Small changes repeat

A 50¢ difference may not change today's plan, but repetition can make it worth noticing. Suppose one drink costs $5.50 instead of $5 and you buy it five times weekly. That is $2.50 more weekly, about $10.83 per average month, and $130 over 52 weeks. This is a manual example, not a Starbucks menu quote.

Let the routine be yours

Keep the coffee, change the frequency, try a different option, or leave the plan alone. The calculation should help you choose, not shame you into a choice. A merchant appearing on several receipts does not prove that every visit included the same drink.

Compare compatible purchases

Use the same drink size and ingredients and the same treatment of discounts and tax. A large drink, a smaller drink, and a discounted bundle are not one comparable unit. If you cannot establish compatibility, label the numbers as an experiment rather than a detected price increase.

A projection is not your spending history

Annual cost assumes your chosen frequency continues. It does not fill in missing receipts. The web calculator uses only your current inputs; it does not connect to your bank or claim that you already saved the difference.

Try this with your numbers

The calculator opens with this article's hypothetical example. Your budget is not a headline—change the prices, quantity and frequency.

Test your plan with Piggy

Example assumptions

Prices and routines in this article are manual, hypothetical inputs. No school or merchant price was verified. Results assume the frequency continues for the stated period.

A little clarity, not a guarantee

Projections are not recorded spending or confirmed savings. No national average or future price is inferred. The web calculator does not upload receipts, send family requests, or update the iPhone app.