a new direction

It has been a while since I posted here. I got a little bored, and probably a little boring, reporting each day whether or not I bought a latte. I've been focusing a lot more on my primary blog, Ruth, the Mom. I guess my latte blog has been mostly for my own purposes, which is a good thing since up until the other day, I had a TOTAL of two readers.
The traffic has increased a little bit lately, so I thought I'd start writing here again. But, I've decided to take it in a different direction, and expand into all things caffeine.
For instance, I would like to reduce my dependency on caffeine. A big part of the equation is getting more sleep. There always seems to be some reason to stay up late. Then in the morning, in order to function, I have to turn to caffeine.
I am drinking a latte right now, as a matter of fact. I stayed up WAY too late last night. If it was just me, I'd make a pot of tea instead of just a cup. But since my husband was at home today, and he also stayed up WAY too late, I drove to the Starbucks at our friendly neighborhood Hy-Vee grocery store and handed over seven dollars so that we could each slurp down a special combination of a little bit of espresso and a lot of milk.
You can see where this doesn't really make much logical sense. What if we spent seven dollars EVERY DAY on lattes? As a family we would contribute over $200 a month to Starbucks' coffers. That's $2400 a year. Think of all the things you could do with $2400 a year.
Starbucks does not appeal to your logical self.
I just think it's good to think these things over once in a while.

I wish I had invented Starbucks

Every time I go there I think, look at all these people, like myself, who have gone out of their way to spend their hard-earned money on overpriced coffee drinks. Yesterday, we were on our way out of town and stopped by the grocery store just for Starbucks. As I was running in to grab two tall extra-hot vanilla lattes, I saw a man carrying two Starbucks cups back to his own car.
Anyway, tea is fulfilling my caffeine needs most days. Lately I've only had lattes when we are away from home.
I am almost out of black tea. I haven't bought any more because I'm trying to make the switch over to green tea, and just get more sleep. I have LOTS of green tea. The problem is I don't like it as much. We'll see.

six days in a row

Today is Saturday, and I stopped for a latte at Caribou as we were heading out of town for a trip to the Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University. We went there for the butterflies, but the gardens were amazing as well. My husband, who has recently become addicted to vanilla lattes (through no fault of mine) wanted Starbucks, so we stopped there too before leaving town.
Anyway, the latte was sort of a treat and this was the first one I've had all week. I call that progress.

maybe it's not hopeless

So, I tried this new thing, called sleep. It has really been helping out with my ability to resist lattes. And the absence of a late afternoon latte has been helping out with my ability to fall asleep.
All I can say is, this is my fourth latte-free day in a row, and this without my even really trying.

Day ???: an update

Lately I have just given up on my quest. I was having a latte nearly every day, and I didn't even care. One day, I decided a latte didn't even sound good. I didn't get one. Maybe I'm over it, I thought. Next day, it sounded good again.
However, I'd have to say that overall I have not been craving lattes as often. It may be the fact that winter is (finally!) over. Iced tea sounds a lot better.
I have this crazy idea that if I actually got enough sleep I might (a) make better decisions, and (b) not need as much caffeine. I'm going to (for the millionth time in my life) start making an effort to get more sleep.
I'll let you know how it goes, and how the latte-resistance is going. But, maybe not every day.

Day 65: a failed experiment?

I'm not sure I've really made any progress...except, at least I'm more aware of how often I buy overpriced coffee drinks. Also, I usually get a small instead of a medium. Baby steps.
I've heard it can take up to 90 days to break a habit. I've also heard you have to really, really want to break it. I think for me that is the primary obstacle. There are not really many negative consequences when I drink a latte.

Day 64: resisted for one whole day

My self-discipline is admirable.

Day 63: guess not

I took two kids to Caribou to play while my oldest was at school. Of course, I had to have a latte.

Days 61 and 62: could I be back on track?

A latte-free weekend...

Days 51-60: a lotta lattes

I did predict that being on vacation would make it hard to avoid overpriced coffee drinks. I think I had a latte every day but one (that day, I wanted one, but just got too busy, ran out of time, and surprisingly, never passed by a Starbucks in our travels). Yesterday I had two, though, so I guess it evens out. Okay, so, I'm going to bed now, and maybe I can survive without one tomorrow and get back on track.

Day 50: premeditated latte

I decided to treat myself today, because I have a big job to tackle: cleaning out my van, not to mention packing for a trip and doing lots of dishes and laundry.

Day 49: a whole week

Seven days in a row of success!

Days 47 and 48: maybe there is hope for me

Well, it finally stopped raining on Saturday; instead, it snowed most of the day.
Talk about a good day for a latte, but I feel like planning ahead has been my best defense. Two more days of success puts me at six days in a row! Maybe I am getting out of the habit after all.
DANGER: I am about to go on vacation, and nothing gets me back in the latte habit like a trip. I'm not making any promises. I'll just try to remain latte-free as long as I can.

Day 46: temptation resisted

I hate to complain, it's not like we are getting tornadoes...but, is it ever going to stop raining? This is the fourth day that it has rained pretty much nonstop. Also, however, the fourth day in a row I haven't had a latte! Probably the longest I've gone since the first week I started this blog.
The temptation never leaves, though...I ran to the grocery store this evening, shivering as I hurried through the cold rain. I walked into the store and immediately saw a guy with a Starbucks cup. Mmmmm...up ahead was the Starbucks kiosk, the attractive sign looming over me as I returned a movie, calling out as I made my way to the bread aisle. But, I stuck to my guns.

Days 44 and 45: wow, three whole days in a row

I can hardly believe I have resisted during these three rainy, dreary days in a row. It's easy to see how Seattle was the place that kick-started this whole specialty-coffee craze. I can't say it hasn't been tempting. The last two days I have had this debate in my mind as I drove my son to school. I would decide to stop and get a latte...then decide against it....then decide I really wanted one...then finally decide I'd get just as much enjoyment for a lot less cash if I just went home and made tea. I'd kind of like that sense of accomplishment that I felt the first week I started doing this. Another factor is the environment. Like pretty much everyone these days, I am being constantly reminded that we are trashing our planet. It seems like we need a complete overhaul in how we do pretty much everything...but meanwhile if each of us does our small part we could actually make a difference. So, rather than add another cardboard cup to the landfill, I can just drive on by. (Now, about all the driving I've been doing...but that is a topic for another blog...which I might just have to create.)

Day 43: an easier day

This rainy day was perfect for a pot of tea and a chai latte, all prepared at home. I have noticed the power of suggestion is very strong, though. I need to remove all the empty Caribou cups from my car. One of the hardest parts of quitting lattes for me is that every time I see someone holding a Starbucks cup (which is almost every day), I want one.

Day 42: lack of restraint

So, I had to run some errands.
So, I happened to be driving right by a Caribou Coffee.
So, I have no inner strength.
Vanilla latte.
Yum.

Day 41: lotsa tea

I had a whole teapot (3 cups) today, then a chai latte later on. I was really dragging again today.
Maybe I need to address the caffeine/lack of sleep issue.

Day 40: one last day

Today was my last free latte for a while, as the in-laws took off mid-morning.
I should note that yesterday my father-in-law brought a latte from Panera. I don't know if I was just extra tired or if it was just significantly less caffeine than what I'm used to, but it didn't do much for me, though it was yummy. After that I had some tea but I was still dragging, and I knew I was planning to stay up late, so I stopped by Caribou for a late afternoon pick-me-up.
It helped.

I'm sitting at about 50 percent

Out of about 40 days I have gone about 20 without a latte.
So, is that pretty good?
In school, 50 percent is an "F."
Does improvement count for anything? I think I am doing slightly better than before I started this blog.
Maybe.

Days 38 and 39: My in-laws are in town again...

...and I am not going to say no to free lattes.

Days 35-37: three whole days without one

It is telling that I do not remember much about these three days.

Day 34: on 4 hours of sleep, what can you expect?

We had nowhere to go on Sunday, and my husband was out of town, which made the weekend not feel like a weekend. I piled the kids in the van for the sole purpose of driving to Caribou. Also, I had to bribe my five year old with ice cream.

Day 33: no lattes today

Fortunately, I didn't think to stop and get one when I was out, so I just had lots of tea.

Day 32: if you plan to fail...

...you probably will.

Day 31: three days in a row

Yesterday was fine; but last night I hardly slept at all. Today, failure is likely.

Days 29 and 30: no free lattes, so I'm latte-free

I can't say I haven't been tempted. Today I drank four cups of tea and I'm still tired.

Days 27 and 28: don't want to let a good latte go to waste

So, my father-in-law brought me another latte on Sunday, then again this morning before they left....what could I do? I drank them. They were from Caribou which is seriously better than Starbucks. Even my husband who has become a Starbucks vanilla latte addict seemed impressed when he tried Caribou's version. I have always maintained that Caribou is better and not just because the people are ridiculously cheerful and friendly and their stores have drive up windows and are conveniently located.
The in-laws are gone again, for now. We'll see if I can remain latte-free until their next visit. (Incidentally, I have neglected to mention to them that I am trying to quit drinking overpriced coffee drinks.)

Day 26: one day latte-free

So, I'm off to a fresh start. We'll just see how long this lasts.

Day 25: who'da thunk it?

No, the latte truck didn't cruise my neighborhood, but the next closest thing happened: shortly after I wrote yesterday, my in-laws arrived with a few groceries and a Starbucks vanilla latte for me! I've been sick with a pretty bad cold, so my father-in-law said, "We thought you might be in a crappy mood, so we brought you this." I wasn't in a crappy mood, since I had just finished off two cups of strong tea...but I thoroughly enjoyed the latte anyway. Regardless of what happens, I will never turn down a gift of latte.

Days 12-24: every day, twice a day, who's counting?

Starbucks is harder to resist than I realized. Ever noticed they are EVERYWHERE? After repeated exposure I even tried the honey latte they were promoting relentlessly...YUCK.
I'm back to the old excuses, I'm on vacation, I'm hanging out with a friend, I need to stay awake to drive, I need energy to clean the house, etc. etc.
Like a total addict, it seems I can't regulate myself to a once-a-week treat. If it's okay on Tuesday, then why not Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, too? I admit it's harder when I'm traveling. After five hours on I-80, I feel like a latte will bring me some small amount of joy and mix things up a bit. Today I'm back home, and happily enjoyed my two cups of Tazo Awake tea (YUM), and lattes aren't even on the radar. Still think the money would be better spent saving for a more secure financial future or bringing life-changing water and sanitation to the people of Malawi. So, I'm going to keep trying to quit. And so, I start over. I'm not planning to leave the house today, so I should be able to keep myself from buying a latte. (If they ever made a Latte Truck, like the Ice Cream truck, that came around the neighborhood, how much trouble would I be in.) (Speaking of which, wow! What a great idea! I could get rich off the Latte Truck! Nobody steal my idea, OK?)

Day 11: back on track

If someone would have handed me a latte today, I would have taken it gratefully, but I was determined not to buy one. Surprisingly, nobody ever did come up and offer me a latte.
Starting over--one day clean

Day Ten: the slippery slope

First, I bought the unsatisfying coffee. The next day, I bought $1.50 milks for my kids while shopping at Target. I resisted ordering something for myself. Then, we had just a little too much time before we needed to pick up the other kid...and I was really really tired...and Caribou was right on the way...well, pretty much.
It was a good vanilla latte. $3.79 well spent, I must say. I like Caribou. The people are always so cheerful.
I slid down the slippery slope, now I must claw my way back up again.

Day Nine: failed, sort of

Today was truly ONE OF THOSE DAYS. I decided if I was going to get through it, and also finally get motivated to clean my house, and also stay up late writing, then I would be needing some serious caffeine. However, I decided to go with a more thrifty drink rather than a latte. I got a vanilla Misto, which is supposed to be half coffee, half milk. I forgot to pick a size, so they charged me for a grande and gave me a tall. I'm not sure they made it right either, tasted like just a coffee.
Not very satisfying. This cost me about $2.65...next time I feel like I need coffee, I'll just get straight up coffee, and it will probably be from someplace less expensive.

Day Eight: that was a close one

Monday, I went to SuperTarget with my younger two kids while my oldest was at school. I was really dragging, and was strongly considering stopping by the in-store Starbucks or driving through another nearby Starbucks after our shopping trip. (There are so many Starbucks options.)
Fortunately, my kids didn't feel like shopping, my youngest refused to sit in the cart, and I gave up after picking up just two items. So, we went home. I made chai. (Even though the mix seems a bit expensive, it is still much cheaper to make Tazo chai lattes at home than to buy them at Starbucks.)

Day Seven: one week latte free

It's been a week. I figure I've saved somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 to 30 bucks. It really has not been a sacrifice. I feel good about it. Sometime here I might start a caffeine reduction plan, but that would require getting adequate sleep, something I've never mastered.

Day Six: not as easy

Saturday I was very tired. Ordinarily I DEFINITELY would have made a Starbucks run. Instead, I stayed home and made tea. Lots of tea.

Days Four and Five: still resisting

Wow, this is not turning out to be a very gripping story to follow. You would have thought I'd have slipped up by now. Luckily there's very little chance anybody is actually reading this.
Anyway, it hasn't even been a week yet, there's still time for failure. Meanwhile, I've got to say that knowing I'm going to blog about it has kept me from giving into the temptation. Boring detail: I spent $1.05 on a cup of tea today. Sure that is overpriced tea, but it's still only a buck, not five.

Day Three: easy

Not even tempted today. Having this blog helps. Could be a new form of therapy? I'll write a book and make millions off this concept.

Day Two: still strong

This second day was one of those where I would have automatically stopped by for a latte in the afternoon after taking my son to preschool. I had been up late the night before, and I was running errands with the other kids, so it would have been easy to drive through and get my caffeine fix. But, I held strong. I honestly haven't missed lattes, they were just a habit.
Good thing I'm not trying to give up caffeine. I tried that a couple of times, too painful. Also, pretty much impossible.
I believe in setting achievable goals.

Day One: so far, so good

I resisted the urge and held strong today, even while walking past several specialty-coffee vendors, even though I was tired (stayed up too late doing things such as: creating this blog!)
I drank the usual two cups of tea in the morning, but then I did get a late-afternoon headache. Didn't realize how often I've been hitting the drive-thru windows lately in the afternoon. Two cups of tea later, I'm doing fine.

Any other addicts out there?

If you're addicted to overpriced coffee drinks, share your thoughts!
Have you ever tried to quit?
Are you in denial?
Or does your daily latte bring you immeasurable joy?
Is it worth it?