Bigger Bag Please

About a year ago, I needed to cut down some expenses to help pay for a pricey car repair bill. One step I took was successfully converting from an 'eat-out' lunch guy, to a 'bring lunch from home' guy. I saved a ton of money that way, and continued to bring lunch from home after the repair was paid off.

Although I don't have a car repair bill staring me in the face today, it feels good to make a change and see the direct impact on the 'ol bank account. With that in mind, I recently looked at how much I spend on coffee and decided to do some research on ways to cut that down. I live a few hundred yards from an outstanding coffee joint that roasts their own beans - and they do an outstanding job. Most coffees I buy there are about $15 for a 12 oz. bag - which is the going rate for a bag of good coffee beans. I go through 4 or 5 bags a month, and at 15 bucks a pop that adds up quickly.

The first decision I made was to move from the very popular 12 oz. bags to a 2 lb. bag. I keep coffee inside a dark cupboard in ball jars - so keeping a larger amount of coffee fresh is not an issue. However, finding great coffee *I like* in a 2 lb. bag proved to be more of a challenge.
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SIDE NOTE: If you're thinking you don't have ball jars or cabinet space and you'll just keep your big bag in the freezer, please search for my blog on why this is a bad-for-your-coffee idea, and do not store your coffee in the freezer
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Costco has a variety of coffees in 2 lb. bags, but most of them tend to be very dark roast coffees. Lots of people love dark roast coffees, and I certainly appreciate it from time to time. However, generally I prefer lighter roasts. Dark coffee flavor offers predominantly roasty flavors, which overpowers the unique flavors of specific origins - and I love those flavors. So Costco wasn't the solution for me.

I then moved my focus to Amazon. Since Amazon bought Whole Foods, they now have more to offer than ever in the way of coffee. I decided to give a bag of one of their house labeled "Amazon Fresh" coffees a try. I chose the, "Just Bright" light roast blend, which the label tells me is roasted in Seattle. Overall - it's excellent. I don't taste any kind of specific flavor note that makes it stand out, it's more of a mainstream blend - but it makes a delicious cup of coffee. I will definitely order it again. I paid $15.49 on Prime, so there was no shipping charge, and that's getting 32 oz. for roughly what I pay for 12 oz. down the street.

Pleased with the success of my new coffee source, I decided to keep trudging the road to happy coffee destiny, and try out a single origin coffee. Amazon also carries coffees from Fresh Roasted Coffee, LLC. - which is an operation out of Pennsylvania. I ordered a 2 lb. bag of Ethiopian Sidamo, which was $21.95 on Prime. Ethiopian coffees are among my favorites, and naturally have fruit-like flavor notes. I have found this flavor profile is typically more pronounced in Yirgacheffe varieties than in Sidamo. This Sidamo is no different - it has great natural origin flavors in a nice, even light roast. I'm very pleased with it, and will order again. That said, another of my favorites is Tanzanian Peaberry, and I see that Amazon carries that variety from the same roaster. I have a feeling that's next.

I still intend to support my local roasters, and can't imagine traveling without hunting for a good bag of beans to bring home. However, I have successfully cut my regular daily coffee expenses in half...and that feels pretty damn good.

Teriyaki Sauce

I like grilling stuff. Yes, yes…I’m aware the experts say burgers and steaks are best cooked in a hot cast iron skillet in their own fat. I’m not saying they’re wrong - I cook that way sometimes, too. However, there’s something about the little charred bits and the smoky flavors that makes grilled things rock. 

I like to marinade before grilling. Marinating imparts wonderful flavors into your food, tenderizes, and helps keep foods juicy.   

Real interest in preparing food (and being good at it) hit me when I was in high school.  One of my best friends back then was a guy named Joe, and we’re still the closest of friends today.  Back in nineteen-eighty-something, Joe’s mom shared her teriyaki recipe with me. Frankly, it kicks ass. 

It’s awesome by itself, but I have also used this recipe as a basis for a thousand variations…the possibilities are pretty much limitless. I’ve made it spicy with some sriracha or gochujang, or sweeter with Hoisin or pineapple juice. I’ve also added orange juice and Jamaican jerk seasoning blend. 

Here’s the foundation recipe:

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1 large clove of garlic - minced or pressed

1 TBS ginger

1 TBS sugar

2 TBS cider vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup white wine

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Now, I’m sure there’s a purist or two out there who’ll say, “Hey man, that’s not a true teriyaki sauce.”  To those people, I say - fine.  Rename the recipe to a name of your choosing, and call it your own...but try it!  It's tasty!

Back in nineteen-eighty-something I didn’t care about sugar, but if you watch sugar these days like I do, please know this works great with splenda instead. Also, if I have plenty of marinating time - I like to use fresh ginger instead of dry. Most times, I add some black pepper, too.

Chicken and beef both get very happy bathing in this concoction. I have also used it on venison, shrimp, tuna, and vegetables. Have fun with it!

Tip Jar Gambling

Tip jars at the cash register are commonplace these days, and so are pre-calculated tip options when you pay with plastic. 

When this first became a thing, I felt like I was being coerced into tipping for services for which one doesn’t normally tip. However, I eventually relaxed that opinion, and began to tip a buck for coffee and such. 

Today - the reality of why all this bothered me reared it’s ugly head.

I ordered my lunch at a place where they give you one of those order numbers on a stick. You put it on your table, and then a food runner brings your order when it’s ready. It’s also a place where pre-calculated tip amounts pop up on the screen when you pay with plastic. I tipped the 15% option - which I felt is more than adequate for a food runner. 

When they hand you a fountain soda in this joint, they tell you to step back up to that spot at the counter is you want a refill. My favorite menu item in this particular joint is pretty spicy, so cold beverage is key. My cup ran dry, and I stepped back up to the counter for a refill. 

As I stood at the counter waiting for a refill, no less than 5 employees made eye contact with me over the course of several minutes. Not one offered to help me. 

So - herein lies the problem. When you tip up front, you tip before you know whether or not the service warrants a good tip. It’s a total gamble, and today I lost.

#firstworldproblem 

Later, Starbucks

Ahhhh….Starbucks.

You sold me my first cup of Starbucks coffee at your Willow Lawn Mall store in Richmond, VA…around 1996 or 97 when there were only about 1,000 stores.  Before that day, my coffee purchases were not unlike the way I buy sugar: whatever’s cheap, in bulk, and on sale.  But my first cup of the bucks transformed my relationship with coffee from one purely of utilitarian purpose into that of coffee enthusiast. The Willow Lawn store wasn’t in the path of my daily travels - but it was the only Starbucks in town back then, and soon I went out of my way to go there to get a cup of the hallowed Starbucks joe.

If you have a description of your model loyal customer, it’s likely close to describing the way I was (until recently).  You’ve sold me swag like coasters and tumblers.  You’ve sold me beans.  You’ve sold me coffee, espresso, latte, iced tea, and snacks. A number of your baristas got to know me by name, and I’ve taught many of them how to make a proper cortado. For years I’ve been “checking in” at your stores via different social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook – which, of course, is great for your brand awareness.

When I first heard about the Gold Card rewards program, I joined immediately.  My card is dated 2011.  It made me feel like Starbucks really appreciated my business. I felt like I spent a fair amount of my money in your stores, and the program felt like SBX saying, “thanks”.  I loved earning a free drink, and getting a freebie on my birthday.  I was initially nervous about putting the Starbucks app on my phone and using it to pay – but I eventually did, and found it to be quite convenient.

Your first major offense was the Single Origin Ethiopian.  Coffees from that part of the world, and specifically from that country, are some of my favorites.  Ethiopian coffees often have natural flavor notes of citrus and berries. However, all of that can be overwritten if you over-roast…which you did.

Then you changed the rewards program, and I became soured.  It became more complicated – with some drinks worth more points than others, and stars that expire.  I don’t want my rewards program to be complicated – I’ve got too much other complicated stuff in life occupying my limited bandwidth.  

Consequently, the frequency of my visits to your stores tapered off.  Then there was that day you sent me an email stating I’ve been demoted to Green level from Gold…which for some reason soured me even more.

The majority of people probably didn’t react like me when you changed the program, and successful sales organizations know – you have to play the percentages. Now with over 25,000 stores - the numbers certainly are in your favor, making my business insignificant.  I get that. However, while you’re playing to the percentages – if I’m irked by the changes, there’s a solid chance I’m not alone.

I used to go out of my way to get coffee from you.  Now I go out of my way to get coffee from local independent roasters instead. The metro Atlanta area has some great ones…Rev, Octane, Dancing Goats, and the mighty Cool Beans.

So I’m going to say thanks – it’s been a good run.  I’m not going to need my Gold card anymore.  I know being demoted in rewards program status doesn’t require I send my gold card back, but I’m not interested in giving you real estate in my wallet any longer.  

Ciao.