How to Create a DIY Coffee and Tea Station

Do you find yourself spending too much money at Starbucks or 7-Eleven each week? 

Creating a DIY coffee and tea station can save you a ton of money each month and the initial investment is under $100 (if you already have a coffee maker). 

Here’s a quick guide to help you get your coffee and tea station set up this week. 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Find a Location in Your Kitchen That is Easily Accessible

The first thing you’ll want to do is find a location in your kitchen that’s easily accessible. 

For me, this was a section on my counter where the Keurig was already set up. 

You just want to go for a spot that’s easily seen each morning when you enter your kitchen and has enough room to add all of your essentials as well. 

Purchase Some Supplies

You have to make your coffee and tea station stand out and have everything easily available if it’s something that you’re actually going to utilize. 

Below are the main supplies that I recommend. 

• Glass Jar Set ($20): I found mine when browsing the home section in my local Burlington, however, Amazon should have some cheap glass jar sets available also. These are important because it’s where you’ll store essentials such as cream, sugar, and coffee. 
• Coffee/Tea Supplies ($30): I’ll give an estimate of $30 here just in case you don’t already have coffee and tea at home. When I set mine up I was low on tea so I spent approximately $20 on two Kcup tea packs at Food Lion. 
• Coffee Stirrers ($3): If you’re a coffee person you can purchase a 250-pack of coffee stirrers from Walmart for $3. 
• Insulated Coffee Cups With Lids ($5): You can get a 12-pack of cups with lids at Food Lion for around $5 with an MVP card. The best thing about these cups is you can reuse them if you like, so you’re not constantly purchasing cups each week. Alternatively, you can get a 20-pack of disposable ones from Walmart.
• KCup Under Keurig Storage Drawer ($20): I was able to secure an under Keurig storage drawer from Amazon a few years back for around $20. I recommend getting a storage drawer that sits under your coffee maker because it saves space. It was a lifesaver for me when I had a small kitchen and limited counter space. 
• Napkins ($6): You can purchase 2 packs of napkins from Food Lion for $6 with your MVP card. I recommend napkins because they make it easier for you to have everything that you need when you’re taking your coffee on the go. 

Bonus Supplies to Save Money

You’re probably thinking about creating a coffee and tea station due to a high coffee or tea bill each month. Here are three bonus supplies that you can add to your cafe that’ll help you lower your coffee bill even more. 

• Electric Coffee Grinder ($20): At Walmart, you can find decent-quality coffee grinders for $20 or less. I recommend investing in one because if you purchase coffee beans it’ll be cheaper than purchasing instant coffee and definitely cheaper than Kcups (that is if you’re loyal to the Starbucks brand anyways). 
• Reusable KCups ($10): On Amazon, you can find a 4-pack of reusable Kcups for around $10. These things are awesome, as they allow you to eliminate purchasing Kcups altogether and you can purchase instant or coffee beans instead. Since making the switch, we’re down to purchasing coffee once per month (AND my partner drinks a lot of coffee.) 
• K-Cup Coffee Filters ($11): Walmart has 50 K-Cup coffee filters for around $11. If you’re going to use the reusable K-Cups you’ll want to use a coffee filter in them to make cleaning them easier. 

Set Up Your DIY Coffee and Tea Station

Once you’ve gotten all of your supplies it’s time to set up your coffee and tea station. 

You want to make sure you have sugar, coffee, stirrers, and other essential supplies in the area to make making a cup of tea or coffee as easy as possible in the morning so you can take your to-go cup on the road with you. 

This initial investment will help eliminate those morning stops and spending, and in return, help you reach your savings goal faster and even add a few more minutes to your day.