Are you planning on purchasing some of the new Starbucks instant coffee with your “blow money” budget this month? I call the spending money allowance we use each month “blow money” because we use it to buy some of the little pleasures in life.
I tend to allow myself a little bit of money each month to enjoy good coffee from Starbucks. I generally only drink the regular coffee. I’ve never developed a taste for the fancier drinks which increase significantly in price.
Starbucks VIA
You may have heard about the new Starbucks VIA coffee. If you don’t know, it’s instant coffee that is supposed to taste as good as their whole bean selection. According to Starbucks, through a special process they are able to retain the flavor that most instant coffees don’t have. I haven’t tried the instant coffee myself, but as a coffee lover, I’m interested.
Considerations for purchasing Starbucks VIA
A few things come to mind when considering purchasing the instant coffee versus the whole bean coffee.
Taste
Does it taste the same? Obviously, coffee drinkers who are interested in drinking quality coffee won’t change unless they’re drinking coffee of the same or better quality.
Price
What’s the price difference? I might be really interested in the new VIA if it will save me money. And honestly, I might be willing to sacrifice a little quality for less money, but I won’t go too far!
Save money
Does this coffee offer conveniences that might save me money or time? For example, if I buy the instant, I’ll probably make fewer trips to Starbucks. Fewer trips to Starbucks could save money in other areas as well as lessen any chance of purchase temptation while in the store.
I decided to do a little bit of math to determine the price difference per fl oz of VIA versus whole bean.
| Coffee | Qty | Price | Per Unit fl oz | Total fl oz | Price Per fl oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIA | 3 | $2.95 | 8 | 24 | $0.12 |
| VIA | 12 | $9.95 | 8 | 96 | $0.10 |
| Whole Bean | 1 | $1.50 | 12 | 12 | $0.13 |
| Whole Bean | 1 | $1.85 | 16 | 16 | $0.12 |
| Whole Bean | 1 | $2.05 | 20 | 20 | $0.10 |
As you can see the prices are nearly the same per fluid oz. Well, they are the same if you purchase a Grande or Venti size drink. But there’s not a significant difference.
If you were to drink 6 Grande size coffees per month, you would drink 96 fl oz of coffee and pay $11.10 without tax. You would pay $9.95 for VIA for the same amount which is a savings $1.15, so there could be a little bit of savings depending on how much coffee you drink.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, I’m not sure I’ll be making the switch right now. Perhaps I’ll give it a taste test. I might consider the 12 pack of VIA versus purchasing the Grande or Tall size in the future. At least with VIA I can make it wherever I have hot water and drink a smaller cup of coffee if that suits my taste. At this point, it might be more of a convenience versus a savings decision, but no matter my choice I’ll be staying within my “blow money” limit!
Do you plan to try the new VIA instant Starbucks blend of coffee?
Photo by rudolph schuba.
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