Lisa Parker asked:


The beverage industry is a major money making enterprise with many competing advertising messages aimed at the consumer on a daily basis. All beverages including coffees, teas, sodas and bottled water are marketed around a major ingredient – caffeine or no caffeine. In the non-caffeine market segment, consumers will notice many terms used to describe the beverages such “decaffeinated”, “naturally decaffeinated”, and “caffeine-free”. As a general rule, beverages should only be considered “caffeine-free” if there was never any caffeine in the ingredients to begin with. This rules out all coffee beans and tea leaves because both contain caffeine in their unprocessed form. For coffee and tea lovers who do not want caffeine in their drink, they should pay attention to both natural variations in caffeine content of various teas and coffee (some have more and some have less) as well as the physical decaffeination process used to manufacture a specific coffee or tea product.

So far, there is no method of decaffeination that can remove 100% of the caffeine from coffee. The U.S. standard – which is, by the way, a “standard” and not a law – says that a beverage may be labeled “decaffeinated” if 97% of the caffeine content has been removed. Europe generally follows a higher standard which is closer to 99%, but still not foolproof. And beyond the manufacturers’ control, brewing methods and steeping times (length of time a tea bag is left sitting in your hot water cup) drastically affect the level of caffeine that you end up consuming.

Percentages are where thinking about the actual caffeine content of different types of coffee beans, roasts and teas can be useful. For example, Arabica beans normally contain roughly one-half the caffeine of Robusta beans. So whereas a Robusta brew may have 100 mg of caffeine and its decaffeinated equivalent 3 mg, the equal serving of Arabica brew would contain about 50 mg of caffeine and 1.5 mg in the decaf version. Teas also have naturally lower caffeine content than coffee – of any variety. Once you read about the industrial methods of extracting caffeine from a coffee bean, you may want to carefully consider the beverage products you choose.

Misleading Information

A web search of “coffee decaffeination” or “decaffeination processes” will produce many conflicting, confusing, uninformed/incorrect and sometimes purposely misleading results. With so many consumer dollars at stake, and the sordid historical origins of chemical decaffeination (more later) beverage producers do everything they can to reassure consumers that their beverages are safe and healthy. While there is a kernal of truth in most labels, decaf products labeled “naturally decaffeinated” and “water processed” are particularly misleading. The two methods and four agents of decaffeination help to explain why.

Direct vs. Indirect

Contrary to what you will read, there are both direct and indirect methods of chemical, water, carbon and liquefied carbon dioxide processing agents. The terms “direct” and “indirect” do not tell the consumer anything about whether or what kinds of solvents, chemicals or reagents are used to decaffeinate the product. Direct and indirect refers to whether the chemical, water or carbon dioxide solutions come into direct contact with the coffee beans. Indirect processing methods steam the beans, collect and condense the steam and then remove the caffeine from the condensed water by either solvents or carbon-based filtering – thus the beans themselves are not soaked in the solution. After caffeine is separated (by any of the above methods) from the coffee extract, the concentrated liquid containing coffee solids and flavors are soaked back in to the coffee beans. This is why many people claim that decaf has less taste or quality from unadulterated coffee.

Chemical vs. “Natural”

There are currently four types of decaffeination processes: 1) solvent based; 2) charcoal or carbon filtered; 3) “supercritical” carbon dioxide; and 4) triglycerides, a process developed within the last 5 years. All of these processes are performed on green coffee beans before they are roasted.

A point of clarification: you will read a lot about “water-based” processes, but every single method of decaffeination named above uses water in the process. One should therefore not assign any weight to the term “water processed” with one exception, which is the Swiss Water Process that is in fact a specific, patented carbon activated filter method.

Solvent based decaffeination is the earliest and most controversial way to remove caffeine from coffee or tea. Its inventor first used benzene as the separation agent. As benzene began to be recognized as a health hazard, it was replaced by TCE, another controversial industrial solvent. By the 1970’s and 1980’s, TCE was replaced by the chemical methylene chloride which has many advantages but is still suspected of having some carcinogenic risk. Today most processors use only ethyl acetate as a decaffeination solvent.

It is important to note that some producers claim ethyl acetate as “all natural” or “naturally decaffeinated” because the chemical compound does occur naturally in many fruits and vegetables. But the quantity of chemical required for industrial decaffeination means that almost 100% of the time, synthetically manufactured ethyl acetate is used. So far, there are no known health risks linked to the use of ethyl acetate in direct or indirect decaffeination methods.

Charcoal and carbon filtering processes were developed as a direct challenge to solvent-based methods. Using only water, coffee elements are extracted from the beans, filtered through carbon or charcoal to remove the caffeine, and then the extract is replaced back to the bean. The patented Swiss Water Process is touted as a superior method for preserving flavor, because it throws away the first batch of beans and uses the decaffeinated coffee extract to wash and filter the next batch of beans, and so forth. Basically the difference is they are not using pure water to filter the beans, they are using “flavor charged” water that is already saturated with flavor ingredients so only caffeine moves from the beans to the water. Thus there is no re-soaking or re-infusing removed flavor back into the coffee bean, because the flavor has not been removed.

Supercritical carbon dioxide fluid has both gas-like and liquid-like physical properties. You many have also heard of superheated or liquefied gas. Supercritical fluid fills the container like a gas, but can dissolve substances like a liquid – making it an excellent agent for separating an element such as caffeine from a coffee bean. The highly pressurized carbon dioxide is forced through the beans and penetrates deeply, dissolving up to 99% of the caffeine. The carbon dioxide residue evaporates from the coffee beans as they return to room temperature.

Any finally, the newest method of decaffeination uses triglycerides from spent coffee grounds to extract caffeine from raw coffee beans. The beans are soaked in a hot water solution to draw the caffeine to the surface of the beans. Then they are transferred to another container and immersed in coffee oils that were obtained from spent coffee grounds. The coffee oils contain triglycerides, which when heated for several hours at a high temperature, separate the caffeine – but supposedly not the flavor – from the beans. The beans are next separated from the oils and dried. The caffeine is removed from the oils, which are reused to decaffeinate another batch of beans.

All of these decaffeination processes adulterate the natural coffee bean in some way because they are extracting elements from the essence of the bean or tea leaf. While some methods claim to be better or safer than others, the processes are similar, and it can be tough for the consumer to discern which actual method is being used. Decaf drinkers should read product packages carefully and possibly contact the manufacturer to ask about which method they use.

Another alternative is again, just choosing a beverage with low caffeine content to begin with. Modify your intake and brewing methods to preserve flavor while lowering your caffeine exposure. One promising development for the future is the discovery of the enzyme that produces caffeine in the coffee plant itself. Scientists have discovered coffee varieties in Ethiopia containing a small fraction of the caffeine of traditional coffee. Further they are working on developing the enzyme into a commercial way to grow bioengineered, caffeine-free coffee. In the mean time, enjoy your coffee!



Ron

Japandra asked:


I can’t have any caffeine at all, and I heard somewhere that even decaf has a little. Is that true, or am I safe to drink it?
Thanks!

Jeremy

charlie6385 asked:


I usually drink my coffee with sugar and cream and lots of it. And while I have cut down, I want to cut to black (I’m also dieting). But I prefer sweet coffee, not bland. Is there anything out there that provides sweet coffee without having to add the sugar and cream? Thanks!

Bessie

Bobby Kelly asked:


There are many who believe when times are tough that cutting back is the best plan of action to ensure your well being. There is much to be said about that philosophy. And in many areas it is the wisest choice.

However, there are areas where I completely disagree with cutting back. For example, many school systems have had to address fiscal challenges. And unfortunately, the arts and physical education are the hardest hit areas. I cannot say what the long term effect of cutting art programs will be on the youth of America. I hope it does not curb the creativity of the next generation, but we will see.

However, I can tell you that cutting physical education has and will continue to harm not only our youth, but our economy as well. In the future, our health care system will crumble (not that it isn’t already awful) because of the needs of obese children becoming obese adults. We will spend billions on very avoidable health issues.

All because we didn’t get our children active.

So now that I have given a powerful example of why cutting back has failed in the past, let me address the concern of people who choose to “cut back” by spending less on personal training or eliminating a gym membership all together.

Why do people choose to join a gym or hire a personal trainer?

The medical benefits it gives you are:

- Reduced cholesterol

- Lower blood pressure

- Reduced risk of heart disease

- Lower triglycerides

- Stronger immune system

It can also improve your quality of life in the following ways:

- You have the energy you need to get things done.

- You physically feel better.

- You increase lean muscle mass.

- You lose body fat, which makes you look better.

- You gain more confidence.

- You sleep better.

- There is also a social and motivating quality of being a member at a gym.

You get the idea, right?

When people join a gym it is either because they cannot motivate themselves to do it on their own or they don’t have the knowledge to do it on their own.

Either way, most people cannot successfully workout on their own for one reason or another.

Assuming you don’t quit exercising all together, now let’s look at the pitfalls of “Cutting Back”.

- You have no supervision.

- Unless you spend money you don’t have access to weights, machines or other fitness tools.

- If you are inclined to work out at home, your purchases will set you back more than a membership.

- Without a trainer you lose guidance, which can make things dangerous.

- If you are not self-motivated you will skip workouts.

- You are not increasing lean muscle mass.

- You are not lowering your body fat.

- Your energy stinks.

- You become moody, which can cause disagreements.-

- Now you are a less than stellar co-worker, parent, spouse, etc.

- You start to feel terrible and need to sleep more, but your sleep is not restful.

Get the idea? Cutting back on fitness is an awful idea.

Imagine if you decide to fall off the fitness wagon. You gain weight, feel terrible and in a short time you can really fall apart. Heaven forbid something happens and you need to go to a doctor. Do you think that saving money by letting go of your trainer or your gym membership is going to be cheaper than doctor’s bills?

It is not all gloom and doom. Just don’t cinch on your health. So how do you recession-proof your body and your life? I don’t claim to be a financial expert. So I am not going to tell you how to financially make your investments work for you or how to redo your stock portfolio. Here are a few tips to get you started that will affect the choices you make in your everyday life.

Eat out less. Not only does this save you money, you will eat healthier as well. You can make the food you enjoy for much less than it will cost you in a restaurant. Brown bagging lunch keeps the fast food at bay and money in your pocket. A nice dinner at home not only will enable you to try a variety of foods, but it could be more romantic and spice up your love life. (Insert your own exercise joke here if you wish. I am leaving it alone)

Save gas and walk to the store. On days when you only need a few things, get some exercise by walking to the store. This will save you tons on gas money and you are helping yourself in the process.

Rent a movie or better yet, go do an art walk. Going to the movies is killer on the bottom line. You spend $25 for tickets and if you completely ignore me another $25 on popcorn, soda, and candy. Let’s assume you don’t ignore me. You can easily save $20 by renting. Want to save all of it. Every city has at least a couple of places that sell art. Usually they have what are called art walks. Often the galleries entice people to come down by having musicians and free wine tastings. Now that’s a fun night.

Coffee anyone? Seriously! Do you really need a $5 double, mocha, 3 shot espresso, non-fat frappuccino latte? Can you tell I don’t drink coffee? If you drink that every day it is $35 a week. If you have coffee twice a day, that is $70 a week and $280 a month. Heck, spend a little on a coffee grinder and make your own. It has to be a ton cheaper.

Like a nice glass of wine every now and then? If you go to a bar for happy hour or have a couple of drinks at dinner, I guarantee you are spending way too much on alcohol. How many of you have paid $7-$8 for a glass of wine or a beer? As a former bartender, I know that I normally have to only sell 2-3 drinks to pay for the whole bottle. Instead have people over and have everyone bring a bottle of pinot or chardonnay. You won’t drink as much (saves calories) and you will spend a ton less than at a bar.

I know there are tons of more ideas. But I am pretty sure that I have just saved you $300 -$400 a month and we haven’t talked about, lowering the air conditioner temperature, caulking windows, going green or any of the other major ways to reduce spending.

Everything I mentioned will directly increase your health and reduces spending at the same time.

So think twice before quitting on the gym and keep these things in mind:

- Working out in a social environment is motivating.

- Having equipment is not only more efficient, but adds variety.

- Using some of your paycheck on a personal trainer saves time, headaches, and energy.

Being in a recession really takes its toll on a person. Shouldn’t you do your best to control the things you can control at times like these?

Your health is one of the things you can control.



Raul

‘ asked:


i got an industrial coffee machine and learned how to make espresso and foamed milk. just need to know how to make Macchiato and Mocha professionally.
thank you!

Leslie

K. Braun asked:


If you’re like most of us, you have developed a slight addiction to those delicious little drinks that we know as “gourmet coffees”. No one has contributed more to our addiction to great coffee than the folks at Starbucks.

It’s difficult to go anywhere and not see a Starbucks coffee shop, but despite their convenient locations, we don’t always have the time to stand in line and wait for a cup of coffee or a shot of espresso. Today you don’t have to own a Starbucks franchise to have one of the best espresso machines around. The Sirena Starbucks espresso machine isn’t cheap - but for the convenience of having your very own high-quality espresso machine, $400 might be a small price to pay. Considering the cost of a cup of coffee at Starbucks, you will be able to save at least $2.5 per cup when you make it at home. So, if you drink just one espresso every day, the Sirena Starbucks espresso machine will pay for itself in less than half a year.

Other than the Starbucks brand name, what makes this particular Starbucks espresso machine such a good buy?

* Convenience: Save time and money by brewing your own espresso right from home.

* Looks: The stunning looks alone may be a good enough reason for owning this machine.

* Professional Design: The Starbucks Sirena comes with many of the same features that you would find on an in-store espresso machine, including a Rapid Steam Boiler, a high-quality portafilter, and a back-pressure adapter that can adjust automatically to the grind of whatever coffee you use.

* Programmable Settings: This espresso machine is as smart as it is convenient. The Sirena will actually remember the amount of coffee in a shot and dispense that amount next time until you change that.

* Versatility: The Sirena can use coffee pods or coffee grinds, and the included steam wand allows you to froth milk for lattes or cappuccinos.

For the price though, the Starbucks Sirena espresso maker is not without issues.

* Frothing milk: The steam wand on this machine works rather erratically and a lot of users have real troubles producing a good froth.

* Water in the portafilter: If the back-pressure adapter becomes clogged with a large coffee grind, the pressure will build and water will shoot out from the sides, and fill the portafilter with water. This often makes a mess, as the espresso that’s left behind tends to drip down after brewing is complete.

* Reliability: A number of owners have encountered problems with the reliability of the machine. The frothing system seems particularly prone to failure. In addition, if anything goes wrong and the machine needs to be sent for repair, it is the user who pays the shipping costs.

* The price: There are other espresso machines that will do close to the same job at a considerably cheaper price.



Terry

Rose asked:


Recently I get to know many friends from Thailand. Beside culture and language barrier, I find them very friendly and warm people. But there is one thing, I really like to know what type of coffee do they love to drink?
I have tried the Singapore style using coffee powder and condensed milk , but it is not to their liking. I heard from a friend telling me they prefer 3 in-one coffee or coffee using coffee mate. Or is it that they prefer something mild and less sweet because Singapore coffee is stronger.
Can any Thai national teach me how to make coffee sutiable for their taste? Preferably the brand too. I will try to follow whatever advice given. Appreciate it very much.

Paul

Raymond Lawrence asked:


Does the aroma of brewing coffee transport you to a sensory paradise? Is a steaming latte your idea of comfort food? Do you consider coffee its own separate food group? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then a coffee franchise may be for you! When someone says “coffee shop,” the name that most often comes to mind is Starbucks. So it’s only natural that coffee connoisseurs and entrepreneurs will immediately want to know if this wildly successful java chain offers the opportunity to buy Starbucks franchises.

Despite its seemingly ubiquitous presence the Starbucks brand does not franchise or sub-franchise its operations. Rather, the company operates most North American Starbucks stores. The exception to this is situations in which Starbucks will enter into an agreement with companies that may provide physical locations that might otherwise not be available to Starbucks, such as space in airports, grocery chains, hospitals, and on college and university campuses. In addition, in certain areas, Starbucks may enter into an agreement with a group of individuals or a company in which the company or group is permitted to manage and operate Starbucks outlets within a certain region.

The unavailability of Starbucks franchises, however, should in no way dissuade the coffee lover from pursuing a coffee franchise business opportunity. There are numerous coffee companies that do, indeed, franchise their operations, and many even venture beyond the traditional coffee bean to provide gourmet coffees, food options, and even catering services.

The following represents a partial listing of the many coffee franchise opportunities available to java lovers everywhere.

Caffino

With its “60-second guarantee,” Caffino is a drive-through coffee bar that first opened its company doors in 1993 in Napa, California. Franchising since 2003, Caffino currently has 27 locations in 3 states, and it is actively expanding. Caffino prides itself on roasting its coffee on-site using only the world’s best coffee beans, Arabica Grade 1. The startup cost for a Caffino franchise ranges from $212,900 to $373,000.

Beaner’s Coffee

Founded in 1994 and franchising since 1999, Beaner’s Coffee offers a variety of the coffee beverages made from flavored, decaf, signature, organic, and fair trade beans. In addition, Beaner’s goes beyond coffee service and ventures into the world of sandwiches, salads, and baked goods. Beaner’s carries a startup cost of $240,000 to $300,000 and offers the option of express or kiosk franchises. Beaner’s is currently seeking franchisees nationwide, and for its franchise owners, exclusive territories are available.

Woody’s Chicago Style

Coffee and hot dogs? Not your typical combination, but Woody’s Chicago Style has no problem combining the two. Begun in Honolulu, Hawaii, Woody’s Chicago Style is a hot dog, beverage, and coffee cart business that has been franchising its operations since 1991. While franchises are not currently available in every state, Woody’s is seeking franchisees in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Washington, and Wyoming. And with a price tag ranging from $54,100 to $464,000, Woody’s just may be the right option for your pocketbook!

Scooter’s Coffeehouse

With franchise opportunities existing both in the United States and worldwide, Scooter’s Coffeehouse ranked #26 in Entrepreneur.com’s 2007 listing of the top new franchises. In business since 1998 and franchising since 2002, Scooter’s is a specialty coffee franchise that also serves up brewed coffees, espressos, flavored coffees including sugar-free options, teas, and a wide selection of smoothies. Startup cost ranges from $60,000 to $410,000, and, in addition to training, Scooter’s offers significant ongoing and marketing support, including regional advertising, national media, field operations/evaluations, purchasing cooperatives, newsletter, meetings, and a grand opening.

Dunkin Donuts

Who doesn’t recognize this household name in the coffee and donut industry? Established in 1950 and franchising since 1955, Dunkin Donuts now boasts more than 7,000 stores worldwide, including 1900 locations in 30 countries. In the United States, more than 5,200 Dunkin Donuts locations dot the landscape in 36 states. Based on years of operation and experience, Dunkin Donuts has a 5-phase franchising process, which begins with an application, credit check, and criminal background check, among other things, proceeds through several steps including an interview, business plan development, application approval, training, site location, and financing, and ends with restaurant construction and crew training. To ease financing costs, Dunkin Donuts has partnered with preferred lenders who offer franchisees flexible financing options, including Small Business Administration (SBA)-backed loans for certain transactions.

In addition to the five coffee franchise opportunities briefly profiled above, no fewer than twenty franchise opportunities exist for entrepreneurs seeking to turn their coffee passion into a profession.

From Café Ala Carte cappuccino catering service and Grabbajabba gourmet coffee and European sandwiches to It’s a Grind Coffee House and Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffee and Smoothies, numerous coffee franchises ranging from low-cost to high investment are available for serving up that morning cup of Joe, mid-day sandwich on the run, or afternoon tea or smoothie.

So next time you walk into your neighborhood coffee shop to fill your latte craving, imagine providing that same satisfaction to other coffee lovers like you…and even better yet, making a living at it!



Mathew

Piers Valkind asked:


You’re told often to drink lots of water - it’s good for you. But what you might not know that drinking water can get rid of acne and keep your skin clear. That’s a real bonus outside of the day-to-day benefits of keeping your body well hydrated by drinking water regularly.

Water is an essential component of a healthy diet for every single person on this planet. It helps us to reduce our weight, our blood pressure and helps to flush toxins from the body. It’s that last component (the flushing the toxins part) that helps us with your acne and skin problems.

Acne is caused by hormones that are a little out of control and as water helps to flush toxins, it also helps to flush those hormones from your body; or at least the extra amount of those hormones that you simply don’t need.

Maybe that sounds a little odd. Here’s how it works: Water is a detoxifier. It helps to flush out a variety of toxins from our body. Many hormones trigger the development of acne. They do this by triggering sebum production by the sebaceous glands that are just below the surface of the skin.

This sebum actually does serves a purpose (not just to cause acne of course!), which is to keep the skin moist and prevent it from cracking and drying out. But the mouth of the glands, which are skin pores, can get blocked with dead skin and dust, and it’s all mixed with sebum.

Now completely blocked, the sebum can’t escape and this causes red inflammatory heads called acne to form. To a certain extent this is normal, but for teens and others who have more active hormones, this can cause serious acne.

How can water help then? Water flushes away these hormones, which helps the sebum to do its job and not be trapped under the skin. When you drink a lot of water, you either sweat it out or you urinate it out. Either way, with the water comes a variety of toxins like hormones.

What if you don’t like water? What if 8 glasses a day sounds like 7 too many? There are some solutions for people who don’t like water. It’s best to make the effort, since water is so good for our bodies. You will notice a difference in your skin and your overall energy level when you drink enough water.

Here’s how to make water more palatable:

* Add a squeeze of lemon or lime to it.

* Add individual packets of flavoring to a bottle of water (only do this for up to about 16 ounces of water a day).

* Drink decaffeinated tea. Tea will act in much the same way as water, but caffeine makes you hang onto fluids, so drink decaf tea for a portion of your daily water allotment (up to half).

Carry a bottle of water around with you everyday. If you take a sip now and then, you’ll find that it’s easy to get your daily allowance of water without too much effort or thought going into it.



Wayne

LeeMen Cheong asked:


If you are an employee, you may have the mindset that you can never become a millionaire unless you are a boss, having a team of workers to work for you and making big bucks like moneymaking machine. However, this is not true, in fact, according to a self-made millionaire, it is possible for you, even if you make a minimum wage to be a millionaire.

According to him, if you save 10% of your income every month throughout your working lifetime, and make investment that bring at least 10% of returns annually, of course if you can get a higher return, it would be great! Whatever investment vehicles you choose, make sure it gives you 10% of returns or higher. You will become a millionaire by the time you retire. Provided you start young and continue saving and investing along the years.

For example, with a monthly investment of $100 with 10% returns for 45 years, you will become a millionaire. To achieve your millionaire goal in 38 years, you may double up your monthly investment to $200 with the same yield. If you have an investment vehicle that gives you 15% returns with a monthly investment of $200, you may become a millionaire in 28 years.

If you would like to be a millionaire in shorter years, diversify your investment portfolio into different yield, from 10% to 20% or even higher. ALTERNATIVELY, you may increase your investment capital OR you can combine both of these methods (higher returns and higher capital), that would speed up your dream to become a millionaire.

If you cannot save 10% or higher of your income, you may consider to reduce the rate to a level you are comfortable with. The rule of thumb is TO PAY YOURSELF FIRST. Yes! This is what I learn from millionaires and wealth creation programs.

Even if you have tons of bills to pay, set aside at least 1%, if not higher of your take-home income for saving / investment fund first. Otherwise, if you spend all your money in bill paying, you are telling yourself that the bill companies are more important than you are!

As you become comfortable with living on 99 %, increase your saving up to 2% of your income, then 3%, 5% , 10% or even 50 %. As you save more, your savings and investment also start to grow.

Nevertheless, if you are afraid that the money that you have saved may be used for emergency fund or other purposes later, then you can split the money for saving under 2 accounts, one is for a emergency fund (3—6 months of your living expenses) and the other one is for investment only.

At first, the amount that you invest may seem very little, but it pays off over the years.

I totally understand that it is not easy to save money especially when you live in a material society nowadays. However, if you can practice frugality overtime, it will help you building your wealth.

You may think that millionaires do not really care about little money, but this is not true. Even Bill Gates, the world richest man cared about how much he pays for parking fee. There was a time where Gates and his friend went to Hilton Hotel for a meeting, as they were late and could not find a place for parking. Thus, his friend suggested parking the car at the VIP parking lot, which cost $12, Gates disagreed despite the friend offered to pay the fee. And eventually they parked the car elsewhere with a cheaper rate.

To Gates, a man that has contributed large amount of money on charity, $12 is very little, yet he ensures himself practiced frugality every moment and maximizes the benefits of every single penny he spend.

Another case, have you ever asked for discount when you visit Starbucks coffee house, maybe not! Right? A millionaire told me that he always asks for discount whenever he visits Starbucks, and he got it! Many of us may think that asking for discount is ridiculous and it may bruise your ego if you get rejected or even make the request, especially in such a “high-quality coffee house”, but if a millionaire can do that, why not you? !!

Always remember a dollar saved is a dollar earned, whenever you buy something, it is wise to ask yourself: Do I really need this or I just want it! In addition, if the one dollar can bring you a higher return, go for it!





Raymond