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You Paid HOW MUCH For Your Coffee?!

January 17, 2012 · by ·
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image from keurig.com

Coffee.

We love it.

We crave it.

But what do you PAY for it?

So many times when people are looking to cut back the first thing ‘experts’ say to cut back on is that coffee.  It is true.  At a conservative price point of $1.65 for a small java, the coffee adds up quick! But you are a great penny pincher.  You got a KEURIG for Christmas and you are going to MAKE YOUR OWN coffee in the morning.

You are awesome!

You are responsible with your money.

You are going to now spend $.687 per cup of coffee with your fancy new Keurig!

You are going to save the world!

How did I come up with that magic number?

For this penny pinching exercise I am assuming that you are buying Green Mountain Coffee (Columbian Fair Trade Select) in a K cup from the Keurig website in the 24 count pack and you paid full price of $16.49 and you some how got free shipping.

That breaks down to $.687 and some small change per K cup. Not bad!  That sure beats your $1.65 cup of Joe that you bought yesterday.

OK. That number doesn’t account for milk that you may put in your coffee but we are just going to assume you are going to drink your coffee black for this exersize.

But you heard that Keurig makes a REFILLABLE K-cup!

WHAT!?

I can use my favorite coffee from my local coffee shop? How awesome is that!? Now you can pinch pennies, support your local coffee shop, AND get your coffee all at the same time!

You are soooooo going to do that!

But what is the cost breakdown? I am here to break it all down for you!

Let’s assume the following:

  • You already own a Keurg and the My K-Cup.
  • You are willing to bite the penny and give up the convenience of not having a pre filled K-cup.
  • You are going to drink your coffee straight, black and unsweetened.
  • Your local coffee shop charges $7.50 per pound for coffee. (this number will vary from shop to shop)
  • You fill your My-K cup to the same ounces of grounds per K-cup (I estimate to be .342 oz or 9.7 grams or about 2 teaspoons per cup.)
  • You don’t charge yourself for the time you use to fill the My K-cup, put water in the machine or clean the machine. (In other words your time is FREE!)

With all these factors assumed you will get from 1 lb of coffee:

46 fillings for your My K-cup = $.16 per cup!!

So what do you drink?

  • Coffee shop coffee = $1.65
  • K-cup from Keurig = $.68
  • My K cup filled by you with your favorite blend = $.16
But Sarah… What about the price I paid for the Keurig and the My K-Cup…I didn’t get one for Christmas. I bought one outright and I didn’t have a discount.
Well with those factors it will take you the following to recoup your expense if you bought the Keurig Mini Plus for $99.95 and the My K-Cup for $17.95 you would be able to pay for your system with your savings in the following:
  • Coffee shop: 79 cups and you are back in the black
  • K Cup from Keurig : 227 cups and you are in the black
All these numbers are just that: numbers. Please adjust them to fit your prices in your area. But it should give you an estimate of how much you will save by using a My K-cup in your Keurig vs K-cups vs. coffee shop counter service.
On a side note I would like to recommend my local coffee shop: The Green Bean Roasting Co.

Image from K M Photography

I believe everyone should shop and support local businesses when ever possible.

Here is a section of their mission statement taken from their website:

Our aim is to provide an upscale and eco-friendly café where patrons can enjoy a gourmet cup of coffee served by experienced and friendly employees devoted to customer service and satisfaction.

How do you pinch pennies when it comes to your coffee?

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Filed Under: Food & Drink, Food Tips, Penny Pinching · Tagged: ,
  • http://www.jasonkonopinski.com/ Jason Konopinski

    I roast my own. :)  I source my green beans from Sweet Marias (averaging $5/lb) and roast them using a heat gun and a metal bowl. By roasting small amounts, I can guarantee peak freshness and have the flexibility to roast a wide range of beans to suit my taste.

  • http://twitter.com/HowIPinchAPenny Sarah Mock

    Way to go Jason! That is awesome. That is a great way of pinching pennies. I don’t think I could trust myself with a heat gun and a metal bowl.  OWWIE!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/adanuski Amanda Danuski

    For my Keurig it’s self, I bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond.  It was listed at $119.99 plus tax.  As you know, BBB always has coupons for either 20% off of $5 off one item. Despite having an expiration date, they really don’t expire.  I never throw the coupons away because there are times when friends or family can’t their hands on one. Anyway I used the 20% off coupon along with $50 worth of gift cards to BBB that I had redeemed from credit card points.  I paid around $45 for the brewer.Now onto the coffee or whatever you like to drink.  Tea is my pick but I do enjoy coffee too. I had a coupon for $10 off my purchase at Kohl’s so I did buy a pack of Twinnings English Breakfast tea because I wanted to try it in the k-cups.  The k-cups were already on sale so I paid $3.00 for a pack of 16… not bad.  But then I realized that I can buy a box of the exact same tea for $3.00 and I get 20 tea bags.  The Keurig works wonderful for making hot water for tea, oatmeal and even a packet of hot cocoa.  I have yet to pay more than $7.00 for a box of K-cups (normally less) and I plan to purchase a refill cup down the road.