I’m spending $322 a month on coffee.

I know, I KNOW. You’re thinking what all of my friends have been saying -- even the coffee addicts. And I get that this is a Millennial of an article if you’ve ever read one, but bear with me here.

When I first wrote this article last year, the title was the opposite:

I Saved $246 a Month Making Cold Brew Coffee at Home

But it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. And while I’m working every day to shake that narrative from my daily actions, my coffee habit has gotten worse -- clearly.

That post was from December 2014!

Using some math from what I was spending then to what I am spending now it is a fair assessment to say that from 2015-2019, over that five year period, I spent $15,000 on coffee.

$15,000.

I did make my iced coffee at home for a while, but it wasn’t long until I was overcome with three major factors:

1. The time: My old mindset would not stick to a simple regimen of taking 5 minutes every day to prep the cold brew, and then stirring it every few hours.
2. The lack of convenience: My old mindset hated planning how much iced coffee I needed to take every morning, buying cups, keeping fresh creamer at work: all of that extra stuff.
3. The lack of place: Going out and getting work done at a coffeehouse is something I do most nights after work. I thrive off of the surroundings: people, noise, ambiance -- and when you take that away, my old mindset had me thinking I’d be non-productive at home.

These are things you’ve probably considered when trying to cut your bad spending habits, whether it’s eating out vs. cooking at home, going out for drinks vs. meeting friends at someone’s house, going to the movies vs. Netflix and chilling... out your bank account.

I’m not saying you can’t treat yourself. But we’re talking excess: $322 worth of coffee every month. A car payment. A round-trip flight. Mad money here.

So, being a big boy, here’s how I’m going to map this out. This guide is meant to help you plot your own realistic and attainable plan of attack.

And here’s where I bring in some authority on the subject. I’m a huge fan of author and artist Amber Rae (@HeyAmberRae on IG). She’s so legit when it comes to things like this, and one of her recent pieces about breaking habits really gave me the kick in the ass I needed.

FOUR STEPS. That's it.

Now, here's Amber's completed example:

I love this. I want you to do this. But I want you to get even MORE detailed with it.

The habit I want to change is: spending three-hundred-fucking-22 dollars a month on coffee.

What it gives me: Quick fix. Long-term financial strain. Temporary satisfaction. Some regret.

What I can replace it with: Brewing my coffee at home the majority of the time.

So, I will: Get my cold-brew maker out of the cabinet. Buy a bag of quality beans and cream. Make a couple of batches for the week. And make a promise to myself, to not go out for coffee four days this week.

That last fill-in-the-blank is the biggest one. Be detailed, be ambitious, yet be realistic with your plan of attack. You’re new at this. It’s ok. Crawl before you walk.

“The most important realization… is realizing that everything I do is to feel a certain way,” Amber wrote back in March 2019. “Once I could unpack WHY I was doing it and the BENEFIT it gave me, I could replace it with something I enjoyed and valued more.”

Now it’s your turn. Take a moment. Think about the bad habits you’re ready to tackle. Plot out your plan of attack. Go conquer.

Here it is again:

So right now, this is your boy:

But I’m dedicated to become more like this with my home coffee:

And I know you are, too.

Remember, SLIPPING DOESN’T MEAN QUITTING.

It’ll happen.

But when it does, don’t make it a habit.

Recognize it. Accept it. Learn from it. And move on with the mission.

I’ll keep you updated on IG @InstaJLO. And I can’t wait to see your progress.

LFG.

Let's fucking go.