Um. That's kind of embarrassing. I just went to my Instagram to pull a few photos for this article, and there were far too many readily available. Don't reaaaally want to think about how much money I've spent at coffeeshops in NYC alone...

Which brings me to my main point of this article.

I have been trying to improve on my #adulting skills, and while I am pretty responsible with sticking to my budget when it comes to things like shopping and fun expenses, I had one big elephant in the room to confront that I didn't really want to acknowledge. Le sigh.

My coffee budget. 

I am constantly on the go and it's really easy as a freelancer (and trainer whose working hours are insanely weird) to get suckered into stopping at a coffeeshop to get some work done. But then many a delicious $4 cappuccino or iced coffee later, my credit card bill doesn't like that so much. Because x5 a week, x4 weeks in a month leads to $80 a month... and this coming from a girl who refuses to pay $7.99 a month for Netflix *monkey covering eyes emoji here*

It's prime iced coffee season here, so I developed a new plan. Cold-brew concentrate! 

This has been amazing in terms of convenience, ease, budget, taste, and overall awesomeness. I'll make a batch about 1-2x a week. This way, I can also use my awesome local grass-fed milk in it, and dilute it to the strength I like. As a bit of a coffee snob, I will treat myself to some awesome beans (helloooo Toby's, Stumptown, La Colombe, Intelligentsia, and Counter Culture!), but I still am saving much more money at home.  

So for those of you who share similar woes, this is for you!

Overnight French-Pressed Cold-Brew
Iced Coffee Concentrate

Ingredients

1 + 1/3 cup ground Coffee (coarsely ground [for French Press])
6 cups cold Water

Equipment:
8 cup French Press (I have this one)

Recipe

1. Place coffee grounds in french press glass container, and pour cold water over it. Stir until well mixed, and place in refrigerator overnight (or at least 6-8 hours). In the morning, press the press plunger down to strain. Pour into a glass jar with an airtight lid, and keep refrigerated for 4-6 days.

2. For serving: Most people like a 1:1 ratio of the cold-brew concentrate to water, but I prefer a little less water as I like my cold-brew strong. Up to you!