Most of us have a love-hate relationship with Starbucks - I know I do. The coffee is ridiculously crappy but yet, it's so convenient. There's a pretty decent artisan coffee place near to my work place that is just 5 minutes walk away and in fact, it is probably 20-30% cheaper too. Yet, I go to the Starbucks downstairs (1 minute walk away) to get my caffeine fix. Beyond the less-than-pleasurable beverage is a strong brand and I guess in some ways, a form of social status association.

Here are some tips to save some money on your next not-so-favourite beverage:

Starbucks Rewards - Buy 12, Get 1

Cashless and now contact-less, your Starbucks card in Singapore not only offers you ease in payment but more importantly, it rewards you for being a loyal customer. You get a complimentary Beverage Coupon with every purchase of 12 handcrafted drinks. This is essentially a 7.69% discount.

Citibank Citi Rebate

Get 10% Citi Rebate when you spend using a Citibank Credit Card at Starbucks. Combined with the previous (buy 12, get 1) offer, you will effectively enjoy 16.9% discount for every 12 drinks you purchase at Starbucks.

Choice of Redemption

You may be a tall-sized black coffee drinker but when it's time for redemption, suddenly you're a Venti-sized Tiramisu Frappucinno drinker. Since you're free to redeem for any beverage at any size when you utilise your Beverage Coupon, you can easily order a much more expensive beverage - one that you wouldn't on a regular day. Doing so will increase the "discount" to a higher extent.

PS A new loyalty program from Starbucks Singapore is unveiling soon!