4 Ways to Earn Free Starbucks
I. Love. Mochas. I even named my personal blog after that chocolate-and-espresso gift from the heavens. I would imagine mochas account for 15% of my monthly budget; this is probably frowned-upon by Those Who Budget Well. But something about working in a bustling coffee shop with a mocha in hand makes me exponentially more productive and creative, so I feel like my coffee shop visits are vital to my artistic integrity. This, of course, includes trips to Starbucks.
But, as I’m sure most of you can relate, my budget has been openly shaming my excessive coffee spending habits. But I bring tidings of joy to you Starbucks-lovers-on-a-budget: there are ways to earn free Starbucks.
1. Earn rebates for your everyday purchases.
Ibotta is a rebate app that allows you to earn money for your retail purchases. Think of it as a reverse coupon: you buy a product (say, carrots) from a retailer (say, Kroger) that’s included in the app, and you send in your receipt to “unlock” the rebate (of say, 25 cents). You then receive a confirmation from Ibotta, and that money is credited to your account. Once you reach a $20 minimum, you can then redeem your money for cash or giftcards, Starbucks included. A FREE Starbucks giftcard, yours for the taking, all for shopping as you normally would. COUNT ME IN.
Use my referral code to earn an easy $10 welcome bonus when you redeem your first receipt 14 days after joining.
2. Take online surveys.
e-Rewards is an online survey site where—you guessed it!—you earn points for taking marketing surveys. Once you reach a minimum threshold of points, you can redeem those for things like airline miles (self-promotional side-note: I wrote a post about ways to earn airline miles) and giftcards, including the coveted Starbucks giftcard. An e-Rewards app is also available, allowing you to utilize those hours of listlessly staring at your phone for something productive instead. HEY-OOOOHHH—free coffee just for taking some surveys!
3. Celebrate your birthday with a free drink.
I like to imagine that the entire world population already knows this exists, but just in case: you can get a free Starbucks beverage on your birthday. And if you’re blessed with a similar experience as me, you will have an honorable barista remind you that the drink is FREE so why in the world are you just ordering a tall? (Thank you, Hollywood Starbucks Barista Man, I will have a grande mocha instead.) Simply sign up for their rewards program and enjoy a free beverage as you celebrate your day of birth. Just don’t be like my roommate who signed up on her actual birthday and was not granted a free birthday beverage. Lesson learned: register before your birthday.
4. Exchange your coins.
Okay, so maybe this last one isn’t technically free… But what happens to all those loose coins anyways? They sit unloved in your wallet or get lost in the dryer or at the bottom of your purse or in your car’s cupholder. Utilize your untapped coin resources for coffee instead, and I don’t mean by purchasing your coffee with all coins (confession: I have done this before, but times were tough, so it’s justified). Through a Coinstar kiosk located in many major retail chains like Kroger and Walmart, you can exchange your cents for a Starbucks giftcard instead. Find a Coinstar kiosk here.
Shop as you usually would, take some surveys in your downtime, sign up for Starbucks rewards program, and gather up your coins in the name of all thing that is good (aka free Starbucks).
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Last May I graduated college with a student loan balance of $29,000. Being an individual who was always mindful of my spending, this number was daunting. I had never even left a balance on my credit card.
Yet, I could still find relief in knowing that I was below the national average. 2017 graduates average nearly $40,000 in student loan debt. The United States altogether holds $1.48 Trillion in student loan debt. Talk about monstrous. And honestly, I don’t see it declining in the near future.
Even though $29,000 seemed immense, I knew that if I made smart decisions and planned accordingly I could make it work. Fast forward to June of 2018 and I’m officially free of student loan debt.
With graduates taking on increasingly more debt each year, I thought I’d share my story.