Does Skipping Coffee Really Help You Save Money? Understanding the Latte Factor

CiFact
3 min readApr 3, 2024
Photo by Mikail Duran on Unsplash

So, have you heard of the “latte factor”?

This idea has been floating around in personal finance circles lately. It’s about how little things, like buying a latte every day, can add up over time and have a big impact on your finances.

David Bach, a financial author, popularized this concept.

But is it really true?

Does giving up small pleasures like your daily coffee really help you save money?

Let’s explore the nuances of the latte factor and whether it’s worth it to sacrifice those little things for financial success.

Misunderstanding the Numbers

The whole ‘latte factor’ idea can be confusing. Some people say the way it’s shown to us can be a little misleading.

For example, they say that saving $5 every day on coffee can add up to a lot of money over 30 years. But that only works if you get really high returns on your investment, and that’s not something you can always count on.

Plus, this way of thinking doesn’t take into account things like inflation, taxes, and other stuff that can make your savings worth less over time.

The Latte Factor as a Liability

--

--

CiFact

I am a writer for one reasons. It’s what I’m meant to do with my life: create worlds, characters who breathe and live off the page with me.