Make Your Go-To Starbucks Drink Cheaper With A Sweet Swap

Customizing a drink at Starbucks can be a costly endeavor. From syrups to drizzles to toppings, the additions can quickly tack on anywhere from a few dollars to almost doubling the price of a drink that's not inexpensive to begin with. Though you can always recreate your favorite Starbucks drinks at home, sometimes you just need a coffee on the go. Most of the available customizations come with an added fee, but there are some free ones as well. Knowing which options are complimentary can completely change the way you order, and help you save some money in the process, without sacrificing taste.

If you regularly add a few pumps of syrup or a cold foam to your favorite Starbucks drink, consider another sweet and creamy choice that just so happens to be free: Whipped cream. Starbucks' variety is thick, rich, and lightly sweetened with vanilla syrup. If you stir it into your coffee, it dissolves and acts just like coffee creamer. You can already get a complimentary small cup of whipped cream if you order a pup cup (named as such because it's intended to be a little treat for your dog) so it makes sense that it is also a free topping for drinks. Make the change and you could find a new fave.

There are several drinks on the standard Starbucks menu that include whipped cream, such as the various Frappuccino flavors as well as mochas and hot chocolates. There is also an espresso drink called an espresso con panna which is a double shot of espresso topped with whipped cream. However, it can often cost less to build a drink from a simple base and add whipped cream to it than to purchase the menu item as is. For example, a latte with the addition of mocha sauce and free whipped cream has the same ingredients as a mocha but costs less, even with the surcharge of the chocolate sauce.

Whipped cream is available in the app to add to hot and cold coffee drinks as well as hot teas. You'll find it in the toppings category. Opt for light or extra whipped cream and it remains free. You may be able to add it to other drinks as well if ordering in person, as cream isn't listed as an option for cold teas or Refreshers. If replacing a syrup with whipped cream, keep in mind that you are adding dairy and don't have all the Starbucks syrup flavors to choose from. Similarly, cold foam and whipped cream are different and similar at the same time, but cold foam does have more flavor varieties. Even with these concessions, though, swapping in whipped cream is still a smart, cost-saving choice.