2015: How much will you spend on tea this year?

My budget/estimate will be $300 for the year, which is $25 a month. That sounds like a do-able amount (until sales come along as well as spending to soothe the soul).

Last year’s budget was $500. I spent $440 through Nov 10 then blew 346 on Black Friday weekend.

This years budget is $600. The plan is to make two big pu-erh purchases in Spring and Summer, then spend the remainder on Black Friday to replenish my other teas. S&H from China can be over $20 per purchase so I want to have only a few big orders. We’ll see how it works out.

I like the idea of keeping track this year to see what the damage is!

Updated March 3rd
JalamTeas 24/month
Butiki 32.98
WP 33.25
Tippy’s 35.30
A&D DFT 27.15
Nannuoshan 96.51
Misty Peak 20.30
DavidsTea 24.83
Tea Ave 82.90

Running Total: $425.22 and it’s only March!

Wow, compared to other people here my tea spending is quite low. No tea purchases so far this month and according to Mint, I spent a grand total of $202 on tea last year (not counting teaware). Not bad.

I’ve always been careful buying tea because I’ve been burned so many times. There’s nothing I hate more than paying good money for tea and then having to chuck it because it’s undrinkable. So I stick to the tried and true, straight greens and oolongs, which are generally predictable and buy flavored teas sparingly.

Also, buying online and in bulk saves money over brick & mortar tea shops which tend to be pricey and quality not always up to par.

I told myself I was going to use up all my tea before I bought more. Yesterday I ordered three more teas, although they where only 22 dollars, so I suppose I’m not off to such a bad start.

I’ve been resisting posting here so far but I know I spent too much last year. I want to keep a budget of about $50.00 per month (which should be more than enough)- $600.00 yearly.

So far for January I’ve spent over already so will have to be good for February….(but my buckwheat tea is running out!)…Maybe March???

January purchases so far:
Yunomi 85.47US($50.00 is teaware)
Aliexpress 21.11
Tealux 15.00

Total 121.58

I don’t think I will be attending the Toronto Tea Festival and will probably scour Value Village for extra teaware.

less than last year (I hope!)
I signed up for the White2Tea Club, which is 29.90 USD each month.
bought some teaware, that I had my eyes on for ages, so my wishlist is rather empty for now….

I only drink greens, and oolongs (love, love, love them) and young sheng. Not too keen on black and hate anything flavoured, apart from a delicate, and good green earl grey.

So far so good… $0.00!!!!! … I expect to spend about $1000 this year. I’d like it to be less but… well, you know how it goes ;-D

I am trying to stick to a no-buying hiatus until I am around 100 teas, so this will significantly affect my tea spending habits. Last year was pretty out of control, so this year I would like to budget $600 max (an average of $50.00 a month). Ideally this would include teaware…but that remains to be seen lol.

So far for January, I broke my hiatus yesterday for a last-in-stock puerh cake that I have been wanting to try since about Nov. last year, so I am at:

January – Whispering Pines – $34.46 CAD

I also fell off the wagon for Butiki’s final sale, and I found a perfect teapot for TGY that I had to get..and a teapet lol. The teaware is an early bday present to myself, and the Butiki is mostly for my bf’s bday, although I will also sample the assortment :P

Butiki – $25.00
Yunnan Sourcing – $160.00

January Total = $219.46 (including teaware)

February Total = $0

March Total = $5.00

March – DavidsTea – roughly $5.00, I can’t find the receipt lol (25g of White Nectarine)

April Total = $141.00

I splurged on a new Jianshui pot, I just couldn’t help myself lol.

May Total = ~$71.00

Verdant, and I factored in my $10 mug from a local pottery sale.

June Total = ~$66.00

Hit the Mandala Tea sale for some restocks of my puerh collection.
_________________________________
Running Total (including teaware) = ~ $502.46

So now with including teaware, I have already used up ~84% of my budget. Keep in mind, I originally was not going to include teaware, but I am going to keep track of that as well to see how bad it gets lol. Only about $100 left, and Black Friday is still coming! :(

January 2015
Adagio: $2.75 (kukicha)