STARBUCKS STARTED SAVING ME $ FOR ONCE

I read this article in Time last week. It's about the changes that founder of starbucks is instituting to get his company out of a financial slump. Here's what's in the mix:

• They are replacing all their espresso machines with ones that are lower so you can have eye contact with the baristas again.
• You may have noticed all their chalk boards have the same sign on them as of late- either we make your drink perfect, everytime, or we'll make it again.
  
• They are returning to grinding coffee in their stores so it smells like a coffee shop and so stuff is "fresh". I noticed a sign that says they are brewing coffee every 30 minutes now.
• Evidently smell is a big deal cuz they are also getting rid of those ovens they just put in to warm your breakfast sandwich... which is also going to go bye bye cuz they say they smell like a McDonalds.
  

And today, I just found got a pamphlet telling me that if I pay with a starbucks card that I have registered with starbucks so they can track my purchases and spy on me like a big market mogul, they will give me a free refill on my drip coffee, free syrup or milk changes on my espresso drinks, and a free drink if I buy a pound of coffee from them. So, I guess they can be big brother if everytime I buy my Hazelnut Americano- they are going to knock 40 cents off the price. 30 for the hazelnut and 10 because I bring in my own mug to honor God and waste less paper.

(Which by the way is my advice to starbucks.) Why don't you have recycle cans for the cups? You serve like 2 million cups a day and all your paper cups and sleeves are 100% recyclable. I'm sure it's cuz it costs money to save trees and cuz people are stupid and will throw all kinds of trash in there too, but there's gotta be a way to recycle all that paper, even if most of the cups are leaving the store, some stay and drink them.

There you have it. Starbucks saves me money.

Now what can I do to help my local coffee shop that I frequent more often to hook a brother up and save me some money. I have to pay to park on the street in front of them (a buck an hour) and then they don't give me a cup discount and they charge me for syrup. Oh the expense I go to for some local love. :)