Starbucks Not Worth It: 6 Ways You Get Ripped Off at Starbucks

We have all forgotten our lunch at some point or another. Unfortunately for me, it happens around once a week. Ordinarily I go out to Starbucks and just get a large coffee and hope that holds me over until I'm home. However, I have often seen the small boxes of food that they have and wondered if I should buy those instead. I finally bought one last week and have a few things to say about it.

First of all, I want to talk about the price. The Bistro Boxes are around five dollars, which for a decent sandwich isn't bad, especially since my White Mocha usually costs around five dollars. However, the Bistro Boxes are nowhere near a decent sandwich. They vary from a bit of meat, a cube of cheese, and a few slices of apple, to a tiny pita and some nuts. All the boxes have some kind of protein: ham, chicken, hummus or cheese, and some vegetables or fruit. However, I don't think that it's reasonable to ask for five dollars for tiny doll-sized portions.

I have rationalized that the boxes are this tiny because of their new low-calorie approach to everything. The most fattening box is 480 calories (Fruit and Cheese, ironic isn't it?) and the least is 220 (Veggies and Goat Cheese). I would love to eat 300 calories for lunch and be al good, however, after eating the Chicken and Hummus box (260) I was starving, and that's after having a small coffee. To be fair, I didn't eat the chicken because I am a vegetarian, but I still think that it wouldn't have made as much of a difference because it was a small piece of chicken. I've also had the fruit and cheese box and it disappeared in about two minutes and I felt no different afterwords. I th ink that they are trying to put us upon the diet of a woodland elf, cheese, nuts, fruit, and some five million grain crackers. if only if only I could eat nuts and cheese 24/7, but unfortunately, I need some more substance in my body to continue to pump blood through my veins.

I almost forgot, some of the boxes come with a luxury dessert, a piece of prime Starbucks chocolate, oh joy unbounded, not.

Anyway, they're running a bunch of promotions on them right now because I'm guessing they haven't been selling so well, but over all I give them two stars. Yes they tasted good, and tasted fresh, but honestly, I could probably eat 3 bistro boxes and then maybe be full. When I get a large coffee, I am about fifty times more full than when eating the crackers in the boxes.

The Starbucks parfaits look delicious and seem like an excellent choice ofr a snack. All of them are made with Greek yogurt, granola, and sometimes fruit. Usually, for a snack, I buy a croissant or a scone, but I thought that maybe the parfaits would be healthier. The croissants and scones cost around two dollars which still is very expensive. However, when I bought the yogurt, I was sshocked to find that it cost around $3.45! It’s about one cup of yogurt and some granola You could buy a whole gallon of greek yogurt or a pack of six parfaits for the same price. It’s not even like these parfaits are made organically at the store, they are simply shipped to the store. Why would you pay for yogurt and trail mix when you can but six times as much for the same price.

This is one of the most ridiculous things to pay for at Starbucks. When you get a large tea (simply a tea bag and water) it costs you 2.60. The real question here is WHY? Water is FREE everywhere you go So are you paying 2.60 for the bag, the string, the cup, or the lid? You can buy a pack of about 30 tea bags at Target for five dollars, so why would you pay sixty times as much for one? I love tea, so it’s especially annoying, I feel like I’m paying for the water I’m drinking when I get my teas. At leat with the Frappucinos and coffees, you’re paying for things that you can’t do at home (theoretically).

Milk and Syrups

Most people get different kinds of milk at Starbucks, whether it’s nonfat, soy, or 2 percent. However, to get a different kind of milk, it costs 60 extra cents This may not seem like such a big deal, but considering they are already charging me three dollars for Chai powder that they mix with milk. Anyway, this is kind of ridiculous because you are quite literally paying to be healthier. Soy milk at the store is cheaper than whole milk, so why should you pay extra at Starbucks? I suppose that it’s because it’s a specialty type item that isn’t as popular as whole milk, but honestly, when I’ve been there, practically everyone has got either nonfat, percent or soy. In my opinion, they make loads of money just from charging extra for milk. Also, you pay extra from every syrup you get. For example, if I get a Pumpkin Spice Latte and ask for an extra pump of Pumpkin Spice, it costs 50-60 cents extra. Again, this isn’t that much when you just look at it, but considering how expensive drinks are, it really is ridiculous.

NOTE: With a Gold Card, you get free milk and syrups, check out other benefits here.

Whipped cream is a delicious additive to any drink. It’s whippy and delicious and makes any drink ten times better. However, if you’re not getting a Frappucino, it’s really completely a rip off. When you get a Frappucino, Starbucks baristas use a domed lid, therefore, you get your cup full of drink and the whipped cream only takes up space in the dome. However, when you get lattes or mochas with whipped cream, flat lids are used (for hot drinks) and so one third of your cup is just whipped cream. Although it is painful to have to give up whipped cream, it is a lot more worth it to just get your drink without whipped cream or to get it iced with a domed lid.

Getting Ice

When you get ice in a drink, it’s good to take note of the fact that you’re getting only half of the drink. I realized this one time when I finished my latte and found THREE FOURTHS of the cup full of ICE when I was done. You’re quite literally getting half of the over priced coffee you’re already over-paying for. This is why I always make sure to ask for extra light ice when I get a coffee.