I saved £36 a month on my Starbucks orders with a simple DIY trick – here’s how you can do it too

SAVVY saver Lisa Wheeler, has managed to swindle down the cost of her Starbucks treats by taking on a DIY approach – and it’s saved her £36 a month.

The 30-year-old, from Wiltshire explained how she managed to cut her monthly coffee habit by 90% as she revealed how others could slash their costs too.

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Mum of one, Lisa, shared her words of wisdom with like minded bargain lovers on Facebook forum Extreme Couponing and Bargain Hunters this weekend.

The domiciliary care assistant told The Sun how she could find herself spending as much as £40 a month on simple coffee runs, but it was a habit she was ready to grab by the milk frother, and drastically help her wallet too.

She said: “Although I’m very fond of the Blue Light offer that Starbucks has where we save 10% on the entire order, I’m still spending a small fortune each week on takeaway lattes, be it on the nursery run, or between clients.”

The coffees that Lisa liked to purchase when out running her errands would usually cost £3.75, she explained to The Sun.

On average she’d probably buy around three of these a week, having to fork out £11.25 in the process, or £10.15 once she’d applied the Blue Light discount she was entitled to.

That means per month she would be spending roughly £40.60 on the pricey coffees.

Lisa said: “My particular favourite recently has been the pumpkin spice latte but I am very excited to try the new Christmas special “toffee waffle latte” – just the name makes my mouth water.

“But I was horrified that I was spending this much on coffee in a month.”

Other coffee giants, as well as Starbucks offer various rewards schemes that benefit loyal customers and entitle them to money off after a certain number of purchases.

One example is Costa’s eight bean scheme, while another is McDonald’s five stamps too, so sometimes it can be a case of shopping around to find the best deal for you as there are some big savings to be had.

But Lisa felt a certain loyalty of her own to Starbucks, so when out on her next food shop she spotted branded sachets at a fraction of the cost of the real deal.

Adding the £1.50 packets to her basket instead of picking up a cup at the coffee house already saved £2.25 a go, at face value.

With four sachets in a packet, Lisa would only need to buy three packets a month to keep up with her regular Starbucks ordering habits.

So instead of spending £40.60 a month on the coffees, she’d only be forking out £4.50.

“My theory was, that’s four lattes at less than the cost of one takeaway cup,” she said.

On top of that she purchased a standard bottle of Asda’s squirty cream at £1.09, to give the drinks the same finishing flair that Starbucks does.

Of course, the method involves making the coffee treats at home when many might not already have the equipment or time to.

But equipped with a £2.99 latte mug from B&M, and a simple kettle to make the hot beverages too, Lisa said it was a “perfectly convenient little luxury at home.”

She said: “I will always be a Starbucks fan and will continue to treat myself to a coffee a week but by buying these at home means I can save a small fortune.

“I can use it to help fund Christmas this year, as well as my son’s birthday that falls conveniently in December too, the joy of a Christmas blessing!”

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk