I know Starbucks dodge their taxes, but I didn't realised that they get free electricity to steam the milk, grind the beans and boil the water. Also I was not aware that all of their staff worked on a voluntary basis and they got their stores rent and rates free.

Or would you like to revise your estimated cost?

I'd love to.
Grind the beans - 0.5p
Boil the water (it takes about 4 minutes to boil 1 litre of water with a 1 kw element. at 14p per kwh that makes it less than 1p.
300ml of milk is a bit of an over estimate, more like 200ml. At Tesco 2.27 L costs £1 so 200ml would be 8p.
I wasn't going to include the cost of a barista as the price I quoted was for making it yourself but even so I will include it a barista earns say £10 per hour it takes them about 1 minute to make a coffee. That would add an extra 17p to a cup.
Coffee £1.70 for 250g means 10g for a cup costs 7p
As for the cost of the shop, I get mine to-go so don't use their facilities.
Even so that still only comes to:

Boil Water 1p
Grind Beans 0.5p
Milk 8p
Coffee 7p
Barista Wages 17p
Total 33.5p

A large coffee only costs about 30p to make (300ml milk, 10g of ground coffee) so even if you get a free one you will still be ripped off when use the voucher to buy them at full price.

Thanks!

My experience. It can 'technically' be done however Barista's do not like to do it, I think they are even told to not do so.

Can. Anyone confirm, Does the £10 gift card with a £10 gift card trick work? I.e
free coffees until 24th?

Any idea when this offer finishes and is there a list of participating stores? I have not been able to find any more information about it.

Anybody on here do the "Red" magazine free offer last month?

You were given a red cup giftcard that you had to register (new or existing account) and a free drink would be allocated to it.

Mine is still showing zero value and no free drink. What did I do wrong?

At least this offer is a lot simpler.

It was in the one opposite the London Palladium

I am led to believe that most, if not all STARBUCKS owned stores participate in this offer but there are many franchisees such as Eurogarages, Welcome Break and Extra MSA's

If your not with nationwide you can't get it. What a pathetic 'deal'

This gift card deal is nothing to do with the nationwide 50% offer.

Proof if required. Valid until 24/12

Haha, so much pent up anger over the cup cost of coffee.:laughing: Folks need to get real, you're paying for convenience. Can't afford it, don't buy, make your own. Simples.

Well, I didn't assume you worked in a static location and 9-5 - A thermos flask is portable and you can have a coffee when you leave for work even if it's in the evening. Anyway, I don't mind what you do, I'm more than happy for you to spend thousands on gingerbread latte's or what ever takes your fancy.

Like you said it is actually a good deal as you can buy the voucher, add it to your app, get the free coffee, use the voucher to buy another voucher get the free coffee from the new voucher and use the new voucher to buy another new voucher and get a free coffee, etc...I'll stop there.

Heat added just for the rant above :smile:

Well I assume you think I work in a static location and 9-5. Nevertheless, Great shout. I have never thought of it this way. I'm going to stop eating out because it's cheaper to cook three meals a day at home, what was I thinking to live in a 2 bed flat when a houseshare would save me loads in rent and the car, don't let me get started on the car....you have opened my mind...I did say there was great money saving tips here. Thanks

Lots of useful money saving ideas here to save on coffee. Now I just need to get a device to carry a coffee grinder and some hot water/steamer, battery to power, something to keep my fridge cold and a cup to use...

any idea how we can find out which stores are doing this??

A large coffee only costs about 30p to make (300ml milk, 10g of ground coffee) so even if you get a free one you will still be ripped off when use the voucher to buy them at full price.

could I use the card to buy another card etc etc etc?

you missed quite a lot, cost of cups, cost of the capital spent on a store, VAT, the rent and rates can be £100k PA plus and I do mean plus, smallest costa in one of our local shopping centres pays over £150k a year, salaries will be higher, NI, pension, the staffs free bag of coffee a month, water rates, electricity, gas oh the lists go on :smiley: Costa has a lot of franchises, they charge a percentage of the sales to use the name, you needed something like £250k for the fitting of the store had to be self funded, £250k liquid cash and the ability to raise more cash if needed, many of the starbucks are also francises. All for a cup of coffee my grandparents would never have thought we would be going into a shop to buy :smiley:

if you think the coffee is bad have a look at this from a US car wash firm

http://www.mrcleancarwash.com/franchising

So instead of topping your card up, buy a new one get the free drink and add it to your account and then transfer the £10 onto your existing card

You forgot the cost of the red paper mass produced cup :wink:

I'd love to.
Grind the beans - 0.5p
Boil the water (it takes about 4 minutes to boil 1 litre of water with a 1 kw element. at 14p per kwh that makes it less than 1p.
300ml of milk is a bit of an over estimate, more like 200ml. At Tesco 2.27 L costs £1 so 200ml would be 8p.
I wasn't going to include the cost of a barista as the price I quoted was for making it yourself but even so I will include it a barista earns say £10 per hour it takes them about 1 minute to make a coffee. That would add an extra 17p to a cup.
Coffee £1.70 for 250g means 10g for a cup costs 7p
As for the cost of the shop, I get mine to-go so don't use their facilities.
Even so that still only comes to:

Boil Water 1p
Grind Beans 0.5p
Milk 8p
Coffee 7p
Barista Wages 17p
Total 33.5p

so buy gift card..get free coffee..sell gift card to mate for 9 quid at least..basically 1 quid coffee

You could add the voucher to your "App" and buy another voucher.... Continual "Free" coffees until the offer expires!