The True Value of a Starbucks Refill

Screen Shot 2013-05-17 at 2.29.17 PMI’m addicted to coffee. I’m specifically addicted to Starbucks coffee. I love it all: caramel macchiatos, mocha frappuccinos, even the new Starbucks bottled ice coffee (it’s inexpensive and amazing!). Because your caffeine fix could either cost you a ton of money or save you a ton of money, depending on how much coffee couponing savvy you’ve acquired, it’s worth it to investigate all the ways your smart phone can save you money on one of what I consider life’s essentials. Just in case you haven’t read my recent posts on how to save a ton of money with SnipSnap and other simple strategies at Starbucks, here is a quick recap:

SnipSnap Your Treat Receipts

Download the Starbucks App and Register a Card with My Starbucks Rewards

Purchase Starbucks Discount Gift Cards

SnipSnap Drugstore Deals on Bottled Starbucks Coffee

Attend Frappuccino Happy Hour

SnipSnap Starbucks Dollars off/BOGO Food and Drink Coupons

Today, I’m talking about Starbucks’ free refills. If you’ve registered a card with My Starbucks Rewards and use it to purchase your beverages, you’ll earn a star for every drink you purchase (limit one star per transaction). Once you earn a certain amount of stars, you’ll earn green status, and then gold. Once you’ve reached green status, you’ll earn a free refill of lower-cost Starbucks beverages (iced tea, iced coffee, and hot brewed coffee) after after every drink you enjoy (in-store; if you leave, you can’t come back and get your refill). Previously, the language of the Starbucks refill policy was very vague and it was believed A) you could only receive a refill if you originally ordered a tea/brewed coffee beverage and B) you had to have originally ordered a tea/brewed coffee beverage to qualify for a refill of the same beverage you originally ordered. However, this is not true! I read this fabulous post by Melody from StarbucksMelody today, which points out that Starbucks has recently cleared up its refill policy and the language is now crystal clear:
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This means that you qualify for a coffee/tea refill no matter what drink you originally purchase and enjoy in-store. Want some passion tea after your frappuccino? Go for it. Want some brewed coffee after your passion tea? Go for that too.

I’m pretty stoked about this news and I’ve already tried it out (it’s not hard for me to earn Starbucks refills because I can work at just about any Starbucks location for hours on end). So, next time you buy any coffee treat at Starbucks for a work/study date, friend date, or date date, make sure you leave with something delicious to take home.

 

 


$1 off Any Size Coolatta: This Week’s Hot Dunkin Donut Deals

Happy Monday! I don’t know about you, but as soon as the week resets, the only thing I can think about is coffee. Because Screen Shot 2013-05-13 at 1.41.21 PMI’m a writer, I drink a lot of the stuff. The stuff can get expensive. Before I learned how to coupon my coffee (and at the height of my frappucino addiction a few summers ago), I could easily spend $10 on coffee a day. Which is, clearly, insane.

A little while back, I blogged about how saving on life’s little expenses can really add up. I figure out that if I simply used Screen Shot 2013-04-25 at 4.58.45 PMSnipSnap to save on my daily caffeine fix, I could save enough to actually go on a cruise vacation by the end of the year. I use SnipSnapped store coupons to save on coffee almost everywhere I go, from Starbucks, to Walgreens, to (of course) Dunkin Donuts. And it’s not just coffee I save on with SnipSnapped coupons; it’s breakfast sandwiches, donuts, and bagels too.

 

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The only thing I love more than coffee is coffee acquired with coupons!

 

What’s hot in mobile coffee coupons this Monday? Last weekend, After the Broad Street Run, I got a taste of a free Dunkin Donuts Coolatta sample at the finish line. And now I’m hooked. So, you can imagine how happy I was to discover this $1 off any size Coolatta coupon in the SnipSnap app:

 

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This Coolatta coupon expires 5/31, so get it while it’s hot!

You also have only one day left to use this Starbucks coupon for $1 off any breakfast sandwich or wrap:

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Want some totally free, extra pep in your step today? SnipSnap this Dunkin Donuts coupon for a free Turbo espresso shot addition to any hot or iced coffee. (Come, on; it’s Monday. You know you want to.)

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I can save about $500 dollars a year, simply by snipping before sipping. How much can you save? More importantly, what are you going to do with all that extra money lying around in your wallet?


Starbucks Frappuccino Happy Hour + This Weekend’s Mobile Coffee Coupons

Half-price frappucinos? Yes! For the next 12 days, Starbucks locations are offering half-price frappucinos (no purchase or coupon necessary) from 3-5 pm. If you ask me, this is the perfect time of the day for a frappucino. What’s even better? Starbucks just introduced two new frappucino flavors: mocha cookie crumble and caramel ribbon crunch.

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There are four kinds of caramel in the caramel ribbon crunch frappucino!

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Want some more cheap, delicious coffee? Right now, you can score my absolute favorite new coffee drink (the magnificent, new, bottled Starbucks iced coffee) for free when you purchase a four pack of bottled frappucino at Target. (Obviously, I got a little carried away with coffee shopping at Target yesterday. Sue me!)

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There are also tons of great coffee coupons in the SnipSnap app! Check out some of my favorites from my coffee coupon bundle:

FREE Travel Coffee Mug at Dunkin Donuts:

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FREE Barista Box of Coffee with Catering Purchase at Manhattan Bagel:

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12 oz. Bag of Morning Rush Coffee for $5.49 at Walgreens:

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Which new frappucino flavor are you going to try first?