Since when does water cost more than coffee, or at least as much as coffee?

Apparently, since Starbucks started charging $1.39 for water, and that is just a tall.
Starbucks, at least on campus, stopped charging 25 cents for water at the beginning of this semester.

The 25 cent charge was to cover the cost of the cup.

I think 25 cents for a cup of water is reasonable.

However, $1.39 for a tall and it increases with the size, is a tad absurd.

Yeah, the convenience of getting a nice, clear plastic cup with a green straw is all well and good, but I can get a water bottle from the Dollar Tree for $1 and fill it up in the water fountain.

The one loop hole around the $1.39 charge is to purchase a drink or a pastry.

Even though the water is “free,” I still have to pay for a drink or I have to pay for a pastry, which means I am still spending money.

The real point of this article is not about Starbucks charging ridiculous prices for a cup of water (it is a big part of it, though), the real point of this is how nothing is really free in life and what we do have, we do not appreciate.

Think about it.

Is anything really, truly free?

At the same time, is anything actually worth the price we pay for it?

If a friend invites us over for a meal, it is not a free meal.

The friend has to purchase the food and make the food.

If Red Box sends a free rental code to your cell phone, the code might be free, but the text to your phone is not and the trip to the Red Box costs money.

The code is free, but getting the movie is not.

Then, we get to the price of things and if that price is worth it.

Is it really worth paying $4.05 for a gallon of gas?

Do we need it that badly?

Why can we not walk to campus or bike?

Is it that necessary to drive to campus from Queen Street?

A brand new cell phone without an upgrade costs upward of $1,000 depending on the type of phone.

Sometimes, even with the upgrade a new phone costs $300.

Is a new phone actually worth that much money?
I would say no.

We do not know how to get our money’s worth out of things any more because as soon as something bigger and better comes out, we must have it.

We drain our savings accounts to get a new iPhone that really is not any different from the last one.
If it is not an iPhone maybe it is just that new thermos that Starbucks sells.

Maybe this started as a rant about Starbucks overcharging for a cup of water, but it makes me wonder why it bothered me so much.

I have water bottles and there are water fountains all over campus.

I should not pay $1.39 for a cup of water.

Besides, nothing is really free, is it?

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