Like many people, I enjoy drinking a hot cup of coffee, even when it's scalding hot outside. There's nothing like hot coffee to wake you up. But buying a latte or a cappuccino every day, or 2-3 times a day, can end up costing you a lot of money. How can you save on this expense and what tech could you use?

1. Brewing Your Coffee at Home
This sounds pretty straightforward, but with a bit of foresight, you can brew excellent coffee at home. You can use your own coffee or espresso machine. If you haven't got one, then you can try a French press. Currently, I drink Blue Mountain coffee brewed in a coffee siphon. It's fun to use, makes good coffee, and tastes better than coffee that I can buy in coffee shops. I take a 500 ml Camelbak bottle with me to work, but you could use any type of travel mug that won't spill your java.

2. Use the Free Coffee At Work
Most workplaces have a semi-decent coffee machine, that's either cheap to use or free. One of the places I regularly go to upgraded all of their coffee machines to these fancy European models, which dispensed a good espresso. Needless to say that I partake a few during the day when I'm there.

3. Make It A Treat Instead of Part of Your Routine
In August, I drank a lot of coffee because I was working a lot. It became a habit to stop at a coffee shop on my way to work to get juiced up. This month, instead of stopping every day, I'll go to the coffee shop no more than 1-3 times a week. That cuts down on the Latte Factor somewhat. Naturally, I do brew my own coffee at home, so this is sort of a treat, something that I'd get on a Sunday so that I can fully appreciate the taste.

4. Use Local Coffee Shops
If you're taken to expensive coffee from big name chain stores like Starbucks, take a break from them and try your local coffee brewery. I'll bet that their coffee is better than Starbucks, and probably a lot cheaper. The taste of coffee is watered down with too many additives. Even too much milk can spoil the overall taste. Try different sorts of espressos and brews without all of the Starbucks extras.

5. Skip It For A While
If you're drinking a lot of coffee from coffee shops, you should try going without it for a while. You'll notice a difference in your wallet, that much is pretty obvious. You'll also notice that you're less jittery. I find that if I drink more than 2 cups a day, I'm pushing it. I tend to drink at least one, but no more than 2 a day to keep me sane.

[images via Manvsdebt, Robyn Gallagher, MSNBC, Financially Flawed]

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