DIY Cafe Latte

I have a little bit of a coffee problem.  Okay.  Maybe that's not entirely true.  I have a really BIG coffee problem.  I love lattes.  All of them.  I don't really care the flavor,  I love them all.  Problem being, no matter where I go to buy them pre-made, they come with a hefty price tag.  A grande will run you around $5 a piece, give or take a few.  If I get one once a day, that really adds up.  (I don't get them that often, but you get the point).  

As a family trying to stick to a budget, this just isn't feasible.  It is a luxury that I have had to take a second look at.  I try to limit my stops now to twice a month, on Sundays, before church.   What do I do in the meantime you ask?  I have found a FABULOUS machine that is worth its weight in GOLD that makes them for me simply and quickly.  This is my baby:

You can purchase this lovely latte machine at amazon among other places.  I suggest amazon but only when its half off, which really does happen quite frequently. 

Now, minus the price of this machine each latte runs me under $1 each!  That's more than 5 for the price of one.  The ingredients couldn't be simpler; milk (duh), the brewed coffee, and some of those lovely flavored syrups you find in the coffee aisle.  Or, you can make your own syrups.  Just scour pinterest for a bazillion different recipes.  I can't tell you how grateful I am to own this little beauty.  Money aside, it also saves me trips out of the house to get my latte fix.  If you are looking for a coffeehouse alternative, this is truly the route to go.  

Don't like coffee?  You can make frothy hot chocolate too.  Just think of the possibilities!

****I have been in no way compensated for this post.  Not even with a cup of coffee.  The opinions expressed are solely my own****

Organization = Savings

A bell went off in my head this week as I was purging/organzing my closets.  I waste sooo much money!  And it isn't intentional.  First of all, there are items we have that we end up buying duplicates of because we either forgot we had said item or couldn't find it when we needed it.  Why does this happen?  Clutter, lack of true organization, laziness, or any combination of the three plus more.  I admit that I have fallen into all three categories at different stages.  And each one has cost me dearly.  I have even rationalized purchases saying that if I dont get alot of use out of it, I can always give it to someone who can.  While charity giving is a noble thing to do, is that really a good reason to purchase something?

WASTE! WASTE! WASTE!  As I filled bag after bag of items to take to goodwill I started throwing numbers out there and my heart about sunk.  All that money that could've gone to better use, that could've been saved for a nice vacation, or an IRA or kids college funds.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.  The lightbulb has most definately gone off in this woman's head and I am determined to be actively involved and mindful of all future purchases.  I'm also not going to let my DISorganization get sooo out of control that it costs me more and more money to maintain.  Lesson Learned.