Caffeine pills instead of coffee

[funlol]

You can buy a 100 count 200mg box of caffeine bills from your local pharmacy for less than $10

I know people have their biases against pills, but think for a second:

1) 200mg of caffeine is the equivalent to 3-4 cups of coffee per day
2) You will have no bad breath from the coffee
3) You will save countless money on your monthly coffee bill
4) You can cut the pills in half and take pieces throughout the day if 200mg is too much for you
5) it's easier to regulate caffeine intake. some coffee might have 100mg per cup and others might have 20mg a cup. if you have 200mg of caffeine per day, like clockwork, you will always know how much caffeine you are consuming.

I've switched to taking caffeine pills instead of coffee and I couldn't be happier. gone are my days of throwing away $100/month to starbucks

[TheKayla]

There may be other chemicals in those pills, not to mention coffee at least has other chemicals as well that have good benefits. Just saying, there's a very good reason people are biased against pills...they are not good for you. Coffee is so dirt cheap anyway. Don't buy it at Starbucks, drink it black for the cheapest option, no problem. Probably cheaper than a bottle of caffeine pills. Cheapest option of all is to cut back on caffeine if you're that dependent on it, and find alternate and healthier means of energy, like drinking enough water, getting exercise, eating right, getting enough B-vitamins...

[disneysteve]

Cheapest option of all is to cut back on caffeine if you're that dependent on it, and find alternate and healthier means of energy, like drinking enough water, getting exercise, eating right, getting enough B-vitamins...

Bingo! Because it is legal and socially acceptable, nobody ever talks about caffeine in terms of addiction but that's exactly what it is. I constantly hear people saying, "I NEED my coffee" or "Don't talk to me. I haven't had my coffee yet" or "I'm never going to get through this day without more coffee". Substitute "cocaine" for "coffee" and would those statements still be okay to say openly?

If you are jumping through hoops to figure out where to find the cheapest caffeine fix, there's a problem. It's fine if someone enjoys a cup of coffee from time to time, just as it's fine to have a glass of wine or a beer from time to time, but when it elevates to the level where you are dependent on it to get through your day, something is wrong.

And no, I don't drink coffee at all and I buy decaf soda. I have plenty of energy, eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, and exercise regularly.

[gogirlanime]

Great idea, I did this before I began working at Starbucks and now get free coffee every week. You can buy bulk caffeine powder which is even cheaper. Look into the caffeine content of the coffee you usually drink because Starbucks drip coffee has 20mg of caffeine per ounce (black) and 74mg per espresso shot.

Tip: Walgreens is always giving out healthy diet pills (like green tea ones) for free or at a rock bottom price, so check their ads on a regular basis.

[TheKayla]

Also just to add in, I also drink coffee, and really enjoy the caffeine boost, taste, and focus for work. However, whenever I start to feel like I'm having too much and begin to depend on it basically for my happiness (usually after a big project at work or something), I know it's time to cut back. I'll usually wait till the weekend or when I'm not too busy at work, and go cold turkey, or go with only one half a cup in the morning for a few days or up to a week. While caffeine is an addiction, if its just from coffee usually its mild enough where with a few days worth of willpower you can reset your body, almost completely. I'll then go back to effortlessly only having one cup a day, and some days don't feel as though I need it at all.

[btctony]

It may be cheaper to go with the pills, even if you're brewing the cheapest coffee that you can buy and brewing yourself, but I wouldn't do it.

Without even considering the known or unknown negatives of taking caffeine pills, I simply like the taste and smell of black coffee and I like having a cup or two when I get to work in the morning.

On the cost side of it, I rarely buy coffee at gas stations, starbucks, dunkin donuts, ect. Once or twice a month I will be in a position that I buy coffee on the go. Other than that, I spend 6 dollars or so a month on the huge can of Maxwell House Breakfast Blend and between home and work, I never go through an entire can in a month. Probably closer to two months.

[TheKayla]

On the cost side of it, I rarely buy coffee at gas stations, starbucks, dunkin donuts, ect. Once or twice a month I will be in a position that I buy coffee on the go. Other than that, I spend 6 dollars or so a month on the huge can of Maxwell House Breakfast Blend and between home and work, I never go through an entire can in a month. Probably closer to two months.

Exactly, even if you can prove a cost difference and really dont want to cut down, with that little of cost in the first place, its definitely, definitely not worth the health risks to go with pills.

[NetSkyBlue]

But that defeats the purpose of drinking coffee :P I like coffee because I like drinking it, not because I want caffeine.

[Tonyall]

green tea

I stick with green tea. It has a good shot of caffeine, is cheap and has lots of health benefits.

[GrimJack]

You can buy a 100 count 200mg box of caffeine bills from your local pharmacy for less than $10

I know people have their biases against pills, but think for a second:


3) You will save countless money on your monthly coffee bill

money is countable

I've switched to taking caffeine pills instead of coffee and I couldn't be happier. gone are my days of throwing away $100/month to starbucks

When I worked at Microsoft, I was taking a lot of pain pills - they had free OTC meds on all the floors - I got completely wired and could not figure it out; turns out the aspirin-free pain reliever had 20 mgs of caffeine! Unfortunately, aspirin-free means acetaminophen (Tylenol) which will ruin your liver - but I digress. I finally got smart and stopped buying espresso drinks and brew my own at home. I remember No Doz from my college days (before I took up coffee), by the end of finals I was getting pretty buzzed out; like all meds - you gotta watch yourself.

[gogirlanime]

Just learn where your caffeine is coming from in those caffeine pills 95% of extracted caffeine comes from coffee, the bi product of decaf-ing coffee beans. Just buy from a trustworthy company.

[Rogerthat11]

There may be other chemicals in those pills, not to mention coffee at least has other chemicals as well that have good benefits. Just saying, there's a very good reason people are biased against pills...they are not good for you. Coffee is so dirt cheap anyway. Don't buy it at Starbucks, drink it black for the cheapest option, no problem. Probably cheaper than a bottle of caffeine pills. Cheapest option of all is to cut back on caffeine if you're that dependent on it, and find alternate and healthier means of energy, like drinking enough water, getting exercise, eating right, getting enough B-vitamins...

Couldn't have said it better. And those caffeine pills just give me the jitters, its way to much of a dose even if you cut it in half. Its direct caffeine not indirect I guess.

[thesimplemoneyblog]

I enjoy coffee too much to cut it out like that and replace it with a pill. I don't just want it for the caffeine, I like the taste, warmth in the winter, etc.

[roxymoxie14]

Make sure to have food with either!

I have found that coffee is a natural addiction to those that end up working in a Cube Farm (or anything close to it). It's really the taste and psychology of it, eventually the caffeine does nothing for those who have to survive another work day. Caffeine pills are great for students or those that need to stay up for late night projects, moving, etc.

But REGARDLESS of which one you choose, make sure you have eaten something substantial or you risk a stomach ache thanks to the acid and nothing to absorb it. And acid reflux/heartburn isn't for the weak to muster!

And of course, too much of either can make some people jittery and sitting in a cube farm is no environment for the jitters!!

[falboe]

Great idea, I did this before I began working at Starbucks and now get free coffee every week. You can buy bulk caffeine powder which is even cheaper.