Should you buy daily coffee?

There’s so much discussion of how much money people waste on daily coffee. The older generation seems to think that simple things like this would fix so many budget problems. We needn’t dive into the woods on the macro differences between now and then but I want to offer a different argument in favor of buying daily coffee.

First, I should say that people absolutely should be aware of the cost relative to their budget. $10+ coffees are for rich people that don’t need to save more money. However, I’m in favor of a cheap daily coffee despite its impact on savings. Here’s why:

You can use the time well. This is a big one for me. I like to study at the coffee shop. It works with my brain and I’ve trained myself to get into the head space to study when I’m there. Sometimes I like to joke and call the cost of my drink my tuition fee. I go for 1-2 hours everyday and for the cost of a few dollars, keeping me studying is worth it.

It does, however, sting a little when I calculate the yearly cost of this but telling myself, “I spent $xxx to learn more efficiently.” certainly feels a lot better to me. Maybe it’s rationalization of a bad spending habit but in some ways I am buying the time and space beyond the drink.

Rituals can be a good thing. I am certainly biased for being at the coffee shop. For me, that’s a big added value. Yet, the ritual nature of getting coffee or drinking coffee can be good for you, too. Some people need to get out of their desk and see some new sights for a few minutes. However, it would still be better to go sit at the coffee shop and read a book even if it’s just for ten minutes. Truly, I don’t quite understand the to go order crowd.

There are plenty of people who need caffeine to get their work done. This group of people are those I would say should learn to palate work or home brewed coffee. If caffeine is your primary focus, there are better methods than breaking your budget.

If you’re getting serious value for that money, then it can absolutely be worth it! Don’t be dismayed by out of touch advice that doesn’t match with your life. You’re not going to buy a house simply by skipping a cup of coffee.