Starbucks Gold Card: Worth It?

My answer to that question would be, "Hiz-ell yes!"

A few weeks back, I received a Starbucks Gold Card out of the blue in my mailbox.



I already had a regular Starbucks Card with money on it, and it was registered on their website so that I could take advantage of the free WiFi at the stores. So I was curious as to why I would need a new card. Especially one that had a $25 annual fee attached to it.

After reading, I discovered it was a lot like my Barnes and Noble membership card. I pay $25 a year, and I get 10% off of every purchase I make.

Now, of course it makes sense to pay for the membership at Barnes and Noble, as I buy a lot of books and a TON of magazines. So I make back the $25 in savings pretty quickly... And then a ton more. But I had to ask myself...

"Do I make enough purchases from Starbucks to warrant spending $25 to get 10% off every purchase?"

So I did the math...

• I visit Starbucks at LEAST five times a week.
• I spend, on average, $4.25 each time I go there.

So:

• $4.25 multiplied by 5 equals $21.25
• $21.25 multiplied by 52 (weeks) equals $1,105
• 10% of $1,105 is $110.05
• $110.05 minus the $25 card fee is $85.05

So my savings, by using the card, is $85.05 a year AT LEAST.

So for me, it is totally worth it the investment in the card. Plus, I get free soy milk when I use the card, rather then having to pay the extra fee to have my drink made with it. So there is an additional savings right there.

Bottom line: If you go every day to Starbucks, it likely is worth the investment in the membership card.

Plus, it's a pretty cool-looking card.