13 Clever Starbucks Hacks That Can Save You Big Money
Your mother, your financial advisor, your best friend and the lady you sit next to on your daily bus commute have all said pretty much the same thing every time they see you with a Starbucks cup in hand.
“You know, you could save so much money if you would just quit buying that expensive coffee.” And if they don’t say it? They probably thought it.
Maybe you can have your coffee and save money, too with some handy Starbucks hacks. Besides, going to Starbucks isn’t just about the coffee — or a million other variations of coffee. It’s a place to meet friends, be alone but not feel alone, work, avoid drinking alcohol, and celebrate or commiserate.
13 Ways to Save Money at Starbucks
Clearly, cutting Starbucks out of your routine isn’t always as easy as just switching to home-brewed coffee. So, here are 13 clever Starbucks hacks to help you save money and keep it in your life.
1. Join Starbucks Rewards
You can get a free drink just for being a new Starbucks Rewards member! This promotion is only available within the first week of signing up and typically requires an eligible purchase, but it’s a nice perk if you’re new to the app.
2. Earn Rewards Points
Once you’ve joined Starbucks Rewards, you can earn free drinks with enough stars. You earn one star for every dollar you spend if you pay as you go with cash or a debit or credit card. Pay on a preloaded digital Starbucks Card on the app and get two stars per $1 spent.
(You get extra perks from partners, too, such as Delta SkyMiles when you link your accounts.)
Along with getting free brewed coffee and tea refills, Starbucks Rewards members get a free handcrafted drink when they earn 200 points. The app also frequently has offers that provide extra points.
Without any bonus offers, you may end up spending $100 to $200 before you get enough points for a free drink (depending on how you pay and if you use double-star days to your advantage). That’s a good chunk of change to spend just to get a free drink reward, so it may not be worth it to some people. If nothing else, you do get to enjoy a free drink on your birthday with Starbucks Rewards.
3. Buy Discounted Starbucks Gift Cards
One of our favorite Starbucks hacks is to use discounted gift cards to buy coffee. CardCookie, GCX and other discount gift card sites can help you stretch your coffee dollars further. Buy a gift card for less than its face value, and you’ll get more for your money at Starbucks.
CardCookie can run out of Starbucks gift cards, but you can sign up for their email list and get notifications when they’re back in stock. GCX has them in stock now for a maximum of 4% off — that’ll save you $2 on a $50 gift card.
4. Use Credit Card Reward Points for Starbucks Gift Cards
Many major credit card reward programs allow you to trade in points for gift cards at various retailers. Check your credit card rewards to see if Starbucks is one of those options.
5. Split One Drink Into Two
This Starbucks hack involves a steady hand. Try ordering a Venti latte and divide it into two Tall cups when grabbing a drink with a friend. You’re basically getting two Tall coffees for around $2.72 each instead of $4.45 each. Some stores will ask you to pay extra for the additional cup (25 or 50 cents), but you’ll still come out ahead. Don’t know anyone who wants to go to Starbucks with you? Bring your own insulated cup for a second hot coffee later.
6. Scale Back Your Usual Order
Instead of the more elaborate drinks, you can achieve a similar taste with something that costs less. Try a drip coffee with syrup and add your own milk and sweetener.
You can make your drink even cheaper by asking for whipped cream instead of syrup. Any drink is sweeter and more fun with a dollop of whipped cream, which is free.
7. Supersize Your Cup
When ordering drip coffee, ask for a “tall drip in a Grande cup,” which will give you extra room to add milk while still only paying for the tall size. Need more coffee? Try this same Starbucks hack with a Venti or Trenta cup.
8. Light on the Ice, Please
Ask for light ice with your iced coffee. If you don’t, your cup could be so full of ice that you don’t get as much coffee as you’d like. It’s not necessarily a cash saver, but this request will get you more caffeine and less water for your money. Want your drink to be cold without the ice? Bring a chilled tumbler with you as your own reusable cup.
9. Assemble Your Own Drink
Slash the price of your iced latte in half by ordering just one or two shots of espresso, then add as much milk as you want from your fridge at home. You can even order two shots of espresso over ice. This Starbucks hack typically saves you $1 to $1.50.
10. Bring A Cup
In a nod to the environment, Starbucks takes 10 cents off the price of each drink you order if you bring in your own cup. Those dimes add up! You also earn 25 extra stars in the rewards app for bringing a reusable cup.
11. Don’t Buy Bottled Water
Here’s a tip that saves money at Starbucks and everywhere else, for that matter. Order a cup of water instead of buying bottled. The baristas will happily give it to you — and you won’t pay $2.65 for that plastic bottle of H2O. Some stores may charge for the cup.
12. Order a Coffee Traveler
If you’re in a group of two to 12, order your coffee in bulk with a coffee traveler of Pike Place Roast, Veranda Blend, Dark Roast or Decaf Pike Place Roast. At around $20 each, these travelers can be a great money saver — you’ll get the equivalent of 12 8-fl-oz cups of coffee (96 fl. oz) and cups to go. A normal short coffee is around $2.50 plus tax, but you’ll pay $1.66 per serving with this Starbucks hack.
13. A Treat That’s Always Free
Looking for a little something extra? A tiny cup of whipped cream for your dog is a free canine concoction Starbucks calls a Puppuccino. Be sure to ask for one inside or even in the drive-through. Usually, you need to buy a human drink to get the Puppuccino on the house.
Veteran journalist Katherine Snow Smith is a former staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She covers ways to make money, save money and other topics. Her work has appeared in the Tampa Bay Times, Charlotte Business Journal and Greenville (S.C.) News. Former contributor Nick Loper contributed to this report.
