How Much Would You Save If You Gave Up Your Coffee?

By Lauren Heskin
29th Jul 2016

How Much Would You Save If You Gave Up Your Coffee?

We’re all guilty of mindlessly spending here and there. A restaurant lunch with colleagues when you just can’t sit at your desk a moment longer; a barista coffee before work so you look less like you’ve dragged yourself through 45 minutes of commuting and may or may not had applied your mascara in a moving vehicle; a chocolate bar from the row of “Buy Me!” sweets to take the edge off as you wait to pay for your dinner ingredients – the list gets rather long when you start thinking about it, as does the bill.

And then you get to the end of the month and you can’t help but wonder how you’re going to survive until pay day. You choke back terrified gasps as your friends casually discuss their “investment properties” and the outrageous price of creche care and you wonder why you can’t afford to buy that gorgeous top in Zara, never mind a down payment on a one-bedroom flat.

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But the truth that those small little expenditures that we completely forget about moments after actually do add up. Take your morning coffee for example. A regular coffee from a caf? in Ireland is going to cost on average €3 and you probably buy two to three a week, depending on?how badly you need your caffeine fix.

That’s ten coffees a month, working about €30 a month. €30 a month, it still doesn’t seem huge, but what if you actively decided to put aside that €30 every month?

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What If …. You Gave Up Your Coffee For A Month?

Your Savings: €30

You could invest in … Well for starters, that top in Zara. You could book yourself into three of those Zumba classes you’ve always been dying to try. Or when was the last time you invested in a really great bottle of wine to decant on a relaxing night in?

READ:?Why You Need To Start Looking After Your Long-Term Savings & Pension Now

What If …. You Gave Up Your Coffee For Six Months?

Your Savings: €180

You could invest in …?A three-month blow dry. Save yourself the hassle of waking at a ridiculous hour to shower and style your hair only to feel sweaty and sticky from the heat from your styling tools. Anything that makes the mornings easier is a solid investment.

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Cosy up in the deluxe room of Durrow Castle for €230 a night

What If …. You Gave Up Your Coffee For A Year?

Your Savings: €360

You could invest in … A luxurious weekend away in a 5-star hotel. We all deserve to treat ourselves and you could escape a fabulous 5-star country retreat and camp out on a king-size four-poster for the night for the price of a year’s casual coffee habit.

READ: Let’s Talk Savings Goals: Grace’s Home Dream

What If …. You Gave Up Your Coffee For 3 Years?

Your Savings: €1,080

You could invest in …?Go absolutely mad and splurge on that designer bag you’ve been pining over for years. Studies have shown that a Chanel bag has a better resale value than property…

READ: Let’s Talk Savings Goals: Amy’s Savings Reshuffle

What If …. You Gave Up Your Coffee For 5 Years?

Your Savings: €1,800

You could invest in … Furthering your education. Evening and part-time courses are extremely popular and you can get a university-level qualification within a year. There’s nothing like real-life career experience to tell you exactly where your skills are lacking, and as Oscar Wilde once said:

Insta Quote RABO15

The most important thing to recognise with all of these options is that this is money you are already spending. The minor grievance of making instant coffee during the week is easily made up by memorable, guilt-free spending that you’re guaranteed to appreciate.

READ: Let’s Talk Savings Goals: Patricia’s New Financial Age

And coffee is a very small expenditure – imagine calculating the cost of cigarettes or after-work drinks? If the thought sends shivers down your spine perhaps that’s exactly why you ought to work it out. That might be your down payment right there.