Swap Out Your Pricey Starbucks Coffee For An Affordable Dollar Tree Find

The variety of bottled and canned coffee drinks available for grab-and-go has come a long way in recent years. Even more high-end brands like La Colombe and Blue Bottle make bottled coffee or cold brew drinks to-go now. While these can be extremely convenient for your busy routine, the habit of grabbing one every time you visit a corner store or gas station — in addition to your weekly Starbucks runs — can add up quickly. If you're looking to cut back on your coffee budget, look into buying your ready-made coffee from Dollar Tree instead. You might already shop at this budget-friendly chain for inexpensive name-brand snacks or cheap finds that will help you organize your kitchen. Dollar Tree also has a brand of canned coffee beverages that is remarkably similar to Starbucks' ready-to-drink coffees and Frappuccinos, so you might want to grab a few the next time you stop in. 

The brand to look out for at Dollar Tree is Victor Allen's, which sells iced coffee latte cans in classic flavors like mocha, peppermint mocha, vanilla, and caramel. Victor Allen's even has more enticing and unexpected flavors based on other popular sweets, including Snickers, Twix, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch — perfect for breakfast cereal fans. The best part about these tasty drinks might be their price; just $1.25 for an 11-ounce can is a true steal in today's economy.

Of course, the real question is, how does the Victor Allen's brand of canned to-go coffee taste, and does it really compare to a sweet sip of Starbucks? Brewed coffee, milk, sugar, and cream are among the main ingredients, just like with many of Starbuck's drinks. Overall, most people have positive things to say about the affordable caffeinated drinks, but flavor preferences may vary. "The Victor Allen coffee is good, but would taste better served cold with ice," one Reddit user wrote. Dollar Tree doesn't typically refrigerate the drinks in store.

However, others noted just how sweet the candy and cereal flavors were, so you might not like them if you don't have much of a sweet tooth. "They taste like a candy bar in a can," another Reddit user wrote. The Cinnamon Toast Crunch cans contain 17 grams of sugar per serving, so these reviewers might be onto something, especially if you monitor your sugar intake. 

Don't neglect to browse the discount chain for your other coffee needs as well. Dollar Tree also carries a grab-and-go coffee called Super Coffee, which contains 10 grams of protein per can, just one of the high protein items you can find at Dollar Tree. You can also get bags of ground coffee to brew at home for around $2 if you really want to kick the "out to grab coffee" habit for good.