How to create a coffee bar on a budget

Create your own coffee/tea station with simple and budget friendly finds with these tips and ideas.

Coffee and tea lovers are usually peculiar about the taste of their drink, they know what they want and how they want it!

If that is you then chances are not only you know what you want and how you want it, you also know how to make it. Making your own coffee when you get up in the morning or when you want an afternoon cup, eliminates the need to go to coffee shops, saving time that can be spent on other activities.

With the right tools you can achieve the flavor and taste of your favorite drink from your favorite coffee shop right at the comfort of your home, whenever you want it!

Well, considering you are here reading this article, it is probably safe to assume that you were looking for ways to create your own coffee bar so I am not going to waste time trying to convince you to get one. All I am going to say is:

CONGRATULATIONS! You are about to become a coffee and tea snob and that is totally fine because here is what you will be accomplishing:

• Save time by not having to go to stores to purchase coffee or tea

• Save money by not paying store price

• Save your sanity by not having to wait in line to get a cup of coffee ( this one is totally me)

Let's cut to the chase! In this article you will find recommendations for items to create your own coffee and/or tea station along with items that I have used to create my own in my Florida home.

For all the coffee and tea products I have found throughout Amazon, visit my Coffee and Tea Bar list which is filled with cute, affordable and unique finds.

How to create a coffee bar on a budget

Time is money and the first thing to do when doing anything on a budget is to find a way to maximize your time and money. Most of the time that has nothing to do with spending more money but rather being organized and more efficient with both time and money.

The best way to stay organized is by planning your project ahead of time. Here are a few steps you can use on this project to help you be more efficient.

1 - Pick a theme

There are so many different themes you can choose for your coffee/tea bar. Farmhouse, Classic, European, Modern and even a specific movie. These are just a few ideas on a theme but you can even create your own.

If you haven't thought about one, I have tons of pins on my Coffee and tea Pinterest board that can help you with inspiration and help you find the one that best fits your needs.

2 - Be creative with the space

Find an area in your home that is most convenient to organize the station. Knowing the exact space will help you determine what items would best work out for that area, especially if you are planning on purchasing a piece of furniture such as a table or a cart.

3 - Use what you have first

Look for items in your house that can become part of the coffee station and use those before purchasing anything else. Perhaps you have shelves or a table that hasn't been used and can serve as storage for the station, the less you need to buy the more money you can save.

4 - Cheaper is always great!

Use apps such as Offerup , NextDoor and VarageSale to find the items that you want at a much cheaper price.

Most of the time the items are used but still in good condition. To be honest with you, I have even bought items that were brand new, the people just missed the return window so they sold it. I personally like to use these apps to search for furniture and baby items and I have had good luck with finding great deals.

5 - Free is even better!

Buying for cheaper is great but of course, free is much better! Facebook marketplace is a great option to find free items for your projects. You can look for free items available in your area by typing "free" in the search bar of facebook marketplace.

I would recommend that you consistently check facebook marketplace, maybe a couple of times per day to increase the chances of finding the items that you need.

Another website is craigslist. People are still using craigslist to sell their stuff and to give it away as well, so add this one to your list to check it daily too.

Local garage sales is an option as well, if you have the time to drive around and look around consider this option.

6 - Explore

Search around for coffee and tea items on amazon. Every day there is a new technology, a different product and it is good to know what you have access to.

A shortcut to doing a whole research is checking out my amazon coffee and tea bar amazon list. Take advantage of it since I am already doing the work for you. I will continue to update the list as I find new items.

7- Buy only what you need

Make a list of the items that will be bought for the project and ensure that they are all needed and will fit in the station.

How I created my coffee bar on a budget

I created my coffee and tea bar on a budget using the exact steps as described above. I knew I wanted some cute, simple and that it didn't look cluttered. We opted for the main colors to be white and black, simple yet clean and classy.

Here's the final look

List of everything used for the project:

Kitchen Island Cart (Already had it and didn't have to purchase it- Rule 3)

Floating Shelves

Imperial Tea Maker

Bags of tea

Honey Dispenser

Tea Bag Organizer

Canisters

Coffee Maker

Spoon Rest

Tea Bag Squeezer

Frother

Decorative plants

Wall Art (Already had it and didn't have to purchase it- Rule 3)

Shelves

Lighting

Vacuum Food storage container

The most expensive items on my list were the island cart and the coffee maker. Since I already had the cart and didn't have to purchase a new one, that helped keep my costs down. Now, as for the items I got new, my favorite one has to be the beautiful canisters by Baie Mason, they are exactly what I needed and were the perfect fit for this project.

They remind me of a farmhouse style design which I am a huge fan of and the labeling makes it easy to know what is inside of each canister so even guests can serve themselves without guidance.

As for coffee maker, we opted for one that met our needs, had great functionality, good quality and that fit our budget. Coffee makers can be quite expensive and break your budget, the $200-$300 that you would pay extra for a fancy coffee maker can be used to purchase other items needed for the project.

With that being said, my biggest tip would be for you to do your best to save money on the high ticketed items and use the savings to purchase other products that you need to complete the coffee and tea station.

Take advantage of the online tools such as facebook marketplace and craigslist to find free items, visit thrift shops and garage sales, and don't forget to ask friends and family, they may have something they never used that can gift you.

Use your imagination and have fun!