10 “HIP” Secrets for Saving at Starbucks
As you probably know, I love splurging on Starbucks coffee, especially when all of the yummy seasonal flavors like Pumpkin Spice and Peppermint Mocha hit the menus! If you’re like me and are looking for easy ways to save on these yummy treats, here are ten money-saving tips to remember…
1.) Sign up for My Starbucks Rewards
Be sure to download the Free Starbucks app (iOS or Android) and sign up for the My Starbucks Rewards program. After signing up, you’ll reach the Welcome Level and will qualify for a free birthday drink or treat (valid for 7 days after issuance), a birthday coupon for 15% off a purchase at Starbucks Store online, and custom offers via email as long as you opt in (such as this recent Free Breakfast Sandwich offer for select Rewards Members).
*UPDATE* – As of April 12th, 2016, Starbucks has launched their new Rewards Program! With this new program, you’ll earn 2 Stars for every $1 you spend on coffee, food, drinks, and mugs AND Gold members will snag a FREE Reward for anything on the menu once you earn 125 Stars. Plus, Starbucks will be introducing monthly Double-Star Days where Gold members will earn 4 Stars for every $1 spent on all eligible purchases.
2.) Bring Your Own Cup
You can save 10¢ on the price of your drink whenever you bring in your own reusable cup, mug, or travel tumbler. You can also purchase a plastic Starbucks Reusable Travel Cup (Grande 16oz) for just $2 at most locations that will save you 10¢ every time you bring it in.
3.) Make your own Chai Latte
If you enjoy sipping on a Chai Latte (priced around $3.65 for a Grande 16oz), consider ordering a hot Chai Tea with a bag (priced around $2.15 for a Grande 16oz) and then adding your own milk or cream at the condiment bar. If you prefer to keep it warm, you may even be able to ask your barista for a FREE shot of hot milk on the side.
4.) Order a Short coffee
Did you know that Starbucks offers an even smaller size than their Tall 12oz drinks? You can actually order a “Short” 8oz specialty beverage that has the same amount of espresso as the Tall version, but is less expensive. Planning to add cream? Order a Short beverage in a Tall cup so you’re still getting the same amount of coffee…then head to the condiment counter and add complimentary milk or cream.
No sleep? You can also order a Trenta 30oz size beverage (available for select drinks) for about 50¢-$1 more than the Venti price.
5.) 50¢ Brewed Coffee Refills
You can refill any size cup with brewed coffee for just 50¢ during the same visit – all day long. Keep in mind that the refills must be hot coffee, iced coffee, hot tea, or iced tea. Also, you can get a 50¢ refill even if your original drink was not a hot/iced coffee or tea.
6.) Order French Press Pot of Coffee
If you’re headed to Starbucks with friends or are planning on staying a while in-store, another way to save money is to order a French Press pot of coffee. The 32oz pot serves a few cups of coffee and will be cheaper than ordering the drinks individually as it’s priced around $3.50/pot.
7.) Ask For “No Water” With Your Tea
Did you know that Iced Tea in the pitcher at Starbucks is double-strength and watered down for your final recipe? To get the most bang for your buck, request “no water” with your tea and you’ll be getting twice as much tea for the same price. Also, consider ordering your drink with no ice (or asking for ice on the side) to ensure that your drink is the strongest possible.
8.) Split a Venti Drink with a Friend
Instead of ordering two Tall 12oz beverages, consider ordering one Venti 24oz beverage and splitting it with a friend. A Venti 24oz Caramel Latte is priced around $4.65, whereas a Tall Caramel Latte would cost around $3.65 each…do the math!
9.) Don’t Order Bottled Water
Rest assured that the ice and water used in Starbucks is triple-filtered, so it’s clean and delicious. In fact, it may be even cleaner than the Ethos bottled water that is sold in-stores for around $2 each. So consider just asking for a FREE glass of iced water the next time you’re thirsty for some H2O.
10.) Free Puppy Whip
If you are heading to Starbucks or through the drive-through with your furry friend in tow, consider ordering them a free “Puppy Whip” which consists of a small cup of whipped cream. They’ll love you for it! These small cups of whip may also be great for young kiddos who want a treat in their own cup too. 🙂
Shhhhh! Interested in making Starbucks drinks at home? Check out my video here or here where I will show you how easy and affordable it is to make a Starbucks Frappuccino at home – no Espresso Machine required. Or, go here to check out how you can whip up a delicious Starbucks Latte at home. If you drink Starbuck’s Frappuccinos or Lattes often (which typically cost around $4 each!), you can save yourself a whopping $1,000 per year just by making them in your own kitchen….crazy, huh!?
Awsome tips collin!
😀
Hi Collin, Great Tips! Another tip is to get discounted starbucks giftcards from Raise! https://geta.raise.com/nnn
Way to manage the impacts of the addiction! I may have to try the Trenta one morning though. I am trying to control my Chai issue but… I am curious if anyone has had issues managing their Rewards membership. I end up resetting my password easily 90% of the time and even then, it frequently doesn’t take. I’m not usually techno-incompetent so this seems weird.
I always pay using my Starbucks app. I never have to login. When I do login online (I did recently to add a stars code), I haven’t had issues. I don’t know what’s going on with yours.
i always have that issue with the password.. and have complained to them but their customer service via email is just as incompetent 🙁
I had issues for months with my password. I would have to reset it every time I wanted to login. It has been better lately, but that could be because I use the app now and I haven’t tried to access my main account in months …
Your password is case sensitive. If you used caps then that is how you must enter it. Good luck
I know that problem- but not with Starbucks! Ive had this acct about 4 yrs with no problem- but everytime i try to log into mt att – i have that exact problem!
I haven’t had any issues with logging in. If you’re using the app it shouldn’t log you out, if you have an iPhone you should add your card to passbook.
I purchased several of the starbucks reusable cups when they were a dollar. So glad i did before they went to 2 dollars.
Those are really great cups. I only bought 3 before the price went up, I wish I’d bought more!
I used to order a venti latte with extra shots (cause I like the taste of the coffee in it) now I order an iced or hot coffee with milk (or cream if you prefer) and you get vanilla or Carmel flavor for free. Plus in a hot coffee I order it with the milk steamed, also free of charge. To me they taste as good as a latte, they are essentially the same but with drip coffee instead of espresso and it’s literally nearly half price.
If you add syrup to a hot coffee you will be charged 50 cents. There is also a drink called a misto that is half brewed coffee and half steamed milk.
thx for this info! i never knew about the misto! can you specify which coffee you want?
I love Starbucks! It has been awhile since I have been to one…. Thanks for the tips. I have been making my own coffee and my daughter’s ice coffee at home for awhile so I’m saving lots of money.
I always get a tall frap and ask for them to split it into 2 cups. It always comes out to be almost 2 tall drinks. I get the strawberries and cream and I have one for me and one for my son.
Great tip!
I always do this for my 2 kiddos!!
Just made the frappuccino and it’s a huge hit!! It was super easy and the ingredients were already on hand. Thanks!
Awesome! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Can you send me your recipe? I do mines but I have not perfected it yet. Thanks in advance! Vikassurvey@gmail.com
TY SOO MUCH…… Printing this out now…. this is Starbucks gold:)
You are most welcome! Enjoy! 🙂
To share with my kiddo I get the reduced fat turkey bacon sandwich and remove the top english muffin. I sprinkle the top with a little cinnamon and sugar for her and we’re both happy. My sandwich has lower carbs and she has a special treat 🙂
Great idea! 🙂
Starbucks and Hip2Save, the beginning of a beautiful friend 🙂
😀 Of course!
Puppy whip- who knew? That would keep my 4 pound Yorkie from sticking his tongue in my Frappechino (sp?) lid. Thanks 😊
LOL! 😉
Love the tips! My Starbucks calls the puppy treats a “Pup cup,” and my puppy loves them!
So cute! 😉
If you’re a gold card member of the rewards program (super easy to attain with all the bonus stars you can earn), then #5’s refills are FREE for as long as you’re in the store.
We have a Starbucks in our mall so we can get a large tea, shop, get a free refill, shop some more, get a refill, etc. It’s great!
So, technically, you’re not inside the starbucks store the whole time since you go shopping at the mall. And your Starbucks allow that? We have Starbucks inside our mall and I haven’t tried that.
No, you have to stay in the store for a free refill. Most stores know if you’ve been in there or not the whole time.
That’s what I thought, too. I stayed in the store the whole with a friend to get the free refill. But Allison above can go shopping and get a free refill, and shop some more and get refill again. One time I had to even pull up my app to show the receipt and point to the barista where have I been sitting the whole time. Maybe some stores are lenient than others☺
I have been honest with the Barista and told them I was walking around the mall or once even went to a soccer game and they have always allowed me the refill. They feel it is one of the benefits of being gold. Of course, they do see me enough and that might be why. 😀
Thanks, Colin!
Another tip for saving $ at Starbucks is to take advantage of any Starbucks card offers you come across. Whether it’s a Starbucks rewards card from a site that rewards you for use, a Groupon offer (they do at least one every year) or a discounted card offer at your local grocery store, any new Starbucks card can be added to your gold card/account balance online, in just a couple quick steps.
Also, if you’re new to the gold card, users should know that you have to ask for your free drink when you order it — it will not come off automatically. Once you get the email notification that you have earned a free drink, note the date it expires, then plan to get the most bang for your buck. I only use my freebie when I want to really treat myself – a Venti mocha or frapp with an extra shot, at least! But please remember to tell your barista when you hand over your gold card, or your expensive goodie will not be free.
Finally, gold card users should pay close attention to those emails from Starbucks. 1) You get free food and drink offers from time to time for no reason. 2) You have to log in & “join” the star races that result in free drinks faster. They’ll remind you to do it. 3) They offer extra stars for specific purchases all the time, but you sometimes need to give your barista a code to reference. Right now they’re offering gold card members 8 stars for each in-store coffee or tea bean/Via/k-cup purchase, limit 10 offers across 10 store visits. Just 2 in-store purchases and you’ve got more than enough stars for a free cup of anything.
I agree. This week alone I got an email for 3 bonus stars to load $10 to my card, 3 bonus stars if I bought a Frap after 2pm and I got a free breakfast sandwich.
Don’t forget my favorite thing… you get a free drink for your birthday!
The Starbucks email offers are not available for everyone – they are specifically associated with your email.
Also, you can purchase SCRIP cards at your church or school and add them to your Starbucks account or gold card. That way, you get the bonus points at Starbucks, and you save on tuition or donate money to your church by purchasing SCRIP.
How about one more Collin – never pay for anything! I redeem from swagbucks, bing, and perk. I have never paid for any of my drinks. Plus I take advantage of the bonus stars emails to get more bang for my free buck!
That’s great Laura! 🙂
Don’t forget E-rewards! I use my rewards to get Starbucks cards, then make coffee purchases whenever they are doing extra star promos. At one point I had 3 free drinks waiting for me! Just make sure you keep track of how many you have purchased, and when you are supposed to receive your bonus stars; many times I have either not received my stars, or received too few, and had to contact them to get credited properly.
I do the same thing with Ibotta and Savingstar, I always ask for Starbucks e-cards and then transfer them into a gift card that is attached to my rewards card. I was able to save $40 dollars in my card. We stopped at the Mall of America on our way to a church meeting in Minnesota and did not have money to shop so we went to Starbucks and got drinks and muffins for all 3 of us (hubby, son and me) and a souvenir cup and I felt like I had “shopped” without spending one cent! 🙂
I got hooked on their cold brew and it’s so much cheaper. I get a cold brew, ask them to “splash in” (i.e. free) some coconut milk and a pump of toffee nut – tastes like an iced espresso drink but $2 cheaper.
Refills are FREE if you use your registered Starbucks card! They “charge” your card the $0.50….but it gets immediately refunded.
For iced cold drinks ask for little or no ice! They are still cold but you will get a lot more since there won’t be any ice in your cup!
I asked one of the Target Starbucks workers about French press coffee and they said they had never made one. So, fore warned is fore armed if you personally know how to brew with a french press. Too bad as French press coffee tastes so much better.
If you are a gold card member, then refills are free. You also can change your size. I will order a tall coffee, then get a venti iced coffee refill to go!
The birthday treat is no longer good for 30 days. My birthday is September 23. The treat became active on September 20 and expires on September 30.
Yes, mine totally expired before I got a chance to use it.
Thanks for catching that – you are right. Birthday rewards expire seven days after the issue date and earned rewards expire 30 days after they have been issued. Just updated!
If you call them – they will extend it
A lot of barriastas will still honor an expired free birthday reward, so if you let them know (and they aren’t taken advantage of too often) they will likely give it to you.
I really missed the cards in the mail but I can see why they got rid of it.
Thank you for all of the great tips. I wasn’t aware of most of these. Another tip that some people may not be aware of is you can bring them
your empty bag of Starbucks coffee for a free cup of coffee.
Is this still true? I thought that was fazed out since it is no longer on the bags. The empty bag used to be checked that it had not expired. Hope to find out I still can do this!
Hi JW: None of the Starbucks in our area check the bags for any type of expiration date. The only rule they have is that your free cup of coffee has to be the large size. I was not aware of an expiration date.
We still do this at my Starbucks- and we never checked for a date, but your free coffee is a tall (small) size, but that can be hot or iced!
Omg I am in love with you for this post! Thanks soooo much 🙂
You are most welcome! 🙂
A great way to get a FREE drink is their ‘refer-a-friend’ program! You can email, FB, or tweet a friend and they will get a free drink and you get 6 bonus stars for each friend that signs up for Starbucks emails! (max of 2 referrals per day and 8 per month) Every two friends gets you a free drink!! Here is my code if anyone wants to get their free drink today!! https://refer.starbucks.com/v2/share/6163678271441454970
How do you get bonus stars??
Once you are a registered member, they will send you emails periodically with ways to earn them. I just did one where I got ten bonus stars for making 3 purchases over a 2 week span.
And if you have aTeavana nearby, you can use your rewards there as well, either with any brewed tea, or, what I do is get loose leaf tea, any tea. I get the monkey – picked oolong which is $12.50 per oz. One reward from Starbucks, one oz of loose leaf tea, then I just make it at home. More bang for your rewards. Thanks to my good friend Agnes for this trick😊
Great to know Riss!
I got roped, as I was unaware of the cost, into concocting a combination tea that included some “golden monkey” or something monkeyish and two other teas. When I rang up and she said that’d be $60, I about died!!! And I couldn’t say “no thanks” since the teas were now combined. I haven’t bought tea there since and that special high-priced concoction is still in my pantry. :[
My Starbucks tips:
1. A Venti COLD drink has 3 shots of espresso, while a Venti hot drink has only 2 (despite costing the same).
2. If you like room in your coffee, try ordering a ‘tall in a grande cup’ so you get a full cup of coffee and still have room.
3. If you are ordering more than one thing, THEN PAY SEPERATELY because you earn one star per transaction, not item. This is my best tip!
4. If you like Americanos, consider ordering a single or double shot over ice instead. This is much cheaper. (PRIOR to the recent price changes I would order a double shot over ice in a grande cup. It would cost $1.60-$2.25, depending on which store I was at and how they input it (Adding shots vs. A double shot are 2 different buttons from what I can understand, so the price is different per the cashier.). I then add my own sugar and haf and half from the coffee bar station and make my own iced latte. Sweet! *They recently changed their prices and I tried this once since then and they charged me almost $4, which is more than a latte would be. I hope that it was a mistake because that is a huge, crazy price increase. The cashier was in training.
Wow, I didn’t know about #3. Awesome tip!
That’s what I do, too! One drink, one transaction. One cake pop, another transaction. The baristas understand that you want to earn more stars.
Maybe someone here can answer my question. I LOVE White Chocolate Mochas, but afraid to try anything else for fear of it being too bitter for my taste. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Go into the store, if you don’t like it they’ll make you something else. Try a half white chocolate mocha with half regular mocha first, get your taste buds used to something less syrupy.
Hi, Katrina. White mocha is my drink of choice, too! They were originally holiday only and I was so happy when white mocha was added to the regular menu. That little factoid really dates me, huh? 🙂
Anyways, I have tried lots of the other hot drink options and most of them are not to my taste. I can’t stand the regular mocha.
But this time of year, my favorite order is a salted caramel WHITE mocha. It’s actually a little too sweet for me (that’s really saying something), so I order a salted caramel white mocha, with 1 less pump of each syrup. You can say just that and the barista will understand what you mean. In a grande, I think that’s 3 pumps of white mocha and 3 pumps of toffee nut instead of 4 of each.
If you’re looking for sweet, definitely try a salted caramel mocha while they have them. Sooooooo good. ☺
Thank you ladies! I’ll have to order that tomorrow!
When I try something new at my Starbucks they always tell me if I don’t like it they’ll make me something else for free..that must be their policy.
You could also try a black and white mocha which mixes the two kinds of mocha, or a peppermint white mocha. If you find that the black and white is still sweet enough for you, then you will probably like lots of other favors too. Don’t be afraid to ask your barista for ideas. One of my fav things was helping people find a new drink.
I didn’t know u can order a hot coffee with free flavor syrup
My Snap by Groupon app currently has a “rebate” of 5 stars with the purchase of 2 packages of Starbucks K-cup pods.
A friend told me if you take in an empty Starbucks coffee bag ( ground or beans) you get a free cup of coffee! I tried it awhile ago and it worked. Haven’t done it lately but I assume it is still good.
They did away with this sweet deal. Now you earn a star for purchasing a bag. It’s a unique code on a gold star sticker on the front of the bag of coffee.
Target Starbucks and others inside other retailers are licensed stores. The employees there are Target employees, therefore may not have the same training and ALL the same tools as regular Starbucks stores.
Wow! Very interesting tips. I am not a coffee drinkers but am interested in the tip regarding ice teas. Thanks!
I am a barista, not at Starbucks but a local coffee shop. I always get free drinks lol. But I don’t like the real sweet drinks. I usually. Always add sugar and cream to my coffees. My usual are a red eye or americano. My friend just asked me today if I wanted to go to another local coffee shop. We got there and I was like uhm yea no I am not going to pay almost 5 dollars for something I can make at work. But I got a milkshake. Don’t get me wrong I love my customers but thinking why someone would buy coffee everyday when they can make it at home. Soooo much money can be saved. I am grateful I have a fun job that let’s me have free items and I am surrounded by great people and Co workers
A great job makes you feel better about life. I hope everyone can sit back relax and enjoy life with a cup of coffee
My tip- hubby and I don’t drink coffee. We do all the groupon deals and points to get free Starbucks cards deals. We use the money on our Starbucks card at Disney World to get a morning pastry snack or afternoon treat at EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, or Downtown Disney. I think they recently opened one at Hollywood Studios too. Much cheaper than buying other snacks at Disney when you consider I got the original gift cards either free with points!
I meant either free with points or 50% off.
I don’t go to Disney parks very often, nor drink Starbucks very often (don’t I sound fun!) but this summer we were at Disney World during my birthday and I came across the same “trick” you mentioned. I had ~ $40 loaded on my Starbucks gift card (mostly through free promotions or sales) AND it was my birthday. I went in to get my free birthday drink (a smoothie) at breakfast, and realized that using my gift card for most of my other meals was the right balance of convenience and affordability.
Another tip for Gold Members. If you earn a free drink, you can still get the free refill. I’m trying to watch calories so I use my free drink for a Venti Cream Frap and have my boys share it. Then I get the refill of a black iced coffee. Win Win 😀
Here’s my referral link for joining the My Starbucks Rewards program. If anyone still hasn’t signed up, and would like to do it, signing up through my referral gets me a bonus star and you a free drink (no size stipulated – so go all out?). Thanks!
https://refer.starbucks.com/v2/share/6197538946790752994
I was just thinking on how to save money at Starbucks this fall! Perfect timing and the puppy whip will be awesome for my toddler 🙂
Also they have matcha (green tea powder) that they use to make the green tea frap. However you can ask for just the matcha powder mixed with water, milk or whatever you wish and add syrup and/or sugar. I did this and they charged me only $1.50. The receipt said 3x$.50 and I got the venti size. So I guess depending on the size you can get really cheap green tea/matcha.
I used to love Starbuck but after I had my baby and tried breastfeeding I have developed an aversion towards milk…I don’t crave for the Frappuccinos anymore!!! At least it is saving me some money!
Thanks. Great tips! 🐾💟
Can anyone tell me how to make a starbucks venti iced pumpkin spice latte? I bought the pumpkin spice latte sauce from starbucks.com but I don’t know how much milk, espresso and sauce to use.
If you have the app you can see how much of everything a particular drink contains under the “order” tab (in the same place where you can customize your drink if you place the order).
If you like Chai Tea Latte hot ask for ven 10 pumps of Chai it is free bring milk to work and you make two For a ice one the same but no ice ask for a cup of ice make two
If you have a remaining balance on a Starbucks card that you don’t plan to use, you can ask to donate it to the Cup Fund or the Ethos Water Fund (both are charities).
Another Tip: If you do need to reload your Starbuck’s Card by “purchasing” and have a Target Red Card, consider buying a gift card through Target to save you 5%.
Also, just a remark on their fall drinks, which I tried to earn bonus stars … I hated the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino. YUCK! Way, way too sweet and the “mocha” was lost amongst the Toffee Nut Syrup and Caramel Sauce. (I like my coffee drinks to have a “coffee” flavor.) I also did not care for the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino either. Again there was no “coffee” taste, just icy “spice.” [Granted I was totally unaware Starbuck’s has done away with actual espresso shots in their Frappuccino’s and instead uses their Roast Syrup.]: In an attempt to earn another 5 Stars, I combined the two drinks!!! I ordered:
Venti Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino
-1 Less Pump Toffee Nut
+Added 1 Pump Pumpkin Spice
+Added Pumpkin Spice Sprinkle (on top)
Always “double-blended.”
OMGosh!!!!! Was this insanely delicious! ☕️☁️*heaven*☁️☕️ Even the Barista was impressed with my combination … And when I was walking out started talking to another Barista about my mix. 😁 I felt special! It’s my new favorite … Albeit a very sweet treat.
Good coffee at sensible price.love them all,
When using your starbucks card for more than one drink ring them up separately to earn a star for each drink. When you ring them up together it only counts as one star.
Hi Collin, my name is Simone & I’m from Houston,TX.I was in Target over 4 years ago & this lady stopped me & asked me if I’ve heard of H2S, I told her no. She told me how to get to your site & I’ve been saving money for my family every since. Thank you so much for all your help.
Aww, how cool! So happy to hear that story! Thanks so much for sharing! You are most welcome! 😉