2023: How Much Will You Spend On Tea This Year!?

The tradition continues!

Time to track how much you’re spending on tea each year. You can edit a comment to keep track throughout the year, or make a new comment for each month/purchase – totally up to you! A lot of people set a budget/goal for the year or an amount they’d like to stay under per month. Some folk include teaware purchases or costs that go towards one on one swaps or things like travelling tea boxes, and others don’t. There is no wrong way to set your budget or track what you’re spending!

If you’ve seen past years threads and felt awkward joining in mid year, now is a perfect time to join in – and if you’re seeing this in the future and it’s the middle of the year don’t feel like you can’t start mid way through!

So have fun, and lets track our tea spending!

2022: https://steepster.com/discuss/43803-2022-how-much-will-you-spend-on-tea-this-year

2021: https://steepster.com/discuss/42497-2021-how-much-will-you-spend-on-tea-this-year

2020: https://steepster.com/discuss/38946-2020-how-much-will-you-spend-on-tea-this-year

2019: https://steepster.com/discuss/29706-2019-how-much-will-you-spend-on-tea-this-year

2018 – https://steepster.com/discuss/20676-2018-how-much-will-you-spend-on-tea-this-year

2017 – https://steepster.com/discuss/14961-2017-how-much-will-you-spend-on-tea-this-year

2016 – https://steepster.com/discuss/12376-2016-how-much-will-you-spend-on-tea-this-year

2015 – http://steepster.com/discuss/10160-2015-how-much-will-you-spend-on-tea-this-year

2014 – http://steepster.com/discuss/6837-how-much-did-you-spend-on-tea-in-2014

Also going to cross post this year’s Sipdown Challenge thread as well, as I know that many people’s spending is influenced not just by budget but by sipdowns as well.

https://steepster.com/discuss/44707-2023-sipdown-progress-thread

24 Replies

My personal breakdown from past years:

2022 – $9466.96
2021 – $10399.22
2020 – $7920.87
2019 – $4791.51
2018 – $3929.54
2017 – $3805.50
2016 – $2034.13
2015 – $1998.46
2014 – $1466.61

Last year was the first year where I successfully spent less money than a previous year, so even though I was over budget I’m considering it a successful year!

I also tracked tea and teaware spending independently for each other.It was actually closer to 50/50 than expected. Seeing that was really helpful, so I’m continuing that tracking method this year as well.

Realistically, I’m in a priviledged enough spot that a lack of funds hasn’t really been my issue for a few years now. The real challenge is getting to be a lack of space! So, with that in mind, I think my goals for the year are:

1. Spend less overall than what I did in 2022 (Loose Target = Under $8K)
2. Buy less tea/teaware overall in terms of QUANTITY!

A big part of that is going to be breaking the habit of buying full cakes of tea instead of samples – I started doing that in early 2022 and it helped, but I dropped off near the end of the year. Gonna try and stick with it this time!

January Purchases: $1283.71
Volition Tea (Tea + Teaware) $185.37
T2 (Tea + Teaware) $120.00
Magic Hour (Tea) $266.00
Almost Tea (Tea) $80.00
Genuine Tea (Tea) $12.00
Mika (Teaware) $17.00
Amani Tea (Tea + Teaware) $25.00
Zhen Tea (Tea) $67.00
Hokusan (Teaware) $65.00
Momo Tea (Tea) $30.00
TCM Six (Tea + Teaware) $100.00
Cha Gloriette (Tea) $106.00
Secret Tea Time (Teaware) $45.00
Lemon Lily (Tea) $20.00
Soocha Tea (Tea + Teaware) $92.34
Tea Rebellion (Tea) $13.00
The Tea Practitioner (Tea) $20.00
Tao Tea Leaf (Tea) $10.00
Relaxing Rocco (Tea) $10.00

February Purchases: $181.60
Almost Tea (Tea) $26.60
Trader Nick’s (Tea) $155.00

March Purchases: $717.00
Bread & Badger (Teaware) $230.00
White2Tea (Tea) $330.00
Bitterleaf Tea (Teaware) $157.00

April Purchases: $386.00
Rishi (Tea) $260.00
Friday Tea (Tea) $126.00

May Purchases: $1934.47
Almost Tea (Tea) $46.15
Tea Thoughts (Tea + Teaware) $150.00
White2Tea (Tea + Teaware) $542.50
Murchie’s Tea & Coffee (Tea) $44.76
Paragon Tea Room (Tea) $65.54_
Treasure Green Tea (Tea + Teaware) $198.11
O5 (Tea + Teaware) $242.43
Silk Road Tea (Tea) $23.98
Granville Island Tea (Tea) $23.10
Circle Craft Ceramics (Teaware) $193.76
Chinese Tea Shop (Tea + Teaware) $117.00
Cultivate Tea (Tea) $79.00
Special Teas (Tea) $27.25
Westholme Tea (Tea) $96.75
Mud Room Clayworks (Teaware) $28.00
Fairmont Empress (Tea) $56.14

June Purchases: $364.19
The Silk Tea Co. (Tea) $177.19
Bird & Blend (Tea) $187.00

July Purchases: $530.61
Studio Hecha (Teaware) $158.05
Traditions Handcrafted Ceramics (Teaware) $44.40
Cathedral Arts School (Teaware) $40.00
52Teas (Tea) $131.16
Liquid Proust (Teaware) $141.00
Cuppa’T Specialty Teas (Tea) $16.00

August Purchases: $543.43
Bitterleaf Tea (Teaware) $140.11
Seven Teahouse (Tea) $90.32
Traditions Handcrafted Ceramics (Teaware) $111.00
Camellia Sinensis (Teaware) $202.00

September Purchases: $706.20
Petra Mud Works (Teaware) $89.00
Magic Hour (Tea) $448.00
Fortnum & Mason (Tea) $91.90
52Teas (Tea) $77.30

October Purchases: $1479.81
Plum Deluxe (Tea) $130.00
Tea Thoughts (Tea) $108.00
Bitterleaf Tea (Teaware) $728.75
Bird & Blend (Tea) $125.00
Steven Smith Teamaker (Tea) $229.06
White2Tea (Tea) $159.00

November Purchases: $1111.00
Bitterleaf Teas (Tea) $135.00
White2Tea (Teaware) $285.00
Soocha Tea (Tea + Teaware) $66.00
Grass People Tree (Teaware) $128.00
Salt Stone Ceramics (Teaware) $497.00

December Purchases: $709.49
White2Tea (Tea) $187.00
Bitterleaf Teas (Teaware) $522.49

TEA SPENDING TOTAL: $4971.89
TEAWARE SPENDING TOTAL: $4383.66

GRAND TOTAL: $9947.51

Just making a note for myself that my Volition Purchase was for the Lunar New Year box – which contains tea, teaware, and food items. However, because there’s no way to see the individual value of each item and the cake of pu’erh is the ‘highest value’ I’m only listing it under my tea spending total.

Between T2’s US closure and going to Toronto Tea Festival, I ended up WAYYYYY over budget for January – so I’m setting myself a goal of buying NOTHING until end of February at the earliest.

Just noting that the reason my May was SO INTENSE was because I was on vacation for a week in BC with the specific goal of visiting as many tea shops as possible while there.

My goal is to not buy anything else for June-August – but I will make exceptions for any new limited edition tea or teaware released by W2T or BLT during those months or any local shops in SK when I go back home for a few weeks in July/Aug.

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2019 total: $200
2020 total: $195.57
2021 total: $57.20
2022 total: $86.25
2023 total: $66.38

Aiming for a $0 2023! Sorry, tea shops!

edited 8/10/23
$4.99 Throat Coat (for Gram)
$27.19 [Maya Tea]
$19.20 [Teavivre]

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Random said

No limit again this year, just want to make sure I am tracking.

2021 total – $329.44
2022 total – $443.88 (+ gift cards – $190.75)

Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr – None

May – restocks
Tea Runners – $69.85

June
Harney and Sons – $5.00 (+last of gift card – $32.00)
Whispering Pines – $31.33 (restock)

July
Adagio – $1.55 (+last of gift card – $52.25)

August – restock
Whispering Pines – $44.50

September/October – None

November – restock
DavidsTea – $51.54

December – None

Final totals:
Spent – $203.77
+
Gift Cards – $84.25

Random said

Just realized I have not tracked the 2 or 3 boxes of Celestial Seasonings I’ve purchased this year. I guess this is for tracking (as my coworker calls it) boujee tea purchases. :)

Also kind of hoping Nov is the last of my tea purchases for the year. I honestly have neither the need nor desire for any more tea until likely spring when I’ll be ready for more restocks.

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Courtney said

2019 total $383.53
2020 total $528.07
2021 total $449.05
2022 total $590.98

2023 TOTAL $715.02
$129.27 Mountain Stream ($90.10 USD, 19-March)
$79.20 Camellia Sinensis (23-March)
$101.87 Mountain Stream ($73.00 USD, 15-April)
$78.18 Mountain Stream ($56.30 USD, 8-May)
$181.81 Tante T
$144.69 Nabo (2x advent calendars, extra tea)

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LuckyMe said

2022 total: $354
2023: $0 on tea so far but spent $21 for a Hagi ware teacup at a Japanese shop while visiting LA last week

Other than replenishing my fresh greens and oolongs, I plan to drink down my cupboard so overall spending should be similar to or a little less than last year.

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Shae said

I don’t have a specific goal this year, aside from maybe planning to spend less than last year.

2021 Total: $1,004.25 USD
2022 Total: $728.27 USD

January: $33.10
Mighty Leaf Tea: $18.63
Shipping for Steepster Swap/Buy: $14.47

February: $66.25
Amazon: $66.25

March: Zero!

April: $2.69
Kroger: $2.69

May: Zero!

June: $228.38
Whispering Pines: $69.50
Mandala Tea: $106.00
Whispering Pines: $52.88

July: $101.75
52Teas: $101.75

August: $136.20
High Garden Tea: $136.20

September:
Kroger/Bigelow: $4.29

October: Zero!

November:
Be Still Tea: $28.73

December:
52Teas: $29.00

2023 Total: $630.39 USD

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2019- $2,180.21
2020- $3,570.78
2021- $1,451.33
2022- $716.92

Quite an improvement in 2022! My goal is to stay under $500 this year.

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Kelmishka said

I’ve never tracked my tea purchases and am not a big spender, but I’m interested to start tracking this year! I’m not including the price of shipping for swaps, etc.

2023:

January: $54.50
T2: $32.50
52Teas [subscription]: $22

February: $30
52Teas [subscription]: $22
Fairhope (Alabama teas from Skysamurai): $8

March: $54
52Teas [subscription]: $20
Mountain Stream Teas: $34

April: $23
52Teas [subscription]: $23

May: $23
52Teas [subscription]: $23

June: $23
52Teas [subscription]: $23

July: $23
52Teas [subscription]: $23

2023 total: $230.50 USD

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Dustin said

2018: 740
2019: 848.36
2020: 796.40
2021: 972.92
2022: 542.79
2023: 565.69

Wow, I did good in 2022! 2023 here we go!

Jan:$54.22
Fortnum & Mason 14.95 pounds, so $18.25
Casa Pereira Da Conceicao 31.60 euro, so $34.19

Feb:
Arthur Dove $58.22

April: $197.50
Fauchon $48
Lupicia $21
TWG $68
Leaful $18
Jugetsudo $4
Tea&Spoon $2.50
Yunomi Life $11
Cha Ginza $12
Azuma Tea $13

May: Lupicia $75.25

October: Bird and Blend $80
Churchill’s $30.50

November: $70 on Fauchon advent

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Kaylee said

Thanks for starting this thread Roswell, and for linking to the old ones! I really need to get better about my spending this year, and stop buying teaware. There is literally no space left to put the tea, new stuff is just living on the table because I’m out of room!

Previous years’ spending
2014: $965.89
2015: $961.50
2016: $734.75
mid-2017: $581.12 (stopped tracking halfway through the year)
2022: $1,506.46 (higher in reality but there are purchases I didn’t record)

Well, I made it six days longer into this year than last year before making a purchase, but the T2 closing sale got me!

January
T2: $98 ($32 tea/$32 candles/$34 teaware)
DavidsTea: $19.61 ($13.61 tea/$6 lip butter)
T2: $42.50 (all tea)
TeaThoughts: $47.80 ($7.80 teaware/$40 Galentine’s Day box)

February
Tealeaves: $18.95 (tea)
Tea Thoughts: $36.74 (spring countdown box)

March
52teas: $17.75 (tea)
Tea Thoughts: $9 (tea)

April
Taiwan trip: $836.32 ($573.54 tea/ $262.78 teaware)

May
Yunomi: $115.56 (tea)
Lupicia: $59.08 (tea)
Te Company sourcing box: $78 (tea)
Calabash Tea: $26.42 (tea)
TeaThoughts: $39 (summer countdown box)
Adagio: $4 (tea)
Courtney stash sale: $18.71 (tea)

June
52teas: $23 (tea)

July
52teas: $14.50 (tea)
52teas: $25.50 (tea)
Dessert by Deb: $50.12 (tea) (re-opening)

August
DavidsTea: $43.82 (tea)
Tea Thoughts: $40 (fall countdown box)

September
52teas: $55 (advent)

October
Tea Thoughts: $55 (winter countdown box)
Plum Deluxe: $57 (advent & Hannukah sampler)
DavidsTea: $30 (tea)

November
Plum Deluxe: $11.20 (tea)

December
52teas: $44.25 (tea)
DavidsTea: $24 (tea)

Total: $1,940.83
tea subtotal: $1,275
teaware subtotal: $304.58
advents/countdowns subtotal: $322.74
miscellaneous accessories subtotal: $38

I’m having similar space issues, especially with teaware lol… :|

Kaylee said

I might actually have to prune my teaware collection a little, I just don’t know what to do with it… maybe put it on the swap page?

LuckyMe said

If you’re a Reddit user, you can try putting them on r/Teaexchange.

I’m also getting ready to destash my teaware collection. There are quite a few pieces that, to quote Marie Kondo, just don’t spark joy anymore lol.

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