The quest for cheap caffeine

Java. Cup o’ Joe. Coffee. Whatever you call it, if you’re like me, you need to get your hands on some to complete the metamorphosis from morning zombie into productive worker.

I’m far from alone here. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans down about 3.2 billion pounds of the stuff a year, to help pry their eyes open and take on the day.

If it’s all you can do to find some matching socks and your car keys in the morning, there’s a good chance you get your caffeine fix while you’re on the clock. A new survey by staffing firm Accounting Principals found that half of workers in the U.S. regularly buy coffee during their shifts. With about 250 business days in a year and at the cost of a few bucks a pop, those 12-ounce cups of Colombian blend can send your dollars down the drain. According to the survey, it adds up to an average $1,000 a year per worker. To put that in perspective, you could buy two round-trip flights from Atlanta to Bogota, Colombia, for that amount!

Shocking? Heck no. Every morning at work, I see sleepy workers shuffle into lines that snake around the two big coffee chains in my building. The cycle repeats around 3:30 during the mid-afternoon slump. All around the office, I see people clutching their paper cups with the fancy logos and hear hallway echoes of “Want to grab coffee?”, “I need some coffee,” and “Wow, the coffee line is long today.” While coffee chains can offer up some tasty drinks, a work break that’s safer than smoking, and a great pretense for schmoozing with your boss, patronizing them is a habit that isn’t really energizing your finances.

So, how do you load up on a delicious leaded drink without breaking the bank? Well, there’s my way. As a proud representative of HLN Money Expert Clark Howard’s show team, I do not buy coffee. But, I also have to balance that frugality with my coffee elitism; therefore, I’ve become somewhat of a brew-at-work maven. In this role, I have scoured dozens of company break rooms in my quest for the perfect free cup.  

I’ve sipped from the coffee pots near the studio (too weak), the newsroom (too stale), the executive offices (hey, they have hot chocolate!) For awhile, I’d make a long morning trek across the building and up two floors to the editing area, to surreptitiously fill my thermos with their gourmet blend.

For now, my home break room meets my needs, as long as I use a strict formula: two red packets of coffee from the drawer on the right, the tall new pot (not the silver one!) and a warning sign that reads “Caution: Bold Blend.” It’s not for those who jitter easily and I have seen a woman spit it out. I figure she’s more than welcome to go stand in line downstairs.

I’ve heard rumors of a much less scrupulous, albeit less labor-intensive, way to save on workplace coffee. Talk about bold! I’ve heard of people who are allegedly abusers of “free refill” policies of certain coffee chains. They will walk up to the counter with their eco-friendly mugs and a sly grin and say, “Just a refill, please.” The workers fill it up, no questions asked. I don’t know how they sleep at night. Maybe they drink decaf.

Now, if your time or your conscience deters you from either of these extreme approaches to budget coffee consumption, there are more balanced ways. You can always stock up on some great budget coffee at the grocery store (on sale and with coupons, of course) and either brew it at home for your commute or share it in your local break room.

Think you’ll taste the difference between your beloved coffee chain cup and a grocery store brand? Maybe not! Consumer Reports recently rated a whole slew of coffee brands, and the top pick costs about 25 cents per six-ounce cup. HLN’s Jennifer Westhoven, from Morning Express with Robin Meade, conducted her own taste test with a few of those brands, to see what viewers thought. Top off your cup and check it out!