All the programs out there say that the first step to
recovery is admitting you have a problem.
Basically, admitting you cannot control your addiction or
compulsion. So, here it goes…..
Hi. My name is Tina
and I’m a Starbucks addict.
Do we have a coffee pot at work? Sure do.
We actually have a coffee pot and a Keurig and it is all FREE. I also have both a coffee pot and Keurig at
home!
However, if I had my choice between a cup of coffee, a k-cup
or a Starbucks Venti Non-fat Dirty Chai Latte, I would choose the Chai every
time. Not just any Chai, but a venti non-fat dirty Chai (dirty meaning it has 3
shots of espresso) and this girl is happy. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy coffee
too, but the Chai is my drug…..I mean drink of choice.
I haven’t always been like this. There was a time when I would roll my eyes
and shake my head at someone who would wait patiently in a long drive-thru line
multiple times a day to order drinks with names like Grande No Whip Cinnamon
Dolce Crème Frappuccino! I couldn't even
say it let alone want to drink it! LOL
But I have become one of those peeps and the numbers don’t
lie folks. Before I continue, I want to
make it clear that I take full responsibility for my problem. Nobody is forcing me to shell out the kind of
money I have on Starbucks and after doing the math of how much I actually spent
in 2012, I have definitely quit cold turkey.
I am 11 days clean so far.
In 2012, I spent (with my debit card) $1,887.28 on
Starbucks. The number is more than
likely a little higher than that but I don’t track cash purchases so we can
probably round that up to an even $2,000. However, I "drank" a whole lot more than $2,000 worth because my children would also contribute to my addiction but not nearly as much as I did.
How did I spend that much on Chai? Easy, it started out as being convenient and
it tasted good and then was a routine until it turned into me needing it to
function. If I was running late for
work, it didn't matter because I was still getting in that long drive-thru line
to get my fix.
Anyway, my Starbucks spending spree has come to
an end and now it is time to focus on controlling this addiction and spending that money elsewhere in 2013.....but definitely not on another addiction. An extra $2000 a year towards my mortgage will go a long way in helping to pay this house off.