Dunks is by far our favorite place to get coffee (check out iJustine’s video from when we camped out for the first LA location) but sometimes I also shop at Starbucks, here are a few of my favorite hacks.

1. For drip coffee, order “a tall in a grande cup”

This is my favorite trick at Starbucks! If plain coffee with a little milk is your drink of choice, ask for a “Tall in a Grande Cup” when you order. They charge you for a tall coffee but give you the larger paper cup. You get charged the lower price and automatically have room for milk. Most baristas end up giving you more coffee than a tall anyway and you don’t cause a mess in the trash cans by pouring hot coffee into them (why do people do that?!).

2. Edit your Drinks

I like the taste of Starbucks drinks but usually, they are a bit on the sweet side for me. When you order on the app you can see all the “add-ins” that make the latte specialty. It is also super easy to edit the drinks. That way you can control the taste and usually save a few calories. For example, the Caffe Mocha comes with 4 pumps of mocha, try ordering it with just 3 and see if you can tell the difference.

3. Extra Toasty Breakfast Sandwiches

I like the breakfast sandwiches but there have been way too many times for me that they come out cold in the middle – what’s the deal?? Anyway, there is an easy fix! Ask the cashier to open your sandwich when they toast it. This simple hack makes sure the sandwich comes out piping hot and the bacon is crispy. SO GOOD!!

4. Rewards Program & Gift Cards

Download the Starbucks App and start earning free drinks. It’s easy to add gift cards you already have to your account and start earning points.

5. Maximize Your Re-load Dollars

You can maximize your points by taking advantage of re-load offers. For example, Visa Checkout and Bank of America Cash Back Deals often offer an incentive to re-load with their program. Sometimes Groupon even offers a deal like $5 for a $10 Starbucks card – watch out for those, they are the best!