Coffee-That guilty pleasure by E.S.

COFFEE – THAT GUILTY PLEASURE!!

As I stand here making my morning pot of coffee, I reflect back on how coffee has become a barometer of where I am financially, at any given period of my life.

Having grown up in a family that was always struggling for money, I was well aware of the difference between a need and a want.  I may have wanted a new “fashionable” pair of boots, but what I needed was a pair of boots without holes in them.  What I got was my older sister’s last year’s boots, because as the oldest, she got the new pair.  It didn’t matter that the boots still fit her but were too small for me. The oldest got first and the rest got hand me downs.  I’m glad I wasn’t the youngest of 5, because other than Christmas and birthdays, I wouldn’t have known what “new” was.  The term most used in our home was “new to you”.

I digress, I was talking about coffee.  Well, it’s not something that I grew up with at home, but I had friends who were more “upper class” and it seemed to be something that was readily available, so even in my teen years I associated coffee with affluence.

So here’s how the barometer works:

“Faux Coffee” – Struggling from paycheque to paycheque I buy the cheapest coffee I can find and use just enough grounds to make it strong enough to have a hint of coffee.  I don’t throw the grounds out but reuse a second time – topping up the fresh grounds to give me that hint of coffee flavour.  I limit myself to one pot a day. The thought of buying a cup coffee at even the cheapest place, brings back memories of my childhood years of coveting a store bought cake for my birthday, not the home made ones my mother made.

“Fair Coffee” – Work is going well and there is a little disposable income.  I will still buy the cheapest coffee, but use more grounds so it actually tastes like coffee .  I don’t reuse the grounds, but I have a twinge of anxiety, wondering if next week I wished I’d reused them.  I might make a second pot, turn it off when it’s done and “nuke it” later.  I might buy a coffee at the cheapest place, but wonder if that $2.12 couldn’t have been better spent – like a loaf of bread.

“Fine Coffee” – I’m ahead of the game, work is good, I will buy the cheapest beans and grind them myself (makes me feel “urbane”) the mix it with a more expensive name brand.  No reusing grounds, I might even buy a coffee from a “specialty” cafe, remembering of course to bring my punch card, so that I can get a good coffee, even in the “faux coffee” reading.

“Full Flavour Coffee” – I don’t reach this reading often, although I try to spoil myself at Christmas. A gift to myself, top of the line beans ground at home NOT blended with anything else.  I don’t get anxious, at least not Christmas and Boxing day, somehow sanity returns after that and it’s back to my “special” blends.

“Speciality Flavoured Coffee” – In the past 5 years I have only reached this barometer reading two or three times.  I will buy one package of the best Irish Cream or French Vanilla beans.  The first couple of pots I don’t blend, but memories of “faux coffee” days creep in and old habits prevail.

One thing I’m consistent with, no matter what “flavour” my barometer reads– I NEVER THROW OUT COFFEE ONCE IT’S MADE.

So while coffee is my guilty pleasure it’ also a good way to find out how my finances are doing.  All you need to do is ask what my coffee barometer reading is today.

ES

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