You Spent THAT Much on Coffee?!
My city (Chicago) moved into Phase 3, during the first week of June.
That means retail businesses can reopen. Bars and restaurants with outdoor seating can serve patrons. Health and fitness clubs can provide 1:1 training and group classes, outdoors. Even the lakefront trail has reopened.
Included in Phase 3 is the reopening of my favorite coffee shop.
On the day it reopened,I walked out of that coffee shop with an Americano and two chocolate chip tahini sea salt cookies.
Total: $15.50
Add a $3 tip, and the final amount paid was $18.50
Now here is the part where someone would scream,“You spent THAT much on coffee?! Are you crazy?!”
“That’s such a waste of money!!”
“You can invest that money in the stock market and retire a millionaire in 20 years!”
“You should have bought a book that would change your life!”
“That’s why you don’t have any money! You waste it on stuff like that!”
It’s okay if you judged me similarly.
Those statements are not at all wrong.
...but they are not right, either.
Here’s another perspective.
I didn’t just receive a cup of coffee and 2 cookies.
I received so much more.
For starters, I experienced so much joy and gratitude seeing people sitting outdoors in the coffee shop patio, socializing, reading, and just being, despite the 6 feet distance restrictions.
Inside the coffee shop, the smell of barrel-aged coffee beans and the sight of delicious pastries nearly brought happy tears to my eyes.
Third, having in-person yet socially distanced conversations with the shop owner and strangers was the best thing ever!
And as a bonus, I happily supported a small business.
As a friendly reminder, you and I are small businesses!
Let me add this: I have made plenty of money by going to coffee shops. Before COVID-19, my $10 to $20 "frivolous" expenses here and there gifted me quite a few clients that paid me $3,500 or more. The best part was (and still is) I had no intention of gaining a client. I was simply going for a cup of coffee! Sometimes being seen at a place over and over again does wonders to build that know-like-trust factor.
Last weekend, when I reviewed my finances and saw $18.50 from Hexe Coffee (the coffee shop), I didn’t guilt and shame myself with statements like, “Coffee is a frivolous expense.” or "I really need to stop wasting money on that stuff."
Instead, I remembered the priceless experiences, I just described to you, and realized that $18.50 for everything I received and more was a steal.
In closing, how you spend and earn your money is YOUR business.
You do not need to justify the use of your coins to anyone.
The next time you review your finances, and you see what others deem to be a frivolous expense, appreciate the fact that you CAN spend during this pandemic.
Stay committed to your values, not someone else’s.
Cheers to your prosperity!
