Stepson coffee habit
Hi, my stepson is a great kid. He does help with dishes after dinner, and getting straight A's, several after school activities and has had a long term girlfriend for past 2 years. He's not what I would consider "spoiled", but somewhat oblivious about resources such as food, data on the cell phone, energy resources, drinks in the house. I'm sure this is a common problem, but he is your typical kid that eats you out of house and home. He is going off to college this fall. So, we recently got a Nespresso machine and he's taking quite a liking to it. He asked how much it was and said he really loved it. I told my husband and he said that it would make a nice graduation gift for him. Fair enough....But the kid goes through several pods a day. I do not want to be petty and restrict him in the house, but there has to be a way to have limits without making him feel what's mine is mine etc. For example, he would never ask me daily for $5 for daily Starbucks coffee....But he'd have no problem drinking $5+ a day of Nespresso coffee between he and his girlfriend and other beverages. (we tend to have individual sodas outside in the cooler from previous parties and he goes through those, although I tell him not to). I do buy bulk beverages, to avoid him going through 5 individual sodas a day. I just feel that for his future life, he's going to be in for a rude awakening when he feels entitled to fancy Nespresso coffee and he needs to replenish the pods himself. My husband says to let him figure it out when he's in college about budgeting for himself and if he goes through his supply in a week, his problem. We can get him the machine, but his coffee supply, he'll have to figure out on his own. But that doesn't solve my problem about now and how to get him to respect that things in the house costs money and it's not an all you can eat and drink buffet every day.
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I cannot imgaine
Sending a kid to college with a Nesprosso machine. Most dorms have limited electrical power, and limit appliances. Dont do it.
As to now, if he is going to college.
I don't limit what people eat in my house, but if it really bugs you, would suggest you seperate finances with DH
I agree, I tried to dissuade
I agree, I tried to dissuade the husband about it and framed it like well, you can't get nespresso pods at the local grocery...so it's just not practical, he's going to have to order online every time or go to a Nespresso store...that's not happening with a busy college schedule. It just goes against the grain of how my husband and I were raised and live our lives....we cook when we entertain, no catering. And we make our own coffee, not starbucks. Nespresso was a gift, so we are taking a liking to it...but hey I'm an adult and work very hard, so if I want to spend 70 cents for my coffee, so be it. I guess ultimately, he won't learn about budgeting until he has to with his own money....
Have you tried a French Press
Have you tried a French Press? These are my absolute favorite way of making coffee. They're under $20 at Walmart. No pods or filters, just put in the coffee, hot water and press.
Maybe *forget* to buy the wasteful expensive pods when you go shopping and GO GREEN with a Bodum or something similar.
I swear by a French press
I swear by a French press.
Anything by Nestle (parent company of Nespresso) is not allowed in my home.
Their corporate ethics is either non-existent or abhorrent.
That would drive me crazy,
That would drive me crazy, too. Cos I am cheap, cheap, cheap. Too cheap to have a Nespresso. Happy to drink it at hotels and conference venues or my SO's workplace when I'm there. So personally I'd pack away the nespresso until he leaves for college. Kids just don't get the value of money until they have to. And I wouldn't get him a nespresso - those all nighters will cost a crazy amount with all the coffee you drink.
BTW - at my work we subscribe to a super nice coffee service - we get packs of ground coffee every week and then we have a french press we make it in. I far prefer it to nespresso coffee. I'm in the UK, so I won't say the name, but I'm sure there's an equivalent service in the US. That would be a far more practical gift for college.
ETA... at home we have a filter coffee machine and we get out coffee from Lidl. It's fine.
Keep a pack of pods for
Keep a pack of pods for yourself so you have them when you want. When the "public" supply is gone, it's gone. One or two cups a day is reasonable for each person, unless you're the one footing the bill, then you get to drink as much as you want.
But consider how expensive this habit is for all of you. You could set a better example for him by going cheaper yourself. (And just about ANY drink option is better for the environment than what you're using!) When SS's gone, you can pull out the expensive gadget if it still means that much to you. Until then, you save a lot of money, you save the environment, and you might just break your own champagne coffee habit!
In the meantime, talk to him about the idea of getting him the gadget for graduation. Talk to him about the expense. Let him make an adult decision about the gadget because, he will be the one spending for the pods, and if he doesn't use it, it's wasted money. If he says he wants it and doesn't use it, it is indeed a lesson for him to learn. If you don't get it for him, you might break him of his champagne coffee habit, and wouldn't that be best?
Personally, I think you teach kids well to see a cup of coffee as something ephemeral and not something worth "investing in." When you buy a gadget, look at what it costs to use it. If it's as expensive as you say, why bust your budget? Teach SS to put money into things that last and won't end up in every yard sale across the country when the trend has passed.
Do they make reuable pods
Do they make reuable pods like a Keurig? Maybe he could just buy a bag of espresso every now and then?
Any specialty items or
Any specialty items or gourmet food choices are up to DH to provide or SDs to use whatever money they have to buy themselves (like that will EVER happen - LMAO). I help provide basics is all. I would not provide extra pods - maybe enough for ONE cup a day for him, but if he exceeds that and doesn't listen then "instant coffee lock box" would appear. Does he have an allowance?
I love my coffee... but have tou
Thought about buying some instant coffee like a nice midrange type one. Usually the colombian or costa rican ones taste delicious and just tell ss he is limited to 1 pod a day and then instant coffee. You may have to resort to hiding the pods under lock and key and leave 1 a day. When he comes to ask where the pods are tell him they’re expensive and someone keeps drinking heeps of them without consideration of others at home.
if he were contributing to buying it or groceries for example then i’d let it slide but seriously, when have you heard of a skid helping buying groceries for the family home? Yup pretty sure never