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Original poster

Is it normal to buy a coffee every day?

240 replies

MatchingStraws · 30/06/2021 21:55

DD is 14 and loves watching 'a day in my life' Tiktoks and Youtubers.

We have a regular debate over how aspirational their lives are. DD seems genuinely convinced that it is totally normally to buy an iced latte every day. Whereas I am huffing and puffing about how much that costs over a month Grin

OP posts:
inmyslippers · 01/07/2021 09:24

My younger frivolous self would. Older frugal me takes coffee from home and takeout coffee is a treat

Ughmaybenot · 01/07/2021 09:29

Not normal for me at all. I don’t really see the point in takeaway coffees tbh, I guess it’s not really that much of a treat for me, and certainly not one I would be willing to spend, what, £50ish a month on? I can think of better things!
I do work with a few women, all late teens/early twenties, no children, living at home, for who it is a daily thing. Whatever makes you happy I guess!

Chiantina · 01/07/2021 09:50

Yes, in the pre-WFH world. Either from the (subsidised) cafe on site or from Pret on the way from the train station to the office if I also needed to get lunch.

Same for my colleagues, some multiple times a day.

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lottiegarbanzo · 01/07/2021 09:51

Another aspect of this is that a lot of people who are objectively wealthy look ordinary and feel that they're ordinary.

There's a widespread failure to recognise that anyone who owns a house, has a job (so a pension fund), regular holidays and can afford nights out, new clothes, new tech and treats, for themselves and any DC they have, is wealthy. Whether through a high household income, or because they got on the housing ladder early, they are wealthier than most people in this country. Yet what they have sounds so ordinary.

The people OP's DD follows on tiktok probably come from households that have all this stuff and take it for granted. What they may not recognise, is how much income it takes to achieve that position, or how very possible it is that they will be poorer than their parents.

DGFB · 01/07/2021 09:53

Yes it’s a treat

HotChocolateLover · 01/07/2021 10:14

Nope. It used to be my Friday treat to get a white hot chocolate on the way to work but then the buggers stopped serving it, I was 💔

ZenNudist · 01/07/2021 10:31

Not for 14 year old. When I worked in an office I'd often get lunch out every day but I'd mix it up so I wasn't always spending £3 on a coffee as I know it adds up.

ColettesEarrings · 01/07/2021 10:32

When I was a DINKY working in London it was entirey normal for me to buy coffee & breakfast in Starbucks every single day, and lunch and a drink in Pret every day too. The convenience made the price totally worth it at that time in my life.

TheDaydreamBelievers · 01/07/2021 10:37

@lottiegarbanzo

Another aspect of this is that a lot of people who are objectively wealthy look ordinary and feel that they're ordinary.

There's a widespread failure to recognise that anyone who owns a house, has a job (so a pension fund), regular holidays and can afford nights out, new clothes, new tech and treats, for themselves and any DC they have, is wealthy. Whether through a high household income, or because they got on the housing ladder early, they are wealthier than most people in this country. Yet what they have sounds so ordinary.

The people OP's DD follows on tiktok probably come from households that have all this stuff and take it for granted. What they may not recognise, is how much income it takes to achieve that position, or how very possible it is that they will be poorer than their parents.

Absolutely this - because the wealth is so up one side, we feel relatively poor when actually compared to everyone else in the UK we are pretty well off.
Mandalay246 · 01/07/2021 10:45

As I said, I'm in NZ, and I'm flabbergasted at all the posters who seem to think a daily coffee is something shocking and the way to financial ruin. I guess we have much more of a coffee culture here and it's not considered such an oddity.

FearlessSwiftie · 01/07/2021 10:50

Depends on one's taste, I guess... To me drinking coffee every day is a norm, I need it to wake up and concantrate better (I'm a photo retoucher so I really need my concentration if I want my Photodiva edits to be well done and paid for) but I keep tons of instant coffee for that.
I do enjoy sipping nice coffee from fancy stores while reading a book or walking down the street, too, but it's a treat for me and treats aren't supposed to happen often Wink

3Britnee · 01/07/2021 10:50

God, I miss pret. Their cheese and ham turnovers were one of the reasons I'm fat. And eat. I loved their goulash. And I used to love a boots meal deal too.

PompomDahlia · 01/07/2021 10:51

Some very judgemental comments here. And seriously Hmm at the suggestion that people could get a house deposit if they didn’t have coffee! Considering a flat in London is around 400k! I personally don’t like coffee (it tastes weird and bitter to me) but I did used to enjoy buying lunch when I was in the office - it’s more exciting than a sandwich from home and it’s a bit of a lift in a long working day with challenging colleagues, plus it gets you out of the office - there often isn’t anywhere on central London to just go and sit and chill on lunch without spending money. Everyone needs to have a bit of a treat or something to look forward to, even if some of the weird Starbucks drink combinations aren’t for me!

lottiegarbanzo · 01/07/2021 10:54

There's a big 'coffee culture' here too and it is quite normal for some people to buy coffee out daily, in normal times. The people I know who it's normal for are either well-paid childless young adults, well-off pensioners, or aspirational young adults who live, outwardly anyway, as though they're well paid.

Is it normal for teenagers with no income, or young adults with no or a low income? OP's DD's peers. Less so.

Maggiesfarm · 01/07/2021 11:21

It's quite normal when you are at work and when out shopping for any length of time. Everyone needs a little luxury and a takeaway coffee is a little one.

caringcarer · 01/07/2021 11:31

We used to buy a latte each every day now we have invested in a bean to mug coffee machine and love it. We now often have 2 a day each and the La Vazza coffee beans last for ages.

KarenofSparta · 01/07/2021 11:39

Reading some of these posts I'm so glad I instantly disliked it, the taste, the smell, the effect.

Wonder how much I've saved 🤔.

bananapumpkin · 01/07/2021 11:40

A lot of the people quoting weekly/monthly/yearly costs are ignoring the fact that making your own does still cost money. Yes, you have the option to do it cheaper but most people don't want absolute basics so in reality will still be spending quite a bit.

I always make my own lunch to take into work because I like being able to choose exactly what I want - but it costs £5+ per day, so isn't saving me money compared with buying a meal deal or whatever.

lastqueenofscotland · 01/07/2021 11:42

I’ve worked with people who buy one every day. We have good coffee and kit for it at home so I don’t personally. But I will get one if out and about

Nietzschethehiker · 01/07/2021 11:51

Now no. Its an extremely rare treat (think once every 6 months if that) because for me iny early 40's it feels like a giant waste of money but in the past it sort of depended on my job.

In some really insanely stressful ones it was a sanity saver to walk down and buy a coffee so it wasn't a waste because it was my treat for the day and helped me get through some tough times. Often a moment of quiet in an environment where there was often aggression and fights etc.

I can see why people prioritise it , we all have something that is technically a waste but it's not if it makes us happy (within reason obviously and budget). I find now I will spend far less daily (actually that's cheating I suppose as I am WFH LOL) but will then spend the equivalent in one shot on something for the house or me. So it's the same thing.

Things aren't a waste if you choose that as you're leisure time (depending on who is paying for it obviously ) it would be strange if 40 year olds thought thought same things as teenagers.

EdHelpPls · 01/07/2021 11:59

I was musing about similar yesterday. In the petrol station there was 10 people in the queue for the coffee machine, and a similar queue for the hot food area ( sausage rolls and the like).
No teens though - they were all outside the ice cream and sweet shop!

Also saw a mum in a newly opened park taking a photo of her held up McDonald's coffee cup so pic was mostly of the cup (I suppose fair enough as rather she didn't take pics of random kids at park!). She looked about 40. I assumed it was for an insta post or something.

It honestly would never occur to me to share such level of detail. Mind boggles!

fussychica · 01/07/2021 12:04

I'm ancient so never really had access to takeaway coffee when I worked just the tea club. When I lived in Spain where coffee is a euro in town to 1.50 at the beach I would almost certainly have one if I was out and about. Now it's just if I'm out for the day. I can't justify spending nearly £3 on a coffee on a daily basis. I would never have one in our town as I'm close enough to home not to bother but know I'm probably in the minority.

RubyGoat · 01/07/2021 14:02

I realised that my tea habit was unaffordable so I asked my work canteen how much boiling water would cost - 10p. After that I took my own herbal tea bags. Lots of my team laughed at first but many of them followed suit when they realised my weekly spend was less than their daily spend. A splash of milk was another 10p if they wanted it. Compared to tea 70p, coffee a pound.
I’m not working now & we very rarely buy takeout hot drinks, perhaps once a month or so in winter, as a planned treat with DD as we’re walking around, to warm us up in the cold. In summer we always take water bottles.

Pedallleur · 01/07/2021 15:38

can be but if you get a subscription from eg Pret a Manger it is more affordable. was £20 a month and you got 5 a day incl smoothies (£3.35 each usually)

Mayaspecialist · 01/07/2021 16:49

@Pedallleur

can be but if you get a subscription from eg Pret a Manger it is more affordable. was £20 a month and you got 5 a day incl smoothies (£3.35 each usually)
I would be more likely to get one everyday for £20 a month.

That's sounds like amazing value