Saving Money on Coffee

Three easy ways to spend less on coffee and coffee supply products

Although employee coffee is shown to boost productivity, reduce stress, improve morale and keep employees in the office, coffee expenses can leave employers wondering about the cost to benefit ratio, and looking for the best ways to save money on coffee. We Americans love our coffee so much we drink 146 billion cups each year -- and have a hard time working without a "cup of joe" at our sides. If you've looked at your ledger lately, you may have been shocked at the amount you're spending on coffee for employees or customers. It's easy to trim those expenses if you have the right information on coffee.

Besides obvious ideas like using permanent employee coffee cups instead of paper cups from a coffee wholesaler, or sending employees out to purchase their own coffee at a local coffee shop, consider doing the following:

1. Use a coffee distributor for in-office service.

2. Find coffee wholesalers who can supply all your coffee product needs.

3. Select a coffee vendor who provides your business with permanent coffee filters.

Consider coffee companies that provide in-office services

It might seem that do-it-yourself coffee is the most economical choice for your business, but many companies find they save money by using office coffee services. This cuts costs by reducing the amount of time your employees spend dealing with coffee set-up and expenses. For example, paying your accountant to track miscellaneous coffee product receipts takes much more of his time than if he only has a monthly coffee invoice to consider. It also costs your business time and money to have employees buy coffee and supplies, often from multiple sources.

Select coffee distributors that cover all your needs

If coffee services aren't right for your business, take a close look at the coffee products you're purchasing. If your employees are buying them locally at retail prices, they are wasting time and money. If they are purchasing coffee supplies from several sources, they are probably wasting money on shipping. Instead, choose one source for coffee and supplies and buy in bulk, saving money on the products, the shipping costs and employee time.

Find coffee suppliers who sell permanent filters

Swiss gold coffee filters (plated with actual gold) make better tasting coffee, and both gold-colored coffee filters and real-gold filters are virtually permanent. Although both are initially more expensive than disposable coffee filters, in the end, they save your business money while reducing waste.

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