I’ve always been a bit curious about the real cost of my daily coffee. Not in a guilty way as I genuinely enjoy it. But there’s a difference between choosing to spend money on something and just drifting into spending it without really noticing.
That curiosity eventually turned into a spreadsheet, which turned into something a bit more useful: a proper coffee cost calculator.
What it actually does
The calculator lets you pick your chain such as Starbucks, Costa, Caffè Nero, Pret, Greggs, or McDonald’s followed by your usual drink, size, and any extras like oat milk or an extra shot. You tell it how often you buy it each week, and it shows you the weekly, monthly and yearly cost.
It also shows what that yearly saving could be worth if you put it away somewhere earning interest. That last part is the one that tends to make people stop and think.
To be clear — this isn’t about giving up coffee
I want to be straightforward about this. I’m not suggesting coffee is the enemy. I drink it every day and I have no intention of stopping. The same goes for subscriptions, takeaways, or anything else people enjoy spending money on.
This is purely about being clear on what you’re spending. There’s a big difference between looking at a number and deciding it’s absolutely worth it, versus never really knowing what the number is in the first place. The first is an informed choice. The second is just drift.
Once you know what something costs across a year, you can decide for yourself whether it fits how you want to spend your money. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t — but at least it’s a decision rather than a default.
Give it a try
If you want to see what your own habit adds up to, the coffee cost calculator is here. It takes about a minute and doesn’t require any sign-up.
And if coffee isn’t your weakness, I’ve also built a subscription cost calculator that works on the same idea; it adds up everything you’re paying for each month and you see the annual total laid out in front of you.
Sometimes just seeing the number is enough.
Let me know how you get on with them both.