Who doesn’t love easy Starbucks menu hacks that can save you significant money on your next trip. After all, the idea of walking into a Starbucks and shelling out $7 for a milkshake is something many of us dread like the plague. In the past we’ve talked about some practical ways to save money at Starbucks, but today I wanted to dissect their menu and tell you about some cool hacks that’ll save you money on your next coffee order.

Here are the 7 Starbucks menu hacks and secrets worth knowing:

1. Order a “Short” in a Tall Cup

The next time you order a brewed coffee at Starbucks, order a “Short” and ask for it in a “Tall” cup. Your barista will pour your cup about 3/4 full and hand it to you.

Once you top it off with a half and half or whole milk, you’ll basically have a Tall cup for the price of a Short.

Also, you can get similar savings by ordering a Tall in a Grande sized cup OR a Grande in a Venti cup.

This allows for the maximum amount of coffee and you have complete control over how much whole milk or half and half you pour into your cup.

One more thing, if you’re a Starbucks rewards member your Brewed Coffee and Tea refill is completely FREE when drinking in-store.

See Also: Hack the Starbucks Rewards Program for More Savings

2. Split a Venti Frappuccino to Save Money

A 24 oz. Venti Frappuccino is about the size of a gas can.

When indulging with a friend, order a Venti along with 2 Tall cups (12 oz each) and split it yourself. They won’t do it for you as they’ll end up charging you for 2 Talls.

So politely ask for a couple cups and they’ll happily oblige.

As you can see from the screenshot above, you’ll pay $6.25 for the Venti instead of a ridiculous $10.90 for two Talls.

Both options yield you the same coffee so ALWAYS opt for the Venti and split it and save money.

If you don’t have anyone to split it with then save half of it in the refrigerator and make an iced Frappuccino the next day.

PRO TIP: FREE REFILLS IN-STORE

As mentioned above, Starbucks Rewards members get a free refill of hot or iced brewed coffee (not a Cold Brew) or tea when drinking in-store (during the same day).

But did you know that the refill does NOT have to be the same thing you were initially drinking?

So if you order a hot Pike Place and sip it in a Starbucks, you can actually order an iced coffee on your way out the door and it will be completely FREE.

See Also: Starbucks Secret Menu to Help You Save Money (Well, Not Really, It’s Just Fun)

3. Order an Americano for a Cheap Caffeine Fix

If you consider yourself a caffeine junkie and love espresso, order an Americano and get the most bang for your buck.

An Americano is simply hot water poured over two freshly pulled espresso shots.

You can then doctor it with milk and sweetener if you’re looking for more of the traditional coffee taste.

If you want even more caffeine, don’t order an extra shot of espresso for your tall Americano, instead order a “Grande Americano in a tall cup” and get the extra shot cheaper by doing so.

You’ll get 3 shots of espresso, instead of two, and pay less overall.

PRO TIP: MAXIMIZE YOUR REFRESHER COST

The absolute BEST way to save on your Refresher order is to order a Venti with light or NO ice.

Then simply ask for a cup of ice (Grande or Venti cup, doesn’t matter) and add the ice to your Refresher as you drink it. And before you ask, the cup of ice is 100% free.

By doing this little trick, you essentially end up getting two drinks for the price of one.

4. Order a “Pour Over” to Ensure Fresh Coffee

While this Starbucks hack might not save you money, it’s a great tip to ensure the freshest coffee available.

Order a “Pour-Over” and get a freshly ground and brewed cup of coffee instead of something that has been sitting in a hot pot since 5:30 am.

It does take a bit longer, but real coffee aficionados will gladly wait for a fresh cup.

See Also: Want Starbucks Delivered? Here’s How It All Works

5. Order a Cheaper Chai Tea and Make Your Own Latte

For this Starbucks hack to work you’ll need to simply order a Chai Tea (hot water and Tazo tea bag) and add the milk yourself to make a Chai Tea latte.

A Grande latte will run you $3.95 but the water and tea bag will only cost you a little over 2 bucks.

If you really want the steamed milk in your latte, politely ask a barista if they could hook you up. The first 1.5 inches of milk is completely free.

6. Order a French Press when Drinking with Friends

If you’re hitting your local Starbucks with friends, consider ordering a “French Press” and get a a 32 oz to 45 oz (depending on your location) pot of coffee in the $6 to $8 range.

You’ll end up getting your coffee for about half the cost compared to everyone ordering individually.

Update: Many Starbucks locations these days does NOT have a French Press option but it’s still worth asking as they might be able to hook you up with something similar.

7. Additional Menu Hacks:

– Order iced beverages with “Half Ice” or “Light Ice” and get MORE beverage and LESS frozen water.

– Bring in your own mug, or travel tumbler, and Starbucks will give you 10 cents off your next cup of coffee.

– Instead of buying their bottled water, always ask for a cup of water to-go as it’s triple-filtered goodness.

– Consider ordering your next iced tea with “No Water Added” and get it full strength. Otherwise they’ll water that bad boy way down. By getting it full-strength, you can add your own water and get twice as much iced tea for the money.

Ask the Reader: What Starbucks secret menu hacks do you use to save money? Or do you choose to brew at home and forget the whole ruckus?

By Kyle James

Photo by N i c o l a.

Kyle James( Owner/Founder )

I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)