The Starbucks Cup Hack That Ensures You Get More Bang For Your Buck

A full cup of Starbucks coffee sounds like a good thing — but sometimes, it isn't. If you plan to add a little — or not so little — portion of milk or cream to your coffee, you don't want the cup to come filled to the brim. You want extra room. Otherwise, you'll have to pour out perfectly good coffee before you pour in your milk. Thankfully, there's a solution: Order small, fill big.

In other words, don't order a Grande. Instead, order a Grande in a Venti cup. That way, you'll have plenty of room to add milk, cream, or other liquid add-ins. Who knows? If you catch your barista on a good day, you may even get a little extra free coffee.

To try this tip, open up the Starbucks app. When you order your usual filter coffee, hit the customize button and scroll down to cup options, where you'll be able to request a bigger cup. You can also try it the old-fashioned way: By politely asking your barista for a larger cup.

Requesting a bigger cup is a simple way to get more room for milk in your coffee, Americano, or tea. And, possibly, a little extra caffeine in the bargain. But what if your go-to order is a pumpkin spice latte, caramel macchiato, or Frappuccino?

One easy and environmentally friendly way to save money is to bring your own reusable cup to Starbucks. This will save you 10 cents on every order — and save the planet some single-use plastic. Another simple swap is trading larger sizes for smaller ones. A Venti cappuccino can cost a whopping $4.95; while the lesser-known Short size is just $3.65.

If you've scrolled through TikTok, you've probably heard of other budget hacks, too. One TikToker walks her followers through a $4 order that mimics a more expensive PSL. All you have to do is order two shots of iced espresso with a light splash of whole milk and three packets of sugar, plus pumpkin cream cold foam — all in a Venti cup. But before you run to your local Starbucks, you should know that baristas aren't always fans of these TikTok-inspired customizations.

Scamming a multi-billion-dollar corporation is one thing; making employees' lives hell is another. Not every hack is worth trying. "I don't care about Starbucks making money, it's just that it makes our job harder," one barista wrote in a Reddit comment.

Imagine you're a Starbucks employee working at top speed during the morning rush. A customer requests four pumps of white mocha syrup, three shots of espresso, and plenty of milk in a Venti cup. In other words, a latte. But he expects to be charged for espresso. It happened to one barista. "When we told him we would be charging him for a latte [he] said 'no I always order it this way,'" they wrote in a Reddit comment. Don't be that guy.

If a Starbucks employee is nice enough to fulfill a budget-friendly, off-menu order, say "thank you" and enjoy it — but don't expect to get the same service next time. Better yet, keep your requests simple. A filter coffee in a larger cup is easy. A Venti Frappucino with mixed-and-matched syrups, divided between two Tall cups? Not so much. If you want an affordable version of your favorite Starbucks latte, you can always make it at home.