Appreciation post: my coffee habit was costing me more than my car payment

I was looking at my bank statement from the past year and saw a $4 charge from the same coffee shop pop up almost every single day. I added it up and it was over $1,400, which is more than I pay for my Honda each month. The tip-off was seeing the total next to my actual grocery bill. Now I make a big pot at home and take it in a thermos. Has anyone else had a small daily expense that secretly got huge?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan20514d ago

Oh man, that hits way too close to home. I did the exact same math with my lunch habit last year and the number was just scary. It's crazy how those little buys feel like nothing until you see the whole year laid out. Good on you for catching it and switching to the thermos.

hayden70914d ago

I read a blog post that called it the "latte factor," where small daily spends really add up over time.

angela_miller7513d ago

Totally used to roll my eyes at that "latte factor" stuff, thought it was for people who worry too much. Then I added up my own iced coffee runs, just a few bucks a day. Seeing that yearly total was a real wake up call. Now I keep a big cold brew pitcher in the fridge at home. The change felt tiny but the savings are actually huge.