As you walk into any first period class at Toll Gate High School, it is no surprise if you see an assortment of coffees, or bright refreshers scattered throughout the room. As one of those students who often has a drink on their desk, I understand why it is so common. Trying to force yourself out of your comfortable bed to go to school can be a difficult task. That is why making a stop in the morning to get a little pick me up can make a difference in one’s day. One issue with this is watching your bank account as it faces the impact of these real and costly impacts.

Over the past couple weeks I have observed roughly how many times a week students bring drinks with them in the morning. Most ranged from a few times a week to nearly every day. Although at the moment these may seem like simple purchases, we must think about how this adds up over time. An average medium iced beverage from popular companies such as Starbucks or Dunkin can range anywhere from $4.00 to $7.00. For one drink to be purchased daily for the entirety of the school week, this averages out to around $20.00 to $35.00. Even if one was to stop every other day, that weekly price range can be up to around $16.00 to $21.00. To put that into perspective, the hourly minimum wage is $15.00 an hour, meaning the amount someone spends a week can equal out to one to three hours of work. Overall, over the span of the school year students can spend anywhere from $608.00 to $1330.00 depending on the frequency of their purchases. 

Upon coming to this conclusion, it is important to see how much this pricey habit affects students. When asked for her opinion on this subject, Toll Gate student Reagan Motta stated, “Yeah… honestly sometimes it just gets me through the day.” Motta went on to explain that sometimes getting out of bed to go to school can be a challenge, so getting her coffee in the morning provides her with something to look forward to. In addition to Reagan Motta, student Lyndsay Allen added, “I think spending three dollars on a coffee is fair.” She did express that depending on the size and quantity of the drink the pricing can be a bit much. Overall, she believes it to be pretty reasonable.

Although this little addition to a student’s day seemed to be a positive factor, not all felt this way. Student Kenzie Anderson provided great insight on the negative side of this topic. When discussing the issue with Anderson, she instantly expressed that “It’s definitely easier, but not worth it.” She then went on to explain the benefits of creating beverages at home. “You can get different creamers, syrups and sugar from Stop and Shop.” This idea emphasizes that rather than purchasing single drinks, people can buy the ingredients that go into them in order to recreate the same thing for a cheaper cost at home. An interesting point that Kenzie also shared was that when she orders a drink from places like Starbucks and Dunkin she often finds herself purchasing food alongside it. It is known that companies highly advertise their products for this intended purpose, which is great for them, but not so much for students’ bank accounts. 

Overall, it is clear that despite the impactful price that fun beverages might have on high school students, they can be difficult to go without. Even with more cost effective alternatives, the convenience and comfort of one’s morning coffee will continue to remain a part of their routine as they head to school. So, the next time you enter your first period class, take a look around and consider how much value lies on each person’s desk