A Cup of Coffee, and the Cost of Everyday Life

I ran out of coffee beans at home, so I went to Aeon to buy some. Well, not exactly Aeon — it was My Basket, but close enough.

（Aeon and My Basket is names of Japanese super markets.）

Coffee is essential to my life. Perhaps it has become essential for people all over the world. Without it, my brain simply doesn’t start in the morning. When did this happen, I wonder?

My usual choice at home is a brand called “A Slightly Luxurious Coffee Shop — Special Blend.” I make it by hand, carefully brewing it with a drip filter. On days when I have a bit of extra time, I make more and take it to work with me. I drink quite a lot of coffee at the office — about two cups a day — and even 100 yen per cup feels like something I’d rather not pay.

Today, when I went to buy my usual coffee, I noticed something else on the shelf: Chill Break Regular Coffee, a Topvalu product.

400 grams for 483 yen.

That is cheap. My usual coffee is about 500 yen for only 280 grams. It used to be cheaper, but prices have gone up. Still, it’s cheaper than buying coffee at a café.

I was tempted by the price. Finding something inexpensive always makes me a little happy.

So I bought it.

And then, back home, I brewed a cup, and I found that …

It had no coffee taste at all.

Not bad, exactly — just… no taste. I was genuinely disappointed. I had gone all the way to the store because I wanted coffee, and this was the result.

Is this what they call “buying cheap and losing money”?

Coffee prices keep rising, and since coffee is a daily necessity for me, I naturally want to keep the cost down. I don’t have much confidence that I can finish this bag, but since I bought it, I’ll try to keep using it for now.

People often say they can’t tell the difference between good and bad coffee, or between expensive and cheap wine or sake. I’m usually like that too. But when something is not good, I can tell.

What is this luxurious tongue of mine?

Does it mean I usually eat well? Has my taste become spoiled?

Ideally, I think the best thing is being able to enjoy whatever is in front of you. I don’t want to become someone who can only appreciate expensive things. I also don’t want to become the kind of person who complains while eating.

Still… does that mean I should keep drinking bad coffee?

That is a difficult question.

What is “good” coffee, anyway? Of course, taste is personal. But the very existence of “bad coffee” suggests that we all carry some idea of what “good coffee” is.

Maybe I should start by brewing more carefully and paying closer attention to the taste.

They say that when you go abroad, you rediscover how delicious Japanese food is. This feels similar.

By drinking bad coffee, I realize how good my everyday coffee actually was. Perhaps experiencing something different, from time to time, helps us appreciate the ordinary.

Lately, I’ve been thinking that my life will probably not become more and more luxurious from here. At some point, I may even need to downgrade it. DOWNGRADE MAY LIFE. Even now, my life isn’t particularly lavish. I once heard someone say that not raising your standard of living is important — and I think that’s true.

So I don’t want a life that depends on perfect coffee. If I could truly feel that Aeon’s coffee is “good enough,” that would be just right for me.

But humans get used to things. And that makes it hard.

That 483-yen coffee I regret buying ended up giving me something more valuable: a chance to think about my life.

Even when I fail, I want to gain something from it.

After this, I slowly and carefully brewed my second cup of the day. It was stronger than the first.

Still terrible.

Will I manage to finish this coffee?

I suppose I’ll keep an eye on Aeon’s coffee section from now on.