The Price of Coffee

I'm sitting here in Starbucks wondering why they just went up on their prices. What's up with that? I now have to pay $1.73 for a cup of coffee, an increase of a nickel. Do they think money grows on trees? (Well, I guess money does grow on trees in a way, since money is made from reprocessed cotton denim fabric...but that's another story.)

I'm cheap. I admit it. I usually buy a cup of coffee for $1 from the local gas station and pour into my Starbucks cup so I can sit in here and look respectible. I don't want them to think I'm just in here for the internet access. However, on occasion, when I want to splurge, I'll actually buy their coffee. But now, I'm not so sure.

The manager tells me it's because the cost of growing and processing coffee has gone up, and the cost of milk and other things continue to go up, too. "We haven't raised prices in quite some time," he says with a straight face.

I wanted to tell him to use the extra money on a mop so they could clean up the men's room, but I decided to walk back to my table and drink the ice tea I bought across the street at the Taco Casa for 65 cents. Do you think I'm going to pay $2.11 for a glass of tea in a Starbucks cup?