Friday morning, eight am. First in line, as I am every year, to receive a Starbucks eggnog latte and go skipping off into the day ahead, hyped up on caffeine, sugar and festive cheer.
I’m not sure when eggnog lattes became such a staple of my diet, but what I do know is my bank account suffers each year between November and the new year and the primary culprit is Starbucks. Not Christmas shopping, not even my fabled Christmas sandwich tours; no, it’s Starbucks.
I live in a rural area and I’m a big supporter of local, independent coffee shops; for ten months of each year, I simply don’t touch the coffee chains except in times of necessity. Seven o’clock in the morning at London Waterloo, for example.
But when November strikes, my allegiance shifts. Whether or not they dodged their taxes, that’s not the coffee’s fault, nor the fault of the unfortunate barista who witnessed me crying when he handed me my first eggnog latte of the season.
“I do this every year,” I sniffled, ripping a napkin from the holder to dab at my fast-running mascara.
He fixed me with a look that was somewhere between amusement and wanting to call security: “I’m not sure if that makes you more or less weird.”
I think I have a problem.
Day one and I’m already £12 lighter. It’s going to be a long two months.
Approach With Caffeine 