Comment by throwawayjava | Hacker News Reader

Comment by throwawayjava | Hacker News Reader

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> you can treat yourself to a $5 coffee every goddamn day (who does that!? even on weekends?!).

It's not a $5 daily coffee, it's 2 or 3 $2 coffees. 2 reasonably priced coffees isn't so insane if your workplace doesn't have a machine and won't let you donate one.

> One final thought: often the people who say this have zero experience with actually living close to the poverty line. A cheap, unhealthy, delicious indulgence on the daily can make living with less feel much more palatable - or at least, suck less hard.

THIS. I spent five years in poverty. Sometimes actually, sometimes just above the line. Always worried about making rent.

Eschewing a twice-weekly visit to the coffee shop is a LOT easier, psychologically, when it's not "my only reprieve from eating shitty food in a shitty apartment and still worrying about how we'll pay the grocery bills and rent".

And I had the benefiting of knowing that the situation was temporary and it could all be over the moment I decided I had had enough. And a great parental safety net that saved me from the credit card debt treadmill more than once. I can't imagine how bleak things are existing like that with no safety and knowing you don't have an out.

My daughter works at Starbucks. There is a shocking (to me) contingent of people who do indeed order $4-7 coffee-based drinks daily. She sees the same people every day. It's mind-bending to me, but clearly normal for many.

I'm one of those people (though, not starbucks). It's a drink I can't get without relatively expensive equipment and effort at home. It's a chance to catch up with news without the expectation of being on call for work or feeling like I should be doing something productive around the house. It's a moment of calm before going in to chaos, err, work.

It's also a chance to socialize, with no expectations, with other regulars.

It's a treat.

I visit Bluebottle and probably spend $6 almost every day I work. Does it add up? Not really. Assuming I visit 220 times a year it's almost 1.5 years before I've spent as much as I do on 1 months rent.

If you're making $100/ week, $30 on coffee is a lot of money. If you're making $2k/ week, it's not moving the needle in a meaningful way.

My original comment sounded judgmental, and I don't mean to be. I'm just surprised, but everybody gets to choose their own priorities and interests. I can't imagine spending that much on a coffee drink daily, or spending $1500/year on coffee. I also can't relate to people who spend a lot of money on cars, especially high-maintenance cars, or any number of other expenses.

But me, I might spend close to that amount on graphic novels, or on graphic novels and paperback books combined. I make larger purchases less often, and many people might consider my expenditures wasteful as well.

I suspect many people spending $6/day on coffee have never counted the cost, and might be surprised to realize that they're spending $120/month on coffee. But you've done the math and find it worthwhile, so good for you!

I am guilty of this, except with Dunkin. Over the last few years, I have purchased at least five coffee machines trying to make coffee that is as good but I haven't been able to. I am a coffee addict; if I don't have coffee in the morning, I get a headache.

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