ON THE PRICE OF THAT DAILY COFFEE
Rethinking Everyday Spending as Conscious Choice
I’ve lost count of how many people have confessed their “guilty” spending habits to me. Their most common one? That daily coffee.
It always follows the same script: a nervous laugh, then, “I know I should just make it at home...”
But here’s what 25 years in the money world taught me: it was never about the coffee.
When I decluttered my life last year, I cancelled some things, yet kept my David Lloyd gym membership without hesitation. Yes, it's “expensive” at over £100 a month on paper.
But its value? Immeasurable. It’s where my kids come to play, it’s my sanctuary between sessions, my thinking space, my social anchor, my structure when life feels chaotic.
Some expenses seem indulgent, but return value that no investment portfolio ever could.
Because here’s the truth: a healthy money relationship isn’t about cutting costs. It’s about aligning spending with what truly matters to you.
I’ve seen six-figure earners feel guilty about fresh flowers. Teachers whose “luxury” is buying books. Doctors spending more on music lessons than many spend on dinners because mental wellbeing matters more than perception.
These choices tell your story more than your balance sheet ever could.
This is what I call conscious currency; a money relationship built around clarity of what matters, not from external pressure or outdated beliefs.
That coffee? If it’s your pause, your pleasure, your connection or your quiet moment, and it fits within your means, then it’s not waste. It’s conscious living.
So here’s my advice: stop apologising for spending on what lights you up. Instead, excavate your values. Find what matters. Spend there.
The real question isn’t “What can I eliminate?” but “What are you creating with your money?”
What’s your “coffee”? What small expense do you defend quietly because you know it reflects your deepest values?
If this resonates, I explore these ideas every day with my coaching clients—and in my upcoming book, The Conscious Currency, which dives deeper into how spending, identity, and meaning intertwine.
