9 Ways to Save Money at Starbucks

Your coffee habit doesn't need to blow your budget.

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Is your Starbucks habit putting a grande dent in your wallet? Try these tactics to slash your coffee tab.

Join My Starbucks Rewards for a free birthday treat, free in-store refills, plus special discount offers. Gold members get a free food item or drink for every 125 stars they earn.

Rack up the stars on your friends' or coworkers' dimes by being the designated coffee runner. Then, use your free rewards on fancier (aka more expensive) drinks.

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Only want a small caffeine jolt? Opt for the unadvertised (and less expensive) "short" size.

Bring your own re-usable cup for a 10-cent discount.

Don't bother buying bottled water to wash it all down. Just ask the barista for a cup of water.

Buy discount Starbucks gift cards at websites like Gift Card Granny or Cardpool.

Try brewing your own Starbucks coffee at home.

My Starbucks Rewards members still score points at Teavana and on some grocery store purchases.

When all else fails, consider a side gig as a barista to get 30% off drinks, food and merchandise.

Rebecca Dolan
Rebecca Dolan
Contributing Writer, Kiplinger.com
Before joining the Kiplinger team as Online Community Editor in 2013, Rebecca was associate travel editor at the Huffington Post, where she also handled the travel section's social media. She landed at AOL/HuffPost after earning an MS in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School, with a concentration in health and science journalism. Prior to that, she covered lifestyle at Jacksonville Magazine, in Jacksonville, Fla., preceded by a stint at American Cheerleader magazine. She holds a BA from the College of William and Mary.