without dragging down In this Aug. 8, 2019 photo customers arrive at a Starbucks coffee
realistic with themselves other rewards. There are your budget.q shop in Burbank, Calif.
and say, ‘Listen, this is a also other benefits, such as Associated Press
habit that I’m not going to a free treat on your birth-
give up. It makes my day. day, according to a Star-
It makes me happy,’” says bucks spokesperson.
Marianela Collado, CEO If you’re going to be mak-
and senior financial adviser ing purchases at Starbucks
at Tobias Financial Advisors anyway, it makes sense to
in Florida. earn rewards for your loyal-
“Then it should totally be a ty — it’ll stretch your coffee
line item. If you take $5 a dollars a little bit further.
day for 365 days, that’s al- BREW UP A BARGAIN
most $2,000.” Loyalty programs are a
Those who utilize a bud- popular savings technique
geting system like Mintor (Starbucks told us its re-
Quicken should create a wards program has more
“coffee fix” category in than 16.8 million active
their budget, Collado says. members). But beyond sim-
This would fall under the ply joining, there are less
“wants” section of your conventional ways to get
budget, much like an en- the most out of your cup of
tertainment or beauty cat- joe, too.
egory. And be sure to set a One option? Time your cof-
monthly spending limit. fee run strategically. The
KEEP YOUR DARK ROAST coffee chain sometimes
OUT OF THE RED hosts discount promotions,
Then, make some trade- such as happy hours. These
offs. For example, Col- are deals offered direct-
lado says she’s noticed ly through the Starbucks
that some members of her app and could include of-
team regularly splurge on fers such as 50% off drinks
their afternoon lattes, but or buy one, get one free.
bring their lunches to work These are available to all
instead of going out to eat. Starbucks customers and
They value getting coffee typically start at 3 p.m.
out more than they value At any time of day, try ask-
eating out. ing the barista for less ice,
If you’re not sure if you can recommends Kara Stevens,
hold yourself accountable founder of The Frugal Femi-
on your own, don’t dis- nista . The beverage may
count the ability of a gift be slightly less cold, but the
card to keep your spend- container will be filled with
ing on track. more drink for your money.
Using a gift card as your PASS ON THE PASTRIES
payment method is actu- Sure, you can keep the
ally a forced budgeting iced latte, but pass on the
technique, according to pricey pastries, scones,
Tracie Fobes, founder of cakes and other snacks,
Penny Pinchin’ Mom. Fobes recommends.
She recommends loading But if you really, really like