Just Ask Jenna Looks at Morning Coffee Spending

by Jenna C, ’26

Dear Jenna, 

I am a mom of 3 teenage girls, who like to spend money on Starbucks refreshers before school. They use their own hard-earned money or their birthday money for these. How can I teach them that they’d be much wiser saving their money for their future rather than on expensive beverages?

From, 

A hopeful mom

Dear Hopeful Mom, 

What you are describing is a great example of short-term pleasure versus long-term cost. Buying Starbucks before school may feel rewarding in the moment, but those small purchases add up and come at the expense of what the money could accomplish later. Over time, the same dollars could make a difference toward a car, college, or other meaningful goals. 

This idea shows up in everyday life too. It is easy to focus on the immediate reward and lose sight of the value of waiting. This is connected to what economists call bounded willpower, which means that even when people understand the smarter choice, they still often go with what feels best in the moment. For example, we may know that exercising helps us reach our fitness goals, but we keep putting it off and saying we will start tomorrow. Choosing between eating out or saving for a bigger expense, or buying the latest item versus putting money aside for the future, all come back to the same idea: what matters now versus what matters most. 

The most helpful approach may be to frame coffee not as “bad,” but as one option among many. By asking themselves whether they are choosing a short-term reward over a long-term benefit, your daughters can begin to see saving as a deliberate choice that gives them more freedom and opportunity down the road. 

Good luck! 

Jenna

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