Vanilla lattes have always been my go-to drink at Starbucks.
I don't really like the taste of coffee, so a vanilla latte was as close as I could get to looking like a regular adult when I went out to grab coffee with people.
But I haven't indulged in a vanilla latte in weeks.
Why?
Because the last time I went to Starbucks with my boyfriend, I watched him order a shot of espresso in a grande cup with ice. After he was handed his drink, he filled the rest of the cup with soy milk. He spent around $2 with tax.
In response to my intrigue, he let me try a sip. It was really good. It tasted like soy milk with a touch of espresso flavor, perfect for my aversion to the taste of caffeine. It didn't have the somewhat-fake tasting vanilla syrup that comes with a vanilla latte.
But the best part? It was less than half the price of a vanilla latte.
Here's the approximate price breakdown:
Grande iced vanilla latte: $4.15 (about $4.84 with tax)
Shot of espresso over ice: $1.95 (about $2.12 with tax)
Granted, a grande iced vanilla latte has two shots of espresso in it, not one. So if you're looking for the same amount of coffee, order two shots of espresso over ice. That'll be around $2.85 after tax, which is still saving you $2.
Not to mention, this hack is also saving you calories and a fair amount of sugar.
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