A few weeks ago Kathryn and I decided no more Starbucks for me. Despite my “It’s a business expense” rationalizations, I finally accepted that the $4 green-tea latte is a luxury reserved for the employed.
So we started doing something that comes naturally to most smart shoppers: buying coffee in bulk. We even figured out that grinding it ourselves saves even more money. So today, our cupboards are stocked with two huge bags of whole beans from Costco. (It’s roasted by Starbucks, however. My personal sacrifice has a limit.) Our future may be uncertain, but at least it will be thriftily caffeinated.
Of course, this all assumes a functional coffee grinder, which we possessed until yesterday. Guess the sight of two 5-lb bags of beans put a fright into the little fella he couldn’t recover from.
As I stood comparing grinders at Target (who knew there were so many ways pulverize a coffee bean?), I panicked. The thought of spending money literally made my palms sweat. Seven months ago, we were fretting over things like, “How much should I increase my 401(k) allocation?” And, “Where should we go for winter vacation?” Now I was getting hives over a $17 small appliance.
For the first time since college, I couldn’t afford something I needed. (Alright, need is a strong word. People in India need water. I’m speaking from the typical privileged American point of view. I know this.) It wasn’t a good feeling.
I don’t know what it was about this purchase that triggered such a strong reaction. I’ve thought nothing about dropping a few bucks here and there on various sundry doodads. Twenty bucks on a new rake? Sure. Twenty-five on a USB hub? It’s a write-off! But contemplating the purchase of a twerpy little grinder felt enormous. I was momentarily paralyzed.
Perhaps it’s because I finally realize our financial situation isn’t going to resolve overnight. I have months (years?), not days (months?), of work ahead of me to achieve stability again.
Or perhaps it’s the fact that what was once pocket change is now an ever-growing percentage of what we have left to live on.
I know we’ll be fine. I’m more sure of that than anything I’ve ever felt in my life. But I’m also allowing myself those fleeting moments of fear. They motivate me.
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This might be off topic, but I too was in the market for a coffee bean grinder. Lacking sufficient funds, I placed the whole beans in a paper towel envelope, and beat the living crap outta them with a bicycle crank arm.
Perfect texture, and it allowed me to get out some frustrations as well. This also works for tenderizing meat.
Not off topic at all Nate. That’s just the kind of resourcefulness we can all learn from.
i hear you. I so miss being a consumer!
I am sure you will succeed! In the meantime, the panic-attacks-out-of-nowhere are understandable. (By the way, I love “thriftily caffeinated.”)
It made me said when I could no longer buy coffee. Or little treats. It’s only been two weeks and I already yearn for the starbuck runs of days of yore.
This may sound obvious, but why could you just buy ground coffee? Do they not sell ground coffee in bulk?
i’m the exact same way. i won’t buy ANYTHING. at all. ever. unless it costs less than $10. then it seems ok, but only once a month. any more than that and i feel like i’m putting myself on that road to being homeless.
It’ll be interesting to see how your newly found frugality translates to advertising. I have a feeling there’s a sea change happening in regards to how we spend (or save) our money. There’s a new attitude toward consuming “stuff.” I don’t know if that’s going to make our jobs harder or not.
Matt, there are lots of products I’d like to get people to buy more of. Patagonia, responsible mutual funds, organic beef to name a few.
I did the exact same thing at Target the other day. I am not willing to share what it was regarding, because it was most certainly not a coffee bean grinder, but it was only $9 and I stood in that aisle for what seemed like 10-minutes. I share your pain.
One of my greatest hopes for the next couple of years is that we are able to transition to a society that values quality of life, and relegates standard of living to the dustbin of history.
And the development of economies based on barter, reputation, and “good karma” as some would put it are a step in the right direction.
Also, the Pikes Place coffee at Sbux is pretty good and super-cheap. Just saying.
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