If you’re as addicted to caffeine as I am, you are probably broke (not to mention a real gem in the early morning hours). But, like any good junkie, you’re more than willing to flip the couch cushions in search of a few quarters, or sell your kidney to pay for a grande White Chocolate Mocha on your way to school.

I have to admit, I’m a huge Starbucks fan, and am usually fine with shelling out a few extra dollars to indulge in something tastier than Folgers. Still, I need a new winter wardrobe… so I’m weaning myself off of overpriced coffee drinks (that taste like dessert) and makin’ my coffee at home.

I know it’s a bold move, but after playing around a bit I have learned a few things: 1) Making your own coffee can save you billions, and 2) It is really, really easy. Here are a few tips:

1. Flavor it Up.
Whenever I make my own coffee, no matter how good the brand, or how carefully I measure the coffee-to-water ratio, it always seems to taste like dirt. My solution? Flavor, flavor, flavor. Syrup, syrup, Equal, syrup. Seriously, who just gets a latte from Starbucks? Everyone has their signature: the Pumpkin Latte, Caramel Macchiato, White Chocolate Mocha…what do they have in common? Manufactured taste. Instead of shelling out $4-$5 a day for Starbucks, buy a bottle of Torani Syrups. This brand is used in tons of coffee shops across the country, so you might not even taste the difference. Read More »

If you’re like me, your college experience was (or currently is) filled with many trips to a coffee shop–whether that means the standard Starbucks on every campus, or the funky local joint that was unique to your school.

Between study sessions, first dates, meetings with professors, or catching up with a girlfriend I hadn’t seen in awhile due to crazy schedules, there was always a reason to meet for coffee.

Because coffee is such a central part of my life, any new stories or research relating to it peaks my interest. My personal favorites are the health reports that suggest coffee may actually be good for you because it makes me feel okay about my obsession. But, on a recent perusing of Slate.com, I came across a new take on coffee culture that never even crossed my mind: Who gets better service at coffee shops, males or females?

The first thing that ran through my mind was, is there really a difference? I mean, making coffee-related drinks is pretty straightforward, so why would one gender get better service than the other? Apparently, there is a bit of a discrepancy.

An economist in the Boston area and her students staked out eight different coffee shops and watched how long it took men to get served compared to women. She found that men get their coffee 20 seconds before women. Read More »

Starbucks was an integral part of my college experience.

Whether it was grabbing a latte before my 8 am class at the building next door, or catching up with a friend I hadn’t seen in awhile due to crazy schedules, I have so many memories that include Starbucks and college, it’s hard to count.

Over my four years, I started to become more aware of what I was drinking and just how many calories and grams of fat I was ingesting (one venti white chocolate mocha can cost you 580 calories…not to mention almost 5 bucks).

I eventually became used to ordering drinks with skim milk and sugar-free syrups. I downsized from Ventis to Grandes, and — gasp! — even Talls. Recently, I have also become very fond of their tea selection.

And much to everyone’s surprise, there are actually ways to order low fat/low cal drinks at Starbucks…you just have to know what to ask for.

Fortunately, a great health and dieting blog called, Back in Skinny Jeans, gives us “7 ways to cut down calories and fat in Starbucks drinks” : Read More »