Average American Spends HOW MUCH on Coffee?!

With people struggling to make ends meet during these consistently difficult financial times, penny-pinching strategies are flooding our social conscious.

Many are changing their lives to save a few extra bucks each day. Whether it be alternative ways of getting to work to spending time couponing, Americans are cutting costs wherever they can. But what do a strong majority of Americans spend a healthy portion of their money on, with one simple daily habit? Coffee.

According to Accounting Principals' latest Workonomix survey, the average American worker is dishing out more than $20 a week on the steamy java jolt. This may not sound too outrageous when looking at benefit that coffee brings to the already over-worked American, but after some more calculations, it is more obvious.

The average American –the one working so hard to save those extra few dollars per month with frozen foods or buying more gas-efficient cars– is actually spending $1,092 a year on coffee alone! That is nearly just as much as we're paying for our gasoline on a yearly average!

Commuting costs for the average worker comes out to about $1,476 a year, so for all of the complaining about the rising gasoline prices, it looks like we might be needing to put the blame on our local barista... or ourselves!

And now recently being reported, the cost of the "basic goods basket," which we need to survive off of basic necessities, has risen by nearly 50% this decade. Coffee falls within this basket, so while we spend thousands of dollars on this human fuel, we continue to pay more each year for it, just like our car's fuel!

So who is to blame for this? Do you fall into this category of coffee over-consumer?

From the Consumerist:

The younger whippersnappers (ages 18-34) in the office are paying almost about $10 more per week on coffee than their 45-and-older counterparts ($24.74 vs. $14.15, respectively).

But there are some ways to limit your coffee intake. Purist may say to just simply stop drinking coffee all together, but we know that cutting that sweet energy engager is no easy task.

So what can you do to cut down on your daily costs on coffee?

- Start making your coffee at home and bringing with you on your commute to work. This technique has been picked up by many people due to the coffee craze sweeping the nation leading to longer lines at your local coffee-shop. Also due to the coffee demand, prices continue to rise.

- If you must drink your coffee away from home, try to find a more local spot rather than your Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, or Seattle's Bests. Typically the local joints will have fewer lines with cheaper prices.

- Try to convince your employer of getting a coffee machine or Keurig machine. Having to only buy K-Cups is much cheaper and convenient than brewing yourself. Also recommended high-end machines, like the Jura-Capresso machine, which may not be something you personally purchase, but if your employer can write it off to ensure happy employees with some of the best coffee imaginable, than it's a fight worth having.

- Do it the old fashioned way! Grab a mug, a pack of filters, some ground coffee, add hot water and let the singular drip action bring you the coffee you want for a fraction of the cost. 

- Treat yourself less frequently. We know that the your “Venti decaf caramel frappe choco-latte with white mocha no foam” order sounds fun to say and makes you happy with how it tastes, but it also is ripping a hole in your wallet. Spoil yourself with this maybe once a week rather than daily. You'll be saving yourself a lot of money and avoiding the typical barista glares.

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