Top tips to save money at Starbucks

I’ve never understood the slavish — and expensive — devotion some people have to Starbucks. Money is tight these days, so these tips can help you stretch your coffee break budget —

Free Refills — Register any Starbucks Card, earn 5 Stars, and enjoy free refills of brewed coffee or tea- hot or iced while you’re in store. Benefit applies to same store visit at participating stores. Starbucks Card website

Save 10 Cents When You Bring Your Own Cup: Receive 10 cents off your beverage when you bring in your own reusable cup, mug or travel tumbler.

Enjoy Free Entertainment — Download free apps, digital books, TV shows, movies, music and more with the Pick of the Week Program. There are new releases each Tuesday. Visit participating Starbucks locations and grab a Pick of the Week card on the counter.

Buy Two Petites, Save 50 Cents — $1.50 for one, $2.50 for two, means you save by saving one tiny sweet treat for later, even tomorrow.

Free Wi-Fi and Starbucks Digital Network — Bring your laptop and catch-up on the news of the day while surfing free Wi-Fi and the Starbucks Digital Network, which allows customers free unrestricted access to various paid sites and services such as wsj.com, exclusive content and previews, free downloads, local community news and activities, on their laptops, tablets or smart phones.

Monitor Your Spending — Download the FREE Starbucks app on either your iPhone or Android device, you see your Starbucks Card balance to keep track of your weekly (or daily) coffee spend. It could surprise you and help you decide this final Starbucks money saving tip —

Brew Your Coffee At Home — One pound of coffee yields more than 45 cups of your favorite joe. That’s about 30 cents a cup, or more than one-tenth the cost of a Starbucks coffee. Think about that the next time you watch a barrista make you a $5 cup of coffee.