I know what you’re thinking. “What is it that I could not possibly already know about tips on saving money at Starbucks?” Well, let me tell you that as someone who prides herself on sharing money saving tips for a living, I was completely shocked when I learned how much money I’d been losing by being a loyal, daily customer for a full year. Let me explain.

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For two years, I studied for my certified financial planner board exam. If you’ve not heard about it, it’s not exactly a cake walk. In fact, it’s the hardest exam that many people, including me, have ever taken. It lasts for 10 hours over the span of 2 days and would-be financial planners must answer 285 questions on topics such as Harry Markowitz’s Modern Portfolio Theory on investments. I know. Fun, right? Well, for my last year of studying, I wanted to give it my all. I wanted to be one of the lucky ones who passed on the first time around.

So, I spent countless hours on end in studying at various Starbucks cafes. Simply put, I was a regular. I had dinner there and sometimes, even breakfast or lunch. As far as my drinks, I never did anything fancy. I just ordered a regular coffee or tea. I was conscious of keeping my costs down, but I was still spending at least $15 each visit. Since I spent several hours at a time in Starbucks, I took advantage of the discounted refills. I paid 65 cents for a regular tea or coffee refill. I thought I was doing great but that was only until a cashier asked me one day if I’d like to get free refills, free meals, coupons, and discounts. What? Tell me more! I was all ears, but I was sure she was going to sale me on a membership card or something. Nope! What she had to say cost me absolutely nothing. In fact, it saved me at least $12 per week.  $12 may not sound like a lot, but it equals a savings of over $600 a year! Here are 3 awesome tips on saving money at Starbucks:

Use a Gift Card for Purchases

Basically, this is the golden ticket to saving money at Starbucks. At first, it was confusing because I wondered why a simple, free gift card would provide me with so many benefits. But once I saw how much it saved me, I got over it! She told me that I needed to put at least $5 dollars on the card and then register it online. That’s when I’d be able to get all of the bonuses which include free food and drinks on my birthday, coupons and freebies in my email, and maybe best of all, free refills. Also, every time you buy, you earn points on your purchases which give you more free stuff! To learn more, visit My Starbucks Rewards.

Take Advantage of Refills

This is a good deal that I had not been taking advantage of up until a year ago. Even if you don’t use a gift card, you can still get discounted refills on regular teas and coffees. It sure beats paying full price.

Coffee Happy Hours

When you think of happy hours, do you think of Starbucks? If not, then you should! Starbucks has these wonderful happy hours at certain periods for maybe 2 or 3 hours at a time. The deals are normally advertised to promote a new drink or product and they often offer a deep discount. How about a vanilla frappuccino for 50% off? Yep, that’s my kind of sale.

These days, I don't spend half as much as time or money at Starbucks, but ironically, I learned some money savings tips whilestudying for my financial exam therethat I can use for a long time.After learning about them, I’m happier than ever to spend money at one of my favorite coffee spots. I never use cash or debit cards though, just my fantastic, money-saving gift card. I encourage you to try these tips if you’re a Starbucks regular. I think you’ll be delighted at how much you’re going to save while still enjoying some of the best drinks on Earth.

Have you been taking advantage of these tips on saving money at Starbucks? Got any tips to add to the list? I’m listening in the comments.

 

Miranda Reiter is a certified financial planner and founder of She & Money Financial Planning. She helps women develop a game plan for financial success so that they can stop feeling broke, meet their goals, and live the life they truly deserve. Connect with her on TwitterFacebook, or Google +.

 

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