how to justify the high cost of quality teas to GF/SO/Wify?

[skywarrior]

Wow...I knew this was going to be funny....

I just gave her some old green tea I was going to throw away and she hated it. Then I asked her to try another one....Gyokuro - and right away she LOVED IT @!....she has tried a lot of my tea selection but her reaction has never been this strong....however after the praises the first thing she said was - something that tastes so good HAS to be expensive...

I do agree though...if it costs about a 1$ a cup....its not too bad...

Good thinking. Get her hooked too. Better for her than soda any day.

[Cinnamon Kitty]

Ah, two of the things I love the most about my husband are a) that he is a computer geek, which is a way more expensive habit and that b) he really does not care if I spend money on hobbies (with in reason, and his definition of reasonable is pretty liberal. )

And, as Sky said, it's cheaper and better for you then crack! (though, admittedly, I usually go with heroin)

I second that! My boyfriend is the same exact way. He enjoys building his computer and computer gaming, which makes the money I spend on tea seem like a perfectly reasonable hobby.

[hop_goblin]

Yeah,.. probably not a good idea to get into puerh Oz turn into grams.

[augie]

I think this is going to be the most creative post of all time....

how do you guys do it?

My fabric stash makes the tea stash look like pocekt change! I have one tea cabinet (at home -1 at work) I have fabric stashed everywhere.

Does your SO have a hobby or vice you're not crazy about???

Everyone has a weakness.

[inspectoring]

actually she has no vices.... Doesn't even like jewlery . I guess I m lucky.... Or all of a sudden she will decide to collect expensive pens or something...

[Eastree]

Perhaps I'm one of the lucky ones. I currently don't have a girlfriend. So whoever I meet will be brought into the tea (and other anachronistic qualities) part of my life.

Somehow it just seems that it may make some things easier, some more difficult -- kind of like finding out I'm looking at yet another $150+ straight razor, or a $80 pipe, or some $30 shaving soap, or that $200 in hones, the $80 strop ... you get the picture. And with all of that, I'm sure several of you only think, "But it's not TEA!"

[GeoffK]

Some tips.

Take her out to Starbucks every day for a week and save the receipts. Then total them up at the end of the week.

14 drinks @ ~$3.00 a cup = $42

Then make pot after pot on a tablespoon of high quality tea and SHARE it with her. Less sticker shock then

[Pentox]

actually she has no vices.... Doesn't even like jewlery . I guess I m lucky.... Or all of a sudden she will decide to collect expensive pens or something...

I've got that one, I like nice pens.

[ABx]

I second that! My boyfriend is the same exact way. He enjoys building his computer and computer gaming, which makes the money I spend on tea seem like a perfectly reasonable hobby.

Heh, then there's me, I do both :X

[Chip]

Some tips.

Take her out to Starbucks every day for a week and save the receipts. Then total them up at the end of the week.

14 drinks @ ~$3.00 a cup = $42

Then make pot after pot on a tablespoon of high quality tea and SHARE it with her. Less sticker shock then

The newbie has the winner...

[osadczuk]

He most definitely does. I just want to know what you can buy at Starbucks for $3.

Some tips.

Take her out to Starbucks every day for a week and save the receipts. Then total them up at the end of the week.

14 drinks @ ~$3.00 a cup = $42

Then make pot after pot on a tablespoon of high quality tea and SHARE it with her. Less sticker shock then

The newbie has the winner...

[Selaphiel]

Justify it by treating such a fine tea with respect, like you treat a good wine. There really is no difference in buying a fine gyokuro tea from buying a good bottle of wine. It is something you buy to enjoy, maybe on special occasions.
I had some trouble justifying expensive teas to friends and family before, but I talk a lot about tea and they have started to comprehend the complexity and uniqueness of a fine tea. Problem is that most people just think about teabags when they hear the word tea.

[augie]

actually she has no vices.... Doesn't even like jewlery . I guess I m lucky.... Or all of a sudden she will decide to collect expensive pens or something...

EVERYONE has a vice -- you haven't found out about it yet! Get her a Mont Blanc fountain pen with some scented ink.

In addition to the s'bux idea (smart, BTW), add up the cost of soda that you'd normally purchase. It does add up. Plus the junk food you wash down with soda! Giving up soda means you're also giving up: rotten teeth, osteoporosis, addiction to caffeine, extra calories in sugar pop.

[Pentox]

actually she has no vices.... Doesn't even like jewlery . I guess I m lucky.... Or all of a sudden she will decide to collect expensive pens or something...

EVERYONE has a vice -- you haven't found out about it yet! Get her a Mont Blanc fountain pen with some scented ink.

In addition to the s'bux idea (smart, BTW), add up the cost of soda that you'd normally purchase. It does add up. Plus the junk food you wash down with soda! Giving up soda means you're also giving up: rotten teeth, osteoporosis, addiction to caffeine, extra calories in sugar pop.

Trading soda for tea doesn't really kick the caffeine demon though.

[Mary R]

Yeah, but if you can cut back on the caffeine for a couple weeks you won't need near as much to get the kickstart. In college, I had four espressos and two large cups of coffee every day and I was dragging. After college, I developed insomnia and ended up cutting out caffeine almost entirely for three weeks. (Couldn't go that long without at least a couple pieces of chocolate...) Now a cup or two of tea in the morning does me fine for the caffeine rush, and as long as I stop with the caffeine after 6pm, I'm good to sleep.