Saving $135.00 at Starbucks

Something fiendishly simple occurred to me the other day while I was waiting in line for my morning fix of the legalized highly-addictive stuff they pour at the corporate green coffee giant a few blocks from my office.

It's my opinion (and I think I'm right) that the prices at Starbucks (or anywhere else with a tip-jar, for that matter), are designed to price the purchased item such that there's a change amount from a whole number of dollars which is:

a) not significant enough to put back in your pocket

and

b) significant enough to be a pretty darn good tip over time

My normal drink is a Grande Americano. That comes to $2.46 every day (criminal, isn't it?).

I always pay with 3 singles or perhaps a $5 bill - and up until a few days ago, the 54 cents went straight into the tip jar. Didn't even think about it.

Hang on ... multiply that out. 54 cents, every work day (5 for me), times 50 weeks ... that's $135 a year I'm throwing in there! That's 13 times more annual tip than I give the garbage people or the mail carrier!!

But, you feel obliged to do it really don't you? The tip jar is just sitting there saying "feed me, feed me". And the person that went before you put their change in there. And the spotty teen at the register almost puts the change in there for you (see point a, above).

My solution: use a credit card for every coffee purchase. How simple is that?. They swipe the card - you don't sign anything (presumably, because it's under $20 or whatever the limit is). No tip. No guilt. It's a win-win! Plus you probably get airmiles or rewards points or whatever your particular card offers.

And I don't have to worry about cash and all the nasty, grubby hands that the change or bills have been in. And I save $135 a year. That's a free 54 cups of coffee, people!

Am I cheap? Yup. :)