Some personal finance concepts will live on forever. Pay Yourself First is one of them. Debt Snowball is another one. And of course from uncle Dave Ramsey himself, “Live like no one else so you can live like no one else.”
But the one I want to talk about today is the Latte Factor. It’s a term that has been in the personal finance lexicon for over a decade now, but it is still somehow a polarizing subject.
David Bach first officially introduced the Latte Factor in his book The Automatic Millionaire. This was actually the first personal finance book I ever read and sparked my interest in the subject. A really good book for people at any stage in their finances.
In the book he talked about the ability to give up spending money on something and redirecting that money into savings. The example he gave was of giving up your daily latte. Thus, the Latte Factor.
The numbers are actually pretty amazing. Say you spend $4 every day on a delicious latte. (I worked at Starbucks for years so I know there are many people who do this.) Now instead of spending $4 every day on a drink, take that money and put it into an investment account.
Here’s what happens. If you put that daily $4 into a retirement account that gives you a modest 6% return, you will have $1,547.60 in one year. Not bad at all!
But if you keep doing it, the numbers get crazy. After 5 years, you’ll have $8,723.97. 10 years? $20,398.60. How about we jump to 40 years? How about you have $239,509.62! Just from giving up your little $4 addiction, you can rack up thousands of dollars pretty fast.
So why do so many people have a problem with the Latte Factor?
Overly Sensitive Coffee Lovers
Like I mentioned before, I worked at Starbucks during high school and college. It was at a new store in the mall and from the day it opened, it was packed every day. To say Americans are addicted to coffee is an understatement.
I would see the same people come in day after day for an expensive coffee and a pastry. This would easily be $7 a day. And this was 15 years ago. Starbucks is more expensive and this country is more addicted to sugary coffee and snacks.
So there certainly is a large part of the population that spends close to $10 a day at expensive coffee houses. (By the way, a daily $10 habit can turn into almost $600,000 after 40 years at a 6% growth rate).
And after reading criticisms about the Latte Factor, most people just seem to be mad at the idea of taking away their lattes. They say if you enjoy your lattes and they make you happy, keep them! Don’t let some cold financial guru tell you to stop your habit.
These people are not looking at the big picture. It’s not just lattes that are a candidate for the chopping block (which they should be since most lattes have unholy amounts of sugar). It’s anything you buy that isn’t essential and doesn’t bring you happiness.
Let’s make a list: cigarettes, alcohol, donuts, expensive cell phone plans, expensive car loans, fancy groceries, fancy shaving cream, movie theater food, airplane food, soda, bank fees, non-library books, barely used gym memberships, and so on.
Long enough list for you? Most people have many little expenses like this. Imagine cutting just half of them out and putting it towards your investment plan? I hate the saying, but you’d definitely be living your best life!
Conclusion
If drinking an over-caffeinated beverage spiked with sugar every day really makes you happy, don’t let David Bach or anyone else say you can’t have it. Just realize that you love lattes and high blood sugar more than money and continue to feed the addiction.
But try to look outside yourself and find out what non essential expenses you can cut or minimize. Once you can do this, funnel that savings right into your investment accounts and watch your wealth grow year after year with the additional latte flavored rocket fuel.
And with today’s technology, it’s easier than ever. When you pass by the coffee shop and have the urge to scarf down that overpriced scone, just pull out your smartphone.
Simply sign into your investment account, transfer that $5 from your checking account, and walk away with a smile knowing you are fueling your wealth and some billionaire CEO.
I may be able to credit my slightly early retirement to the fact that my small city/town had no Starbucks, or any other drive through coffee shop. You can’t find avocado toast here either. Hardly any decent restaurants, it’s like heaven for an aggressive saver, nearly zero temptation!
That’s a nice little perk of living in a small town. Unfortunately for those who live near big cities, these temptations are everywhere!
I love coffee, but I hate overpriced coffee. I’ll drop by a Starbucks once or twice a year (usually PSL season) and that’ll be my fill.
There are so many cheaper ways to have coffee without stepping into starbucks. The fact that their stores are everywhere and it still is kind of a status symbol keeps customers streaming in. The thought of spending hundreds of dollars every month for coffee boggles my mind.