How to Save Money on Your Coffee Consumption

There's a pot of coffe at the ready at my house 16 hours a day. We love coffee! But we can't justify the cost of keeping this caffeine addiction up so we've come up with some ways to save money and keep the brew flowing, too.

The first pot of coffee every morning is full strength, strong, get-you-going-juice.

The second pot: We reuse the coffee grounds, filter and all. The water from the previous pot has compacted the coffee grounds so there's room for half as much fresh coffee grounds. Where the first filter held six scoops, we now add only three. This second pot is a slightly weaker than the first, but it's very good.

I'm no math wizard, but I'm guesstimating that we get about 50% more coffee per can this way.

For java indulgences use these tricks:

At the end of hot chocolate season we usually have a box or two of instant cocoa left over. Half a pack in a cup of coffee is a wonderful chocolaty treat.

After halloween, there's a ton of those miniature Hershey bars left over. One of those dropped into a cup of hot coffee is really good too!

Especially around the holidays, we crave flavored coffees. I add a sprinkle of cinnamon to my coffee for a nice, warm flavor.

Hazelnut flavoring, from the spice section at the grocery store is nice. A tiny drop in a cup may be too strong for many, so adding a few drops to the coffee grounds before brewing should provide a great tasting pot of coffee that makes you feel pampered. Makes the house smell delicious!

When I crave a $5 mocha latte I'll add a little cornstarch into a cup of coffee to thicken it a little and I'll add in chocolate syrup. Experiment with the amounts to suit your own tastes.

Do you have any coffee ideas? I'd love to hear them!