Assumptions

I started a new (temporary) job last week and made the decision very quickly that I was going to allow myself one store bought coffee per day for two reasons:

1) I need to be at the office for 8:30, but do not have keys. My colleagues are not always punctual. Rather than get annoyed, I give them till 8:40 then I go down to the Starbucks two blocks away. My Starbucks cup serves as evidence, when I waltz in the door after them, that I was in at 8:30;

but more commonly

2) The office is tiny and does not have any lounge space. If I want a break, I need to leave the office. The only obvious place in the immediate vicinity to sit down and read the paper for fifteen minutes is the Starbucks.

Where do assumptions come in?

There is a convenience store in our building that sells coffee and the next nearest place is the Starbucks. My colleagues always go to the convenience store and gasp when they see my Starbucks cup. My boss finally commented on the fact saying "The coffee downstairs is okay and a lot cheaper than Starbucks." She was surprised by my answer. A cup of truly disgusting coffee from that convenience store in a size equivalent to a 'tall' size of Starbucks brewed coffee is 1.79. That tall size of Starbucks brewed coffee will set you back... 1.72$. Go for a 'short' and you're at 1.52$.

Starbucks gets a bad rap for having expensive drinks. Yes, the fancy drinks are very expensive (I once paid 6$ for most 2nd most amazing latté of my life (my mother makes the best!)!), but the price of brewed coffee is extremely comparable to what you'd get at a coffee bar in a convenience store and Tim Hortons... and tastes MUCH better. Amusingly enough, I remember the days when I couldn't appreciate Starbucks coffee, finding it too strong for my taste. Then, I started to drink it with two inches of milk in it and four packets of sugar. Now, I don't put sugar in my coffee ever (something that shocks me!) and I never ask Starbucks to leave me a couple of inches of space for milk, ergo practically drinking their coffee black. And I now get their dark roast.

I'll be working at this new job about 75 days which comes out to 130$ for coffee, which was earned my first day on the job. So, to those who make snarky comments about the kerchief sporting gal's ridiculous 'latté factor', check your assumptions. :)