2017: How much will you spend on tea this year?

I spend about $1000 last year on tea and teaware. I’d like to stay at that level or less this year. I need to sip down my cupboard.

Jan: $45.90
Little Woods-12.90
White2Tea-30
swap-3

I will spend…way too much! Honestly, I’ve kind of given up on budgeting for tea specifically. I’ve set limits the last few years but then totally failed when a great sale came along. But as long as I’m hitting my savings goals each month, I’m not going to beat myself up over it.

I’m up to $360 already, and that’s not including my subscriptions to White 2 Teas, and Eco Cha’s tea clubs. The order I just made with Yunnan Sourcing included about 10 puerh samples, and if I like them, I’m sure I’ll buy the cakes. I think I’ll think about a tea budget next year. It’s already too late this one.

I am terrible at tracking my tea purchases but I know I spent a lot less in 2016 than I did in 2015. I started off 2016 with over 170 teas in my cupboard. Even with purchases throughout the year I am at 104 as of today. I plan on having a bit of buying spree when the green teas come out and maybe a little more in the fall. Since green teas are the ones I love the most I have to make sure I don’t overbuy and have them go bad. In 2016, I focused more on the teas I truly love instead of stocking my cabinet with every tea I could find to try. I think 2017 will be even more focused. I haven’t set a budget in dollars but my budget has to do more with what I can drink down.

Last year I finished off at about $800 for the year. At the moment I’m looking forward to a year of more thoughtful purchases while I drink down my very overstuffed cupboard! Need to accept that my tastes have just changed…I can’t hack some of the brands I used to love anymore.

Reserving a spot in this thread now so I can remember to come back to it!

January so far:
$6 Harney & Sons

I don’t even want to know what I spent in 2016 considering I am sure it is a lot but for this year I think I will keep track of it. So…as of now I have spent the following:

January: $81.92
DAVIDsTEA (Teaware) $49.72
Canada Post (mailing tea packages) $32.20

February: $145.88
DAVIDsTEA $15.00
52 Teas $101.44
DAVIDsTEA $14.29
52 Teas $15.15

March: $75.12
DAVIDsTEA $59.12
Tealish $16.00

April: $253.94
DAVIDsTEA $86.91
A Quarter to Tea (sent to Sil) $66.14
Uline (1/2 of $201.78 for bags, split with Evol) $100.89
I also finished off a $50 DAVIDsTEA gift card that I got for my birthday

May: $53.42
52 Teas $53.42

June: $216.98
DAVIDsTEA $77.18
Riddle Tea Shoppe $54.66
Tickled Tea $56.00
Canada Post (mailing tea packages) $29.14

July: $266.12
Canada Post $28.87
52 Teas $80.94
DAVIDsTEA $136.73
DAVIDsTEA $24.10
DAVIDsTEA ($4.52)

August: $82.51
A Quarter to Tea $35.07
DAVIDsTEA $47.44

September: $104.39
52 Teas $54.37
DAVIDsTEA $22.60
DAVIDsTEA $6.36
52 Teas $21.06

October: $36.91
DAVIDsTEA $9.61
52 Teas $27.30

November: $320.26
A Quarter to Tea $29.70
Sips By $18.34
August Uncommon $45.29
Necessiteas $122.99
Sil (joint What-Cha, TeaBento & 52 Teas orders) $103.94

December: $220.50
A Quarter to Tea $29.77
DAVIDsTEA $6.08
Bluebird Tea $153.14
Sipsby $31.51

GRAND TOTAL: $1,857.95

I am happy to say that I’m a week into 2017 and I haven’t spent a penny. If I can keep my purchases under a $1000 this year, it’ll be a vast improvement over the unfettered spending I did in 2016, like I was some kind of trust fund baby.

I don’t think I’m going to set a budget this year .. I’m still working on building my yixing collection and I think I would just keep buying stuff regardless of my budget lol but I have a massive stash right now so I’m going to try to wait till the spring teas start coming out before buying any more tea …

Tea:
January:
Treasure Green tea co – $42
The Chinese Tea Shop – $53.68
Jalam Tea Club – $22
Crimson lotus – $78.47
Bitterleaf – $142.10

Teaware:
January:
Crimson lotus – $149.79

Running total: $488.04 Jesus

I need to focus on sipping down my current stash! I spent $961.50 in 2015 and $734.75 in 2016. Keeping with that trend, my goal is to spend no more than $550 this year. My tea indulgences have shifted to bubble tea and teahouses so that’s something to keep an eye on. Also tea festival spending! That’s always dangerous.

January total: $136.61
DavidsTea: $18.00
Te Company (tea tasting): $52.00
Te Company: $26.61
Chatime Station: $8.00
Chatime Station: $10.00
Chatime Station: $17.00
Nohohon: $5.00

February total: $96.00
Chatime Station: $6.00
Chatime Station: $7.00
TJ’s (matcha): $7.00
Japanese market (matcha): $7.00
Yunomi: $69.00

March total: $116.16
Te Company: $34.00
Chatime Station: $7.75
Te Company: $18.39
Gong Cha: $9.52
NYC Coffee and Tea Festival: $46.50

April total: $132.71
Chatime Station: $17.00
Te Company: $22.32
Teavivre: $15.40
A Quarter to Tea: $22.95
Te Company: $49.54
Chatime Station: $5.50

May
Bitaco group buy: $15.74
Te Company: $26.55
Chatime Station: $6.75
Rumi Saffron Tea: $16.99
Amazon teacups: $10.10
Tea Drunk: $21.51
Setsugekka: $2.00

Total to Date: $581.12

I spent $1200 in 2014 and $1320 last year, but succeeded in stocking my pumidor. My big goal this year is sipdowns: a minimum of 100, and a stretch goal of 200. I know I’ll still want to buy tea, but will try to limit myself to $800: 2 big puerh purchases, and if I drink enough non-puerh tea I can re-stock on Black Friday.

July Update: I was feeling really good about my tea purchases, but just did a Bitterleaf order and am participating in a group buy that will push me over my $800 limit. That’s OK; I’m worth it :) $1,000 is still possible, but perhaps not realistic.