What's in YOUR wallet?

I recently became the proud owner of the Starbucks Gold Card – free with the purchase of way too many exorbitantly priced coffees.  And here’s the really nifty part of Gold Card status – the starbuckies gold card automatically “reloads” from your credit card whenever it falls below a set dollar amount.  [otherwise known as every 3 days for me.]  

Now that I’m using this card for all my SB purchases, the Mother Ship has complete visibility to about 30% of my discretionary spend.  They know what time I drink my coffee [hourly], what city I am in [Nasvhille?  Baltimore?  Philly? ....no wonder this bitch needs coffee] and which food phase I’m going through [how many meals in a row can I eat oatmeal at?]  If I ever go missing, I think Starbucks would be the first to notify authorities.  “She hasn’t had a latte in a day and a half, please send help right away.”

I have to admit, however, given the treasure trove of data I’m supplying SB on my caffeinated consumerism, the Gold Card perks are kind of skimpy.  After 15 purchases, I get a free drink.  A  free drink?!  I mean….that’s nice and all…. but I’d be getting the drink anyway.  I want something EXTRA for my super-special, gold-card self.  If this were airline status – I’d have my own line at Starbucks and I’d be offered a free cocktail when I sat down.  I would especially like to jump ahead of that woman who ordered the extra-hot grande nonfat 4 pump upside down carmel macchiato.  I guess the nonfat and carmel cancel each other out??  [I’ve been informed it’s no different than my order of Diet Coke with my fries.]

You used to get a free pump of syrup with every drink [again…..meh].  But SB discontinued that perk.  I guess the cost of a teaspoon size squirt of sugar [that must be subject to the biggest volume discount in the history of the world] got to be too pricey for Daddy Starbucks. 

I have to say, though...the linkage to the credit card is a little more visible than those cash transactions.  I think I liked it better when I couldn’t see how much I was spending at Starbuckies.