I have been working at Starbucks for a year and a half. I’ve met really cool people and have gotten pretty good at my job. I’m “comfortable” I guess you could say. I had insurance through sbux and that lasted like 3 months before I got the boot. Now I’m using my lyra benefits and it’s going great but I also feel like it’s just another thing that’s keeping me here.


I’m about to transfer to uni in the fall, I plan to go to a university about 40 minutes away from home and am on the fence about whether I should make that drive 4 times a week or if I should just move a bit closer. Tbh, I’m deathly afraid of driving and that’s why I’m going to therapy for it lol. Anywayssss, moving to me makes more sense. I have a friend who has been trying to get me to room with her and 3 other people for 2 years near the campus, but the rent per person is about 600. At roughly 10.20 an hour and on top of paying for my car and school, I just don’t make enough to live comfortably or really at all as I don’t get much help.


Starbucks is a great job for someone who is looking to get on their feet or someone who is living with a partner to split rent, but for someone trying to take care of themselves, it’s hard! I’m 19, a full time student, working 30+ hour weeks, and I don’t really have much help financially except a roof over my head n some cereal. I’ve THOUGHT about becoming a shift and I know I could handle it somewhat, but the pay is outrageously low for what the job entails.


You could argue that the benefits are well worth the pay, but that doesn’t pay the bills. Starbucks does this thing where yes, the benefits are easily accessible, but many people I work with don’t even use the benefits. The only benefits I see being used fairly often are the ASU benefits and there are usually about 1 or 2 people at my store using it at a time. I seem to be the only one to have used the health benefits and the Lyra benefits. Basically what I’m getting at is the accessible benefits are sbux’s way of keeping you there. I hear people all the time say “the pay is so low... but the benefits!!!” when they aren’t even using the benefits!! For some weird reason, I also have it in the back of my head that we are suddenly going to get the pay we deserve, that if I just wait “a little longer” it’ll be worth it. But it’s not and probably never will be.


And of course, there are your typical store issues with management, scheduling, lack of action/communication, gossiping, and terrible customers.

I’m just in a rut and don’t really know what decision needs to be made.