I have to admit, I’m a huge Starbucks fan, and am usually fine with shelling out a few extra dollars to indulge in something tastier than Folgers. Still, I need a new winter wardrobe… so I’m weaning myself off of overpriced coffee drinks (that taste like dessert) and makin’ my coffee at home.

I know it’s a bold move, but after playing around a bit I have learned a few things: 1) Making your own coffee can save you billions, and 2) It is really, really easy. Here are a few tips:

1. Flavor it Up.

Whenever I make my own coffee, no matter how good the brand, or how carefully I measure the coffee-to-water ratio, it always seems to taste like dirt. My solution? Flavor, flavor, flavor. Syrup, syrup, Equal, syrup. Seriously, who just gets a latte from Starbucks? Everyone has their signature: the Pumpkin Latte, Caramel Macchiato, White Chocolate Mocha…what do they have in common? Manufactured taste. Instead of shelling out $4-$5 a day for Starbucks, buy a bottle of Torani Syrups. This brand is used in tons of coffee shops across the country, so you might not even taste the difference.

2. Be Exotic.

Trading a Mocha Java Frappucino for a cup of Dark Roast isn’t going to fly. If you have money to burn on blended concoctions, you can afford gourmet coffees and still save a fortune by brewing them yourself. If you can’t find any good varieties at the store, surf the net to find your new flave: Coffee Been Direct offers Cookiedoodle, Creme Brulee, and Chocolate Raspberry coffees, to name a few; Papa Nicholas features Chocolate Hazelnut and Toasted Southern Pecan, among others; and FlavoredCoffees.Net has an overwhelming selection, from Cherry Cream to Egg Nog to Chocolate Orange. Bonus: FlavoredCoffees.Net also sells Torani syrups! Just add a splash of 2% milk to your tasty brew and you’ll douse your (high priced) cappuccino cravings.

3. Be Your Own Barista.

The internet is smattered with recipe websites, many of which include jazzy coffee beverages. All you need is Google and a ready mug. AllRecipes.com, for example lists a Cappuccino Mix that you can make for yourself, or give as a low-cost gift. The Culinary Review, meanwhile, has a great recipe for a Homemade Chocolate Mocha that you won’t even have to wait in line for!

Once you get the hang of homemade capps and frapps, you can experiment yourself! Double-brew some coffee grounds and pour the extra-strong coffee over ice for an easy iced coffee (the ice will water it down, so you should start off with stronger brew); or cool a pot to room temp and blend it up for a cheap Frappucino. Pulling an all-nighter? Pour hot coffee over a scoop of your favorite ice cream; you can indulge while you give yourself that extra boost!

4. Go For the Splurge.

If you REALLY don’t think you can substitute your fave Starbucks drink for a plain-jane coffee, invest in your own espresso machine. Yes, it will be pricey, but that one time purchase will still be cheaper than a daily Dunkin Donuts run. You’ll also save time on going out of your way to stop at the shop, and you won’t have to worry about the Barista giving you too much foam.

Nespresso has machines starting at $200, about the cost of a month’s worth of Tall Skinny Lattes, while Whole Latte Love has a decent model for $100. Search espresso machines by price at BizRate.com and find a simple yet classic Italian taste…for ONLY $23!. I’ve spent way over that in ONE DAY on coffee before.

So there you have it – four perfectly good options to start your own coffee service in the privacy of your own apartment or dorm. You’ll acquire a taste for non-Starbucks caffeinated beverages while saving tons of money for some more worthy splurges.

Or, if all else fails, you can save a couple dollars a day by switching to energy drinks, which are usually only about $2 for a giant can. That means you can drink THREE for the price of a venti Chai Tea Latte! Not that I have been known to drink three energy drinks in one day. I mean, that would mean I have a problem. <Cough.>

[For more money-saving tips for the college budget, join CollegeCandy's Facebook group!]

All summer, everywhere I go, if it’s after 3pm, everyone is drinking beer. And, look, it’s not that I don’t like alcohol. I am a very big fan of wine. But if you drink wine while everyone is drinking beer, you suddenly become the butt of every joke. Which I totally get. But, I digress.

I don’t think the perfect summer drink is beer. I think it’s–wait for it, wait for it–TEA.

That’s right, tea. Don’t you know that drinking hot things cools you off, silly? Plus, tea is great for you and is very refreshing.

Here are some summer teas to help you cool off when everyone is making fun of you for shunning beer:

Chai Tea

Chai is the best of all tea worlds, if you ask me. It’s strong black tea with milk and sugar and spices. Delicious. Make it an iced chai and you’re set for the summer.

Thai Iced Tea

Spiced and sweet and, best of all, iced for your summer enjoyment.

Ginseng Green Tea

So high in antioxidants it’s kind of ridiculous. Plus, the ginseng helps keep you energized and alert (green tea naturally has less caffeine than black tea). Steer clear of the bottled Arizona kind, as delish as it is, to avoid excess sugar.

White Darjeeling Tea

White tea has even more antioxidants than green tea, and it’s low in caffeine so you can drink it at night when everyone else is drinking yucko beer around the campfire.

But, of course, if you absolutely need the caffeine (like I do), go for:

Keemun Tea

A black tea from China, keemun is deep and strong and strangely chocolatey (something I can always appreciate). It’s a black tea, so it’s fully caffeinated. So drink up, jitterbugs!

And if sweet and delicious is more your thing, try:

Bubble Tea

It has no nutritional value and it’s high in fat and it probably doesn’t have much caffeine, but it has squishy tapioca balls (sound gross but are great) and is so sweet and delicious, you must drink it all summer. And that’s an order, soldier!

So join me, friends, in the campaign of tea! Put down that high calorie beer and do your body a favor with summer tea. Summer tea! SUMMER TEAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

[Image courtesy of http://www.everythingcoffee-tea.com]