Starbucks (or a similar coffee spot) is a part of the morning routine for most of us. It can be convenient, but also surprisingly expensive. Some of your favorite drinks are actually pretty easy to make at home, and by making them yourself even just twice a week, you can save a surprising amount of money. (And maybe even sleep a little later, since you’ll skip waiting in the Starbucks line!)
Here are five of the most popular Starbucks drinks, size Grande (cost based on California prices), and the DIY version and cost.
1. Plain medium roast with half and half: $3.25
2. Pumpkin Spice Latte: $6.45
3. Cold brew without cream: $4.95
4. Iced vanilla latte: $6.25
5. Chai latte: $5.25
DIY & cost/serving
For most of these drinks, you just need:
Coffee or espresso
- A pound of coffee averages $10, and will make 16 cups of coffee (about 63 cents a cup) or about 50 single shots of espresso (20 cents per shot).
Milk or half and half
- A standard carton of milk (32 oz) costs about $2, so 6 cents per ounce.
- A 16-oz carton of half and half costs about $2. Each ounce is about 2 tablespoons, at 13 cents.
Flavored syrup (Pumpkin spice, vanilla, chai, etc.)
- A 25-oz bottle of Monin or Torani syrup is about $6 at your local grocery store or on Amazon. If you use the typical 2 oz of syrup (about 4 pumps) per drink, each bottle will be enough for 12 drinks. That’s about 50 cents per drink.
Ingredients and cost for each DIY drink
1. Plain medium roast coffee with half and half
Coffee and half and half
- A pound of coffee averages around $10, and makes about 16 cups. A small carton of half and half ($2) is 16 ounces, and each ounce (13 cents) is about 2 tablespoons. So your total cost for each cup is 75 cents, saving you $2.50 per drink.
Total savings at 2x per week: $5.00
Total savings for the year: $260.00
2. Pumpkin Spice Latte
Pumpkin spice syrup, coffee, milk, whipped cream
- To make the iconic legend of the fall, the pumpkin spice latte, you’ll need a shot of coffee or espresso (20 cents), 8 ounces of milk (48 cents), and 4 pumps of pumpkin spice syrup (50 cents). Bringing your cost for pumpkin spice bliss to a mere $1.18, saving you $5.27 per drink.
Total savings at 2x per week: $10.54
Total savings for the year: $548.08
3. Cold brew without cream
Cold brew maker and coffee
- A basic cold brew maker and coffee is all you need to brew your own at home; you can get one for around $25 at Amazon. (That’s just a one-time cost, of course.)
- You may want to brew it with a higher coffee-to-water ratio than you would with hot coffee, but most people add additional water after it’s brewed. So it will generally yield about the same amount of drinks as hot-brewed coffee. So your basic cold brew, if you’re no frills and take it black, will cost just 63 cents, saving you $3.77 per drink.
Total savings at 2x per week: $7.54
Total savings for the year: $392.08
4. Iced vanilla latte
Coffee, milk, vanilla syrup
- To make an iced vanilla latte, you’ll need 1 shot of coffee/espresso (20 cents), 6 oz of milk (36 cents), and 4 pumps of vanilla syrup (50 cents), for a total cost of $1.06. That’s a savings of $5.19 per drink!
Total savings at 2x per week: $10.38
Total savings for the year: $539.76
5. Chai latte
Chai syrup, milk
- If you’re not into coffee but still want something warm to sip in the morning, a chai latte could be the perfect quaff for you. It’s simple, with just two ingredients. Your cost for a chai latte, with 8 ounces of milk (48 cents) and 4 pumps of chai syrup (50 cents) is just 98 cents. Which is a big win compared to the $5.25 you’d pay at Starbucks—a savings of $4.27 per drink!
Total savings at 2x per week: $8.54
Total savings for the year: $444.08
Add-ons (if you’re feeling fancy)
Nutmeg
If you want to sprinkle a little nutmeg on top of your beverage, you can buy a 1.1 oz jar for $4.50. That’s enough to top about 50 drinks, for a cost of 9 cents.
Cinnamon
Ground cinnamon can be a nice addition to your latte or even plain coffee. It’s $2.50 for a 1.1 oz container. That’s enough for 50 drinks, and will cost you 5 cents per drink. That’s a very affordable splurge!