Surely there’s another way to face the world each day.

Are you reading this with a coffee? I wish I was. It’s been a fixture of my adult life. The aroma signals the day’s start, then that first hot cup kicks my body into gear. This isn’t psychosomatic or wishful thinking – coffee has physiological effects on the body. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system to make you more alert and focused, literally waking you up. Is that appealing? Yes. Is it a crutch? Definitely. But guzzling Goldsmith-worthy volumes of coffee isn’t going down so easily any more.

It’s expensive! A 250g bag of Supreme’s Brazil blend now costs $19.50, up from $13.75 in September 2024. It sells a cheaper, 200g version at the supermarket, but that’s still $12.99. Nearly every brand is now over $10, unless you’re shopping at Pak’nSave.

That’s because global prices have been particularly high for the past year, driven up by the rising cost of production and shipping, tight supply and the weak New Zealand dollar. The cost for a cup of coffee at a cafe has also increased, though perhaps not by enough to cover costs. Even instant coffee, that cheap and convenient alternative, hit $50 a jar last month.

Is it time to cut back? Treat coffee more like a luxury item, befitting all the work that goes into it? Hoping to cultivate balance and frugality, I tried some alternative ways to start my day.

Coffee essence

This archaic alternative dates back to the 19th century, when New Zealand had a booming chicory industry. The root crop was dried, roasted, ground and blended with coffee extract to make an affordable alternative to coffee, which was expensive and hard to get. Newspaper advertisements in the 1920s marketed it as the “ideal breakfast drink!”, the “right drink to start the day’s work” and “a real man’s drink – and very economical”. Although I’m a woman, it’s 2026 and I have a job, so I felt justified pouring a teaspoon from Bushells’ mysterious, fez-adorned bottle. It costs $11 and gives you a whopping 50 cups of “coffee” – twice the number of cups from a 250g bag of beans. Mixed with boiling water and a splash of sugar, the result is shockingly yum, with about half the amount of caffeine of a cup of coffee, and I messaged my editor Alice Neville immediately with the breaking news. Verdict: Actually great. Will share with the office.

Bathing

Cindy Crawford watches the sunrise over the ocean from her jacuzzi each morning. I don’t have a view of Malibu but I do have a bath. It’s a soothing way to start the day. I contemplate my existence on this mortal coil and whether the taps need polishing. Afterwards I feel relaxed, energised and motivated to find the Chemico. Verdict: I could do this all day.

A cuppa (tea)

Brewing this in the morning feels discombobulatingly backwards to me, like the cursed Tenet, but many people drink the universal panacea early. Queen Elizabeth started her day with the radio (BBC Radio 4) and a cup (bone china) of tea (Earl Grey). It’s unsurprising; the drink’s ingrained in British culture and steeped with colonial baggage. Here in New Zealand it predated coffee and for a period we drank more tea per capita than the UK. Now it’s the most-consumed beverage – excluding water – in the world, due to its ubiquity in India and China, where it has an extensive history. They’re onto something. A cup has roughly half the caffeine of a coffee, making it a gentler vehicle for the psychoactive stimulant. I have mine gumboot style, the Kiwi way: Bell tea, no milk, bag in. Strong and dark, there’s a kick to it that’s comparable to coffee. Verdict: Good idea.

Masala chai

This is the traditional way to start your day in India. I made some masala chai (using Perzen Patel’s recipe) hoping it would give me the energy I had a decade ago backpacking around the subcontinent. It didn’t, but was delicious and, importantly for any compulsive coffee hound, satiating. And soothing – that’s due to the ginger and spices, including cinnamon, which have been linked to improved blood sugar and digestion. Verdict: More please.

Green tea

Astringent and earthy, green tea is meant to benefit your brain and mood. The serene people who order this at cafes always look a little smug – perhaps they know that the amino acid L-theanine may help decrease anxiety. Verdict: Unlike coffee.

Deep breathing

Instead of forgetting to exhale while slurping a coffee, like usual, I tried box breathing. This cyclical technique of inhalations, holds and exhalations left me marvelling at the sensation of oxygen reaching my brain. Verdict: Will repeat.

Chicory

This commonly recommended caffeine-free substitute is made from the dried root of the chicory plant. Organic and locally grown, it costs $12.70 for 175g, which makes it more expensive than coffee. It tastes nutty and a little bitter. Not bad, just not coffee. Verdict: Not coffee.

Stretching

It’s purported to help relax your muscles and get the blood flowing after sleep, but are modern science and centuries of lived practice correct? Rather than hunching over a cup of coffee, I performed all the stretches I could remember. After 15 minutes my body felt energised and my mind relaxed. Verdict: The opposite of coffee, in a good way. 

Meditating

Oprah told Harper’s Bazaar that she meditates in the morning, ideally under 12 oak trees or on a seat carved from stone. These can be found at her home but not mine. Instead, I tried her favoured other location, a breakfast chair, to meditate. Easy, right? Wrong. Halfway through I was overcome by mental claustrophobia and guiltily gave up. Verdict: My bad.

Apple cider vinegar

A lot’s been said about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar. Not all have been proven, but it’s meant to improve gut health and stabilise your blood sugar levels. Super fan Katy Perry drinks it and she seems very high energy. It’s sour and intense, which isn’t to everyone’s taste, but it is mine! Delicious. Verdict: I’m in.

Raise your heart rate

The Rock reportedly does coffee and cardio before dawn. Unlike Dwayne Johnson (we’re different in a few ways), I rushed to the supermarket. My heart rate was elevated like I’d hooned five cups of coffee. What’s actually coursing through my veins is the stress of putting a slow cooker on before work. Verdict: Comparable, obviously.

Doomscrolling

Caffeine affects your body’s sleep signals and can interfere with its circadian rhythms, something our phones may also be guilty of. Seeking the stimulation and adrenal kick off a full-strength coffee, I stare at TikTok for 20 minutes. Verdict: Bad, like coffee.

Cold shower

Jack Dorsey, a man who fasts all weekend and also started Twitter, only takes cold showers, which he says are “better than caffeine“. An endorphin kick and improved mental clarity are among the suggested health benefits, but can it really compare to a hot coffee? When I suggested this alternative to my editor Alice Neville, she replied “lol yes”. My acupuncturist was less supportive. “Please avoid extreme temperatures,” she advised sternly. “Especially the cold.” Verdict: Sorry guys.

Lemon water

Rich people with hot bodies swear by this and so does Vogue. Apparently it helps with energy, hydration and digestion, but also maybe not? Verdict: Not coffee, not even close.

Anxiety

Too much coffee can cause anxiety. Instead, I read Mark Wahlberg’s morning routine, which has haunted me since 2018. He wakes up at 2.30am to pray, eat, work out and eat some more, all before 6am. By the time I’m at my desk at the Spinoffice, he’s in his cryo chamber recovering. I too am recovering and pour a cup of decaf. Verdict: Anxiety-inducing hellscape.