As you can see from the blog title, WE HAVE A GUEST!!! I know everyone is tired of reading my blatherings, so let?s all welcome Tiffany McDonald, of Tiffany McDonald Inc., (<?that?s a hyper link to her website?click on it!) to the website. ?She has some great ways to trim your coffee budget while out without lowering your caffeine intake. Make sure you follower her on twitter too.
An Internet Marketing Consultant?s Guide to Cheap Coffee ? People ask if I work from home, I say no, I work from a coffee shop!
Some of you might notice I check into coffee shops a lot. A LOT. You probably think my monthly coffee bill is through the roof! Well, have I got a surprise for you, it?s not! This is thanks to knowing the ins and outs of the Gold Card system at Starbucks and the various other refill policies at local coffee establishments.
I will break them down by the coffee shop:
Starbucks: (free-standing not necessarily Barnes and Noble or other affiliate stores)
Starbucks has a rewards program related to the amount of drinks you buy per calendar year. You must first purchase a $5 gift card and register it online. Once it?s registered, you gain a star for each purchase you make. Once you reach 5 stars, you are a green card member. Once you hit 30 stars in a calendar year, you become a gold card member and they send you an actual gold card. Here are the perks of registering your card and beginning to get stars:
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Free drink or food item on your birthday (by using your card once)
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Free refills on iced and brewed coffee as well as iced and hot tea (by using 5 times and hitting green, in-store only)
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Once you hit gold card status, you get a FREE drink for every 12 stars you gain
So, here?s how this works for me: I almost exclusively drink hot or iced coffee at Starbucks. If I? am staying part of the day at Starbucks to work, I get free refills! When I hit my 12 stars, I get a splurge drink. Your drink can be *any size, any drink* so go crazy lol! Now, with their new program it can be a food item which also includes their bistro boxes, yummy!
Here?s one more tip: you get a star for each transaction so, if you are buying 3 drinks, ask the barista to ring them each up separately. This is if you don?t have a huge line of people behind you. Morning rush is not the time to do this!
Now, one amazing thing is Starbucks has a special now that if you sign up for your first time, you can get a free $5 gift card.
Another way to save at Starbucks is that they do offer a cup discount. If you bring your own cup, you get 10 cents off. That doesn?t sound like much but when you are buying that much brewed and iced coffee, every little bit helps!
If you do *not* have a green card at Starbucks yet, you can buy a refill by paying only 54 cents. So, keep that in mind if you?re not in the mood for commitment, lol!
Three Layers (Historic Springfield, 6th and Walnut)
Review of Three Layers?(<?JaxFoodCritic?s Review)
Three Layers is a block from my house. This is my go-to spot for getting work done without being bombarded by the tasks of daily life. You know, making sure you don?t do the laundry and mop the floor instead of working? I digress.
Three Layers has a refillable tumbler you can buy for $10. Once you buy the tumbler, your iced coffee refills are only $1. Within 6 drinks, it?s paid for itself!
If you do not see yourself using the tumbler frequently enough, remember you do get a couple of free refills on iced and brewed coffee on a regular priced coffee.
They also have a recent PayCloud promotion where you get your 9th combo meal free once you?ve bought 8. Just something to think about if you frequent Springfield for lunch.
Bold Bean Coffee Roasters (Riverside, College and Stockton)
Let me say I have never taken advantage of any refills here. I *love* their honey latte so I never buy a pour over or the like. However, when I am working somewhere for a long time, I like the possibility of getting another drink hence the post. I was at Bold Bean last week and a gentleman did ask about a refill and the barista eagerly gave him a refill. So, just keep that in mind. Plus, their drinks are delicious, local and well-priced.
*All of the above-mentioned coffee shops have free wifi also. Remember to tip your baristas!
All this talk about coffee has me ready to have some! What?s your favorite drink to order?
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