Frugality in B/CS

With three kids, a new house in progress, and my husband being the only bread winner I am constantly on the lookout for ways to save money, in the process changing a LOT of my favorite habits. Clothes shopping happens maybe once a year, and even then it has to be on clearance, Barnes and Noble has been replaced with a library card, and I have become a pro at doing my own toes and nails. With all of this penny pinching going on I get super excited when I find new ways to save a buck and splurge at the same time. SO here is my latest....

STARBUCKS is my passion...an iced mocha on a hot summer day is like heaven shining down on me. LAck of sleep and need for caffeine go hand in hand, but $5.00 a pop (after tip) does not go well with my funds these days. Most people would say brew your own at home, but it doesn't have the same kick as Starbucks, and I hate the watery taste of brewed coffee.

I tried bottled mochas, but those are still $3.00 a piece....not really much of a bargain.

ENTER ICED VIA! For $5.00 you get a box of 5 packets of dissolving coffee. Sounds nasty right...but follow me here. The trick is as follows:

You get a coffee mug, and instead of putting cold water in it as per the instructions, you fill it with milk. Put chocolate syrup in it and stir it up like a glass of chocolate milk. Add HALF a package of the iced via mix and stir stir stir. It's fabulous, and now you have TEN servings instead of the advertised 5. You have an exact taste match for an iced mocha from Starbucks for about sixty cents a mug (after milk and syrup is factored in).

I know! Shut up Right?!? I am so proud of my new find!! Try it and let me know what you think!