I don’t get to have my morning coffee tomorrow as I have to go have some routine blood work done and it’s when I know I can’t have my coffee that I truly go into “appreciation” mode. Every night I set up our coffee maker for my husband and I. We use a “FREE” to us Gevalia coffee maker that we got on one of those Gevalia deals so you know it wasn’t really free 😉 It works fine and it even has the auto timer…..all I have to do is set it up each evening or if I don’t my husband will.
We have quite a few family members who have Keurig’s and swear by them and I think they sure are nifty but I don’t know how frugal a cup of coffee is with a Keurig versus my on sale coffee. A lot of people insist that a Keurig is more frugal because they always had coffee leftover in their old drip brewer this is not the case for us if anything with 3 coffee drinkers we often don’t have enough for everyone in a full pot. Right now I think we are drinking Beech Nut which definitely attracts discussion when you discuss coffee at work. I have co-workers who swear by Starbucks and if they don’t go to a Starbuck’s they buy Starbuck’s and keep it in their home. I have family members who absolutely love Duncan Donuts. However I think that there are some store brands that have merit…….some of my faves are Folgers Special Roast and Yuban coffee. I love the mild flavor of Folgers I think some coffees have too burnt of a taste but sometimes I am in the mood for the richer taste of the Yuban. Don’t let the Folgers container fool you I have another brand stored in it for this picture maybe I think I can convince myself it does have Folgers in it…..LOL! 😉 I do like to mix things up though and sometimes I will buy the Harris Teeter brand coffee beans and then I grind our coffee beans up fresh for us and the coffee tastes extremely fresh when we do this.
So our coffee routine is fairly frugal at our house and might not work for others but it works for us. For some people coffee is the one area that they just won’t skimp on ever for me I think I have found a happy medium for the most part….some times I just insist I finish coffee I have purchased just to use it up. I have had this discussion with friends at work. One friend told me she was with me just use it up and get through it however this friend would probably not have bought coffee she didn’t like in the first place. Another friend said that she would mix a coffee in that she likes better. I do have a point where I draw a line if I really don’t like it it goes to the compost even Frugality has limits 😉
Some of my favorite moments on vacation is first thing in the morning before everyone else is up sitting on the campsite next to the creek drinking my morning coffee that I made in our percolator.
How important is your daily cup of coffee to you?
PS: Gratitude No. 11 for November is that my we are so blessed to live in a wonderful home in a wonderful neighborhood and community to raise our family in. I am truly blessed and I do not take it for granted.
I use to be a coffee snob, in my younger years! However, being a single mom AND teacher has required the coffee budget to be put on the back burner. Occasionally I will grab an extra expresso shot in my regular coffee at Port City, or Starbucks, but I also enjoy a McDonald’s coffee, too! I was fortunate enough to have a good friend whose uncle came upon a Starbuck’s truck turned over on the side of the road last year, and the bystanders were GIVEN all the coffee, and coffee paraphernalia, that were unopened, since Starbucks could no longer use them. So, I received a 5 pound bag of french roast coffee beans, courtesy of her Virginia shore family and Starbucks! Usually, I drink JFG and am happy with it. (It is also the least expensive, or it used to be!) Sometimes I buy the store brand that’s on sale, and other times, if the water bill is not due, I splurge and get some kind of Kona, or Green Mountain (which is out of Vermont and my last year’s intern turned me on to! I had Free trade Coconut….yum!) So Karen, I can certainly relate to the people who enjoy their favorite cups of coffee. My dad is an instant Folgers kind of guy (yuck!) and I am a “brew it” up kind of girl. The smell alone gets me motivated in the morning, and I really need that! Enjoy your morning cup(s!)
Melinda I think that is so cool that huge bag of Starbucks coffee beans…….I confess I am splurging at Duncan Donuts today after I go to the doctors office. I can’t do instant either it just doesn’t do it for me 🙂
I love my coffee! I think the Keurig coffee makers are a shameful wasteful of plastic. You throw away a little piece of plastic for every cup of coffee you drink! I have seen now where there’s a reusable filter you can put in them. Much better!
Sharon I didn’t even know they are making Keurig’s with a reusable filter now that does sound much more sustainable for sure! Thanks for weighing in on this….Have a great Friday!
I do look forward to my coffee in the morning too. I envision the time as being a cozy part of my day; just sipping away and planning my day; working a sudoku or reading the Word. I have a cup every morning most days. Use to be a twice a month thing, but hubby’s new alternating shift work has him home nearly everyday for coffee. So, I’m a convert.
I too had the Gevalia maker and got it just to get it ‘free’, but hubs didn’t like it cause the coffee wasn’t hot enough. So I bought a 5 cupper which is just perfect for the two of us.
I tend to buy 8 o’clock coffee and that is my fave, but will sometimes venture to try other brands, but as you said, they taste burnt or nutty or something. My daughter has the keurig, and while it is nifty to try so many blends and brands, I don’t think it is all that frugal. Yes, you can now buy the filter insert so you can use your own coffee grounds…but I still am not convinced to want one. I think it would be a pain when you have company that you can only make one cup at a time for everyone. Her hubby doesn’t drink coffee, but he gets teas and hot chocolate k–cups for himself, so it is versitile that way.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I’m having a house full…all the kids but one (I have six) and their families are coming….10 grandbabies under 7 to enjoy…!!!!
Shelley it sounds like you are going to have a wonderful Thanksgiving and with all that family coming in to town…..we only have 3 people coming from out of town. Both of our Moms and my Brother In Law but in my small brick rancher 7 people feels like a big crowd 🙂 We will have lots of fun! I agree coffee on a Saturday morning for me is just fantastic its my time……..for a little while and I don’t get that quiet time every day before everyone wakes up but when I do I relish it!
Hi Karen,
We’ve got our coffee routine down around here… It’s Mr.Coffee,Decaf Hazelnut coffee with hazelnut cream no sugar… and NO KEURIG! I toss my coffee grounds in the garden, and we make coolata’s at home with left over coffee or coffee shakes sometimes.
Great question!
Deb
Debbie I think its our daily routine that somehow bring comfort to us with that busy world out there waiting for us. Its always good to see you hope you had a great birthday!
Coffee, like cornbread, is one of those foods/beverages that people have very strong opinions about and I’m no exception. I’ve had the same coffee routine for half of forever. I use my ancient electric Corning percolator. In my opinion percolated coffee has a depth of flavor that you just can’t get from a drip maker. I can’t stand Starbucks coffee. It is way too charred tasting for me, although their hot chocolate is simply out of this world! I buy bags of Dunkin Donuts coffee; I really like their flavor. I still get Maxwell House French Roast every once in a while, too. Instant coffee, for me, is a great flavoring ingredient for cooking, and nothing more.
Grace I am truthfully not a huge Starbucks fan I do like their peppermint mocha though….one of my holiday guilty pleasures while I am out shopping on Black Friday 🙂 I agree instant coffee is great for recipes thats about how I use mine.
Yuban and Folgers Decaf 1/2 and 1/2…black…trying to cut down on the caffeine…but gotta have at least some!!! I’m spoiled so My Man says…as he brings me a cup every morning in bed…yep…what a man ;~)
Ah yes…the camping trips…something makes it taste even better then!
Have a wonderful weekend and a Thanksgiving with many blessings~
I don’t know what it is about camping but its the best! You are blessed if you are getting served coffee in bed but then again I am up first 😉
I truly believe that having coffee in my house saves lives every day. No coffee=Wolfie on a killing spree, to be sure! 😉
I’m not a fan of Starbucks…never have been. Being Canadian, the goto coffee brand for me is Tim Hortons, but at $17.99 a can, it’s pricey. I tend to buy beans from a local roaster, and grind them myself. I do that for 2 reasons…1. the roaster often has samples of the beans, so I can try before I buy. That way I’m not stuck with a coffee I don’t like. 2. did I mention the free samples? LOL! Who doesn’t like free samples? In all seriousness though, I had a stretch where I was buying cheap coffees, and wasting them because they just didn’t taste right, or they were to bitter. Now, the roaster is the way to go, IMO. Coffee is far to important to waste. 😉