Many individuals cherish two things: Starbucks and savings. Fortunately, there are several clever hacks that let you indulge in both. Tips for maximizing your spending include requesting less ice in cold beverages, utilizing mobile ordering to score a cheaper latte, and bringing your own cup. If sweetness is your goal, think about replacing syrup with whipped cream to save some cash.
To be honest, exchanging pumps of hazelnut, mocha, or any preferred syrup for whipped cream isn’t a perfect substitute since whipped cream isn’t as distinctly sweet. Yet, if you’re just looking for a subtle touch of sweetness and perhaps already enjoy half-sweet coffee drinks, this is the ideal tip for you.
When you order coffee, Americano, or latte with syrup, you’re charged for the additional flavor regardless of whether you request the standard four pumps or just one or two. In contrast, whipped cream is complimentary. You see the advantage here?
Starbucks whipped cream contains just two basic ingredients: heavy cream and a hint of vanilla syrup. Requesting a dollop on your drink provides a slight touch of sweetness and flavor that gradually merges into your beverage, gently sweetening your coffee and saving you money in the process.
Uncover Your Full Savings Potential.
Having a clever Starbucks hack can lead to savings that accumulate over time — and based on the calculations for this whipped cream tip, it’s certainly worth your attention.
It’s important to note that this trick really only saves you money if you typically order classic or traditionally unsweetened drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and brewed coffee. For beverages like Frappuccinos and cold brews, which often already include sweeteners and syrups in their prices, this tip may not be as effective.
For instance, if we consider a classic Americano, adding one to four pumps of cinnamon dolce syrup on the Starbucks mobile app incurs an extra $0.80. If you frequent Starbucks five days a week like many, those extra syrup pumps alone could add up to $4 a week, $16 a month, and an astonishing $192 a year — and that’s not counting the base price of the drinks!
The same applies when ordering iced caffe lattes or espresso; an added syrup or sweetener costs an additional $0.80 per drink, which could also tally up to $16 a month if you’re a regular. Therefore, for nearly $200 in savings each year, it may be worth trying out this whipped cream hack the next time you place your order.