How Much Should You Tip For That $7 Latte? Let's Break It Down

There was a time, not even terribly long ago in the grand scheme of things, when people had to get up pretty early in the morning to brew their own coffee before following a paper map to work at the dial-up internet factory or whatever. But nowadays it seems like there's a coffee place on every corner. Just ask anyone's grandpa. And those ubiquitous java spots sell more than drip, too; one can order all manner of caffeinated beverages on a spectrum from regular joe to the viral-ccino of the moment. It's a convenience worth celebrating — perhaps with a monetary token of appreciation for your hardworking barista. So, tip on your freaking $7 latte.

Whether you're visiting from a destination where tipping is not the norm, or it's just your first day being a person, know that 20% is the conventionally acceptable tip amount. And 20% of $7 is $1.40. Go nuts and kick it up to $2 if you can, which is an easy way to affect the air of the casually wealthy. For folks whose manners arrested at 15%, that's $1.05 on your $7 cup of steamed milk and espresso; round down to a buck and you'll look lazy, but probably not egregiously cheap, at least. Not that looking cheap needs to be your biggest concern. Fail to conform to this long-established social norm and you'll come across even worse: like you just don't care.

If a dollar or two on top of what already sounds like kind of a lot for a latte just becomes a bridge too far, it sounds like you're looking for a detour. Creating a coffee bar at home will almost certainly be cheaper than buying the stuff each day, but only quite a while after your initial investment. Or, it might technically cost you more, depending on the value of your own billable hours. That isn't even taking into account the less tangible value you may place on not having to start each day with yet one more chore.

If you still want to save money at the register, however, there's about a two in three chance that you can order a smaller latte, tip 20% on that amount, and probably not notice the loss of a couple of ounces. You can also switch to a misto, a latte-like drink that uses brewed coffee instead of espresso, and thus might be a little less expensive. Or, there's always the analog cuppa, which, we'll bet you 20%, definitely will be.