Starbucks may need your favourite espresso or tea order to seize on the go, however the behavior is undeniably exhausting in your pockets.
![](https://dollarsanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/pexels-adrianna-calvo-17746-1024x682.jpg)
Should you order something past a primary brew, the drinks can cost you around $5-$8, which provides up quick for those who order ceaselessly.
After all, making your personal espresso at house is probably the most frugal possibility for those who’re seeking to considerably minimize your caffeine-related spending. However if you wish to hold your Starbucks repair at the very least just a few days every week, the following neatest thing is studying how one can make your Starbucks drink cheaper.
Let’s discover ten tips on how one can make your Starbucks drink cheaper!
1. Get Free Starbucks Reward Playing cards
Should you’re like me and already utilizing Swagbucks to earn points by taking surveys or watching movies, you possibly can simply convert these factors into free Starbucks drinks. You’ll be able to redeem your gathered factors for varied rewards, together with Starbucks reward playing cards.
Upon getting sufficient factors, you possibly can choose a Starbucks reward card within the rewards part. The digital reward card can be despatched to your e-mail, which you’ll be able to then use at any Starbucks location.
The perfect factor about utilizing Swagbucks is that you just get a free Starbucks drink only for signing up! Once you make an account on Swagbucks, the platform immediately rewards you $5. You’ll be able to redeem this quantity to get a Starbucks reward card and revel in a free drink!
2. Obtain the Starbucks Rewards App
Having the app drastically simplifies many of the hacks on how one can make your Starbucks drink cheaper. For one, it permits you to order forward on-line, so you possibly can take your time taking part in round with order choices and checking the costs as an alternative of speeding on the drive-through or register.
The app can be related to your Starbucks Rewards account, so that you’ll earn “stars” (their time period for rewards factors) on each order. When you accumulate 300 stars inside a yr, you’ll be robotically upgraded to Gold standing and earn much more factors.
Presently, you possibly can redeem stars for the next rewards:
- 25 stars: free drink customization (e.g. further espresso shot or nondairy milk)
- 50 stars: free bakery merchandise or a sizzling brewed espresso or tea
- 150 stars: free drink, breakfast merchandise, or parfait
- 200 stars: a meal from the lunch cooler
- 400 stars: choose bodily merchandise or a bag of espresso beans
After we’re speaking about how one can make your Starbucks drink cheaper—you possibly can’t do higher than free!
Associated: 7 Best Cash Back Apps (I Made $500+)
3. Preserve an Eye on Star Incentives
One other perk of the app is that it’s going to let you realize about featured provides and offers you could possibly use to make your Starbucks drink cheaper or earn rewards.
Once you scroll down the homepage on a mean day, you’ll most likely see a proposal field like this:
![](https://dollarsanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/164813858_250496306780760_2379379447005476479_n-1024x976.jpg)
![](https://dollarsanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/164813858_250496306780760_2379379447005476479_n-1024x976.jpg)
The precise offers change on a regular basis. It may very well be 100 stars for ordering a macchiato + a latte, or 50 stars for visiting two days in a row.
If the incentives match into your pre-existing espresso plans, make sure that to hit the Begin button so your orders will depend towards the additional rewards. (Nonetheless, for those who weren’t planning on getting espresso within the first place, I wouldn’t spend extra cash simply to get some stars.)
You can too get inventive to fulfill the targets if you in any other case won’t have. For example, if I’m about to order espresso for my accomplice and I, and there’s an “order 2x in a row” incentive, I’ll place the orders individually on the app as an alternative of grouping them collectively.
4. Dimension Down
This tip just about speaks for itself—a smaller drink will at all times be cheaper. At Starbucks, the smallest measurement is a Brief, adopted by Tall, then Grande, then Venti.
Nonetheless, you probably have the app, there are just a few methods you possibly can sport the system somewhat. Sure drinks allow you to order a unique measurement of cup, as pictured beneath.
![](https://dollarsanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/164907424_204062897718811_3259167714404505374_n-748x1024.png)
![](https://dollarsanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/164907424_204062897718811_3259167714404505374_n-748x1024.png)
Due to this, you might attempt ordering a grande drink in a venti cup, placing in some free additions like a splash of milk or further ice, and seeing in case your barista is beneficiant sufficient to refill the bigger measurement all the best way anyway.
Associated: A Complete List of Starbucks Sizes You Can Order
5. Tweak Your Order
Generally, you possibly can create an order that’s similar to your favourite drinks, however rings up cheaper.
For instance, check out these orders:
![](https://dollarsanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/164960720_1017424218747164_5510176992782808290_n-1-930x1024.jpg)
![](https://dollarsanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/164960720_1017424218747164_5510176992782808290_n-1-930x1024.jpg)
The cinnamon dolce latte is a premade Starbucks drink, whereas I’ve custom-made the espresso so the drinks have this stuff in widespread:
- 3 pictures of espresso
- 6 pumps of cinnamon dolce syrup
- A venti cup
- Some milk
The quantity of milk is just about the one distinction, because the latte will doubtless have extra…however I did swap to nondairy without spending a dime, when that might have price an additional 70 cents for the latte!
Thus, for less than a small distinction within the precise drink, you’re paying $3.75 vs. $5.75+. Not unhealthy! Mess around on the app to see for those who can cheaply create your personal new favourite drink.
6. Convey Your Personal Cup
In case you are ordering your drink in-person, you possibly can knock a fast 10 cents off your drink simply by bringing in a reusable cup for them to make it in.
10 cents off per order isn’t lifechanging cash, but it surely has the constructive aspect impact of serving to the atmosphere and decreasing pointless waste.
7. Take Benefit of Free Refills
Starbucks’ free refills policy solely applies for patrons who keep inside the shop between the order and refill, so hold this tip in your again pocket for post-social-distancing instances.
Should you’re hanging on the market with a pal or sitting at a desk together with your laptop computer, you will get free refills of brewed espresso or tea, even for those who initially ordered one thing totally different like a macchiato.
Beneficial: Apps To Save Money On Groceries
8. Go to on Your Birthday
As I already talked about, you possibly can’t get cheaper than free—and simply by being a Starbucks Rewards member, you will get any free drink in your birthday.
You’ll discover the coupon in your app, but it surely’s solely legitimate to your birthday date itself, so don’t attempt to reserve it!
9. Play Their Seasonal Video games
Generally, Starbucks will run particular video games the place you possibly can win prizes for collaborating.
Previous examples embrace Starbucks for Life and the Starbucks Summer Game, and prizes run the gamut from a few stars to lifelong free Starbucks drinks. Normally, if you place an order, it provides you an entry towards one of many sport prizes.
The app will let you realize when a brand new sport is kicking off. Nonetheless, even for those who don’t have the app, you possibly can take part by logging onto the sport web site together with your Starbucks Rewards member credentials.
10. Think about the Starbucks Credit score Card
Should you’re actually devoted to Starbucks, you might think about making use of for the Starbucks Rewards Visa Credit score Card.
For his or her present card opening bonus, it’s important to spend $500 (anyplace, not simply Starbucks) inside the first 3 months of account opening, and also you’ll obtain 4,500 bonus stars as a reward. 4,500 bonus stars interprets to 30 free specialty drinks at 150 stars every, or 90 common brewed coffees or teas.
This may very well be value it to you for those who’re not presently incomes higher bank card rewards. You’ll get a bunch of free drinks only for placing bills like your groceries and fuel on the cardboard for just a few months.
Simply make sure that to repay your assertion stability in full every month so that you don’t rack up late charges and curiosity fees.
![](https://dollarsanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Starbucks-1024x576.jpg)
![](https://dollarsanity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Starbucks-1024x576.jpg)
11. Recreate the Drinks at Residence
Making espresso at house doesn’t must imply bland pour-overs with store-bought creamer. Should you’re craving Starbucks’ fancier flavors, try these flavored syrup brands to take your own home brew up a notch; one $15 bottle ought to final lots of drinks.
Should you’re a fiend for frothy lattes, you possibly can decide up an electrical milk frother for as little as $10. And you may even purchase Starbucks espresso beans, or department out to different manufacturers. (Honest warning, you would possibly end up turning right into a espresso snob!)
Did I miss any of your favourite strategies for how one can make your Starbucks drink cheaper? Let me know within the feedback!
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Kate is a author and editor who runs her content material and editorial companies remotely whereas globetrotting as a digital nomad. To date, her laptop computer has accompanied her to New Zealand, Asia, and across the U.S. (principally due to bank card factors). Years of analysis and ghostwriting on private finance led her to the FI group and co-founding DollarSanity. Along with touring and outside journey, Kate is obsessed with monetary literacy, compound curiosity, and pristine grammar.