"Vancouver's only unionized Starbucks set to close"/ "Vancouver Starbucks employee who organized for union now out of a job"

Sept. 5, 2023 "Vancouver's only unionized Starbucks set to close":  Today I found this article on CBC and Yahoo: 

The only unionized Starbucks outlet in Vancouver will shut down at the end of September.

Leanna Rizzi, a spokesperson for the Seattle-based coffee chain, confirmed the closure of the Dunbar Street location via email, saying the move is due to the lease expiring.

Rizzi said the store is one of the smallest in the Starbucks portfolio and it wasn't possible to make necessary investments to renovate it. She said workers at the store will have an opportunity to transfer to a nearby location.

Scott Lunny, director for the United Steelworkers union (USW) in western and northern Canada which represents the Dunbar Street workers, said the union was aware of questions around the lease renewal.

"I have no hesitation saying some of the things 

Starbucks has done certainly here 

and definitely in the U.S. 

is very much anti-union in terms of tactics and anti-union strategies, 

but I'm not sure I have any evidence or proof to back that up in the terms of the Dunbar store closure," 

said Lunny.

"If you drive up Dunbar you can see there's construction everywhere and it's probably pretty uncertain what's going to happen with some of those buildings... So, it wasn't a complete surprise that they didn't renew the lease for that location."

Twenty-two workers at the Dunbar location voted to join the USW in February, joining two other Metro Vancouver Starbucks — Clayton Heights in Surrey and Valley Centre in Langley — in beginning negotiations for a collective agreement.

Around the same time, workers at non-unionized shops in B.C. were given pay increases.

USW filed an unfair labour practice complaint with the B.C. Labour Relations Board for denial of wage increases for employees at the three unionized Metro Vancouver stores.

Last month, Starbucks agreed to give those workers wage increases retroactive to May 15.

USW also represents workers at a Starbucks in Victoria that has negotiated a collective agreement, including annual wage increases.

Stores in Alberta and Ontario have also been organized by USW, including a one in Ajax, Ont., where workers voted to unionize last week.

In November 2022 workers at more than 100 Starbucks locations in the U.S. walked off the job in a protest against working conditions.

https://ca.yahoo.com/news/vancouvers-only-unionized-starbucks-set-210413817.html

Nov. 18, 2023 "Vancouver Starbucks employee who organized for union now out of a job": Today I found this article by Denise Ryan on the Vancouver Sun and the Financial Post:

Frederique Martineau was just 20 years old when she organized her first union, at a Starbucks in Vancouver’s Dunbar neighbourhood, in February.

Months after certifying with the United Steel Workers, the location closed. In October, Martineau was moved to a non-unionized Starbucks’ store at West 16th Avenue and Macdonald Street.

Article content

Although her pay remained the same, Martineau, a shift supervisor, was demoted.

“They didn’t give me the keys to the store,” she said.

On Nov. 5, just weeks after starting her new job, a manager sat her down at a high-top next to the toilets, in full view of customers and “partners” — Starbucks-speak for employees — and informed her she was being investigated.

Allegedly, unnamed partners were complaining about her use of profanity, and were uncomfortable with her chatting about unionizing Dunbar, but no specifics were given.

Martineau said she had management’s permission to talk about her union experience, and denied using profanity.

Three days later, after arriving early, doing homework at a table, donning her work shoes and apron and charging the iPads, she was called into a side room, and fired.

“It was retaliation for unionizing,” said Martineau, who is now weighing her options and seeking advice.

Martineau is adamant that she didn’t breach any company policies — she’s a five-year employee with no previous complaints.

“Since I unionized Dunbar, I knew there was a target on me. Why would I do anything to draw attention to myself?”

To the contrary, said Martineau, 

she was making new friends among the partners, 

and reconnecting with regular customers displaced from the Dunbar location.

A Starbucks’ spokesperson denied that Martineau was terminated in retaliation for her union organizing, and said in a statement to Postmedia News: 

“All partners (employees) receive training on our policies governing appropriate workplace conduct, and they are aware that failing to uphold them can result in corrective action, up to and including separation.”

The statement added that “no Starbucks partner has been or will be disciplined or separated for supporting, organizing or otherwise engaging in lawful union activity.”

Martineau, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, liked Starbucks. She was attracted to

 its culture of inclusivity, 

the benefits (if you can work enough hours to get them), 

store discounts, 

free drinks while on shift, 

wages a couple bucks higher than minimum wage 

and the free pound of coffee each week.

“That’s one less expense,” said Martineau, a nursing student at BCIT.

But behind the green apron, there is a darker side to the culture, Martineau says. She wanted to change that.

Benefits — dental, extended health and tuition reimbursement — are only available to those who work more than 20 hours a week or 40 hours combined over two weeks.

“They kept most of us at 19 hours a week,” said Martineau.

The benefits are always just out of reach.

Understaffing was a chronic issue.

“A bad shift is three partners working five stations, 

a lineup out the door, 

customers lashing out,” 

said Martineau. 

“We need someone on cash, 

someone on ovens, 

someone on hot bar, 

someone on cold bar 

and a supervisor floating.”

Try telling a regular picking up a triple venti with caramel and whip on the school/soccer run that they have to wait.

“That’s an $8 coffee, a $10 coffee,” said Martineau. “They are expecting better service.”

There were also safety issues, said Martineau:

broken equipment, 

a pace so frantic 

partners would get burned 

and live wires sparking from light fixtures in unrepaired fridges.

“The only reason I unionized is because 

I care about partners, 

I care about customers, 

and I care about Starbucks. 

We wanted better staffing for the workload, 

safer equipment 

and better wages,” 

said Martineau.

After a store in Victoria unionized with the United Steelworkers in 2020, the move to unionize has grown to include 360 locations across North America. 

On Thursday, workers at more than 200 U.S. Starbucks locations walked off the job in what organizers said was the largest strike yet in the two-year-old effort to unionize the company’s stores.

Throughout the process, Starbucks has come under increasing scrutiny over allegations of anti-union activity. 

In March, a U.S National Labor Relations Board judge ruled that Starbucks illegally fired six workers who were organizing a union, and similar rulings were made in Buffalo, New York and Memphis, Tenn.

Starbucks denies closing stores or firing employees over union activities.

As soon as the workers at the Dunbar location were certified, 

things improved, 

but it was short-lived.

“Starbucks came in and fixed the broken machinery,” said Martineau.

Then they closed the store. Staff were told the lease was expired, and offered relocation.

Martineau’s stint at the non-unionized store at MacDonald and 16th lasted just a month. The termination came “out of the blue,” she said.

After she was fired, Martineau said she was ushered out the back door.

“I was crying on the street.”

The first call she made was to the union.

In a statement, Scott Lunny, United Steel Workers district director for Western Canada, said it’s “imperative that workers feel empowered to advocate for 

fair wages, 

benefits 

and working conditions without fear of retaliation.”

“The union is actively working to fight this dismissal and stands in full support of Frederique,” added union spokesman Brett Barden.

— With files from The Associated Press 

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/vancouver-starbucks-employee-who-organized-for-union-now-out-of-a-job#:~:text=Frederique%20Martineau%20was%20just%2020,Steel%20Workers%2C%20the%20location%20closed.

My opinion: This part stood out to me and I know a lot of companies don't give enough hours to avoid giving benefits:

Benefits — dental, extended health and tuition reimbursement — are only available to those who work more than 20 hours a week or 40 hours combined over two weeks.

“They kept most of us at 19 hours a week,” said Martineau.

This reminds me of my Mar. 2021 blog post:

"#MeToo movement becomes #WeToo in in victim-blaming Japan"/ "Outrage as women in Japan told not wear glasses in the workplace"

Aug. 17, 2020 Saying: I found this on Facebook:

"You never look good when you are trying to make someone else look bad."- Unknown

Cham: Sometimes people need to be exposed for who they are hahah or maybe I should stop being petty

Tracy Au: There's a difference between trying to make someone look bad, and exposing them for who they are. It's like those #MeToo accusers and victims, they are plainly telling everybody about the perpetrators. They're not trying to make them look bad.

https://badcb.blogspot.com/2020/08/job-articles-wetoo-gender-gap-done.html

The other 2 blog posts of the week:

"As sales drop, Starbucks is killing extra charges for non-dairy options"/ "Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu"

https://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/07/as-sales-drop-starbucks-is-killing.html

"Starbucks lays off 1,100 corporate employees as coffee chain streamlines"/ "Starbucks says turnaround on track as sales decline persists"

https://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/07/starbucks-lays-off-1100-corporate.html

My week:

Wed. Jul. 2, 2025 Leo poll:

Kelsey H, Brandon, Manitoba, would like to know:

What is your favorite summer treat?

Ice cream    47.79% (2047)

Fresh fruit    23.02% (986)

Iced drinks    22.83% (978)

Other    6.35% (272)

My opinion: Iced drinks.  I don't usually buy takeout food or drinks because they're expensive.  I always bring a thermos of coffee, a bottle of water, and a bag of chips when I go out to save money.

Sat. Jun. 28, 2025 Downtown Farmer's Market: I looked at jewelry.

There was like environmentally -safe dishwasher soap from British Columbia.

There was lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

You should bring lots of cash.  There is the electronic payment, but it's easier for these entrepreneurs to take cash.

Free library: I went home and stopped at one that's a few blocks from where I live.  I had left a note there with my first name, email address, and I said I was looking for The Baby -Sitters Club books.

Do you have any Stephen King books that you can give away?: 

I found a note on a cue card where someone said he was looking for Stephen King books.  I don't know if he was copying me with the note, or he thought up the idea on his own.

I don't read any of those books, and neither does my family.  I would like to help him out.

I then found The Baby- Sitters Club book prequel "The Summer Before."

I was very happy about that.

https://www.amazon.ca/Baby-Sitters-Club-Prequel-Summer-Before/dp/0545160936

Wed. Jul. 2, 2025 City Centre mall:

Just Cozy: This store closed down again.

Gold Star Jewelry: This store closed down.  They opened last year.

Sage Stone: They closed down.  They sold crystals and jewelry.

Eternal Flame: This is a local company and sells scented candles and essential oils.  They opened today.

Backpack shopping:

Ilahui: There are small backpacks and one that is big for $24.99

Winners: They're $69.99.

Infiniti Leather: $130 -170/hr.

Ardene: There are small backpacks.

Do you have a backpack that you can give to me for free or cheap?:

It could be one that: 

you don't want

your kid doesn't want

old and used

My last backpack's main zipper broke and I can't really use it.

I am using a messenger bag I found in my home.

I prefer a backpack.

Thank you so much.

"Starbucks lays off 1,100 corporate employees as coffee chain streamlines"/ "Starbucks says turnaround on track as sales decline persists"

Feb. 24, 2025 "Starbucks lays off 1,100 corporate employees as coffee chain streamlines": Today I found this article on BNN Bloomberg:

Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees globally as new Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol streamlines operations.

In a letter to employees released Monday, Niccol said the company will inform employees who are being laid off by mid-day Tuesday. Niccol said Starbucks is also eliminating several hundred open and unfilled positions.

“Our intent is to 

operate more efficiently, 

increase accountability, 

reduce complexity 

and drive better integration,” 

Niccol wrote in the letter.

Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees worldwide, 

but that includes some employees who aren’t impacted, like roasting and warehouse staff. 

Baristas in the company’s stores are not included in the layoffs.

Niccol said in January that corporate layoffs would be announced by early March. He said all work must be overseen by someone who can make decisions while the the Seattle coffee giant 

reduces the complexity of its structure 

and eliminates silos within the company that slow communication.

“Our size and structure can slow us down, 

with too many layers, 

managers of small teams 

and roles focused primarily on coordinating work,” 

Niccol wrote.

Starbucks hired Niccol last fall to turn around sluggish sales. 

He has said he wants to improve service times — especially during the morning rush 

— and reestablish stores as community gathering places.

Niccol is also cutting items from Starbucks' menu and experimenting with its ordering algorithms to better handle its mix of 

mobile, 

drive-thru 

and in-store orders.

Starbucks' global same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, fell 2% in its 2024 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 29. 

In the U.S., customers tired of price increases and growing wait times. 

In China, its second-largest market, Starbucks faced growing competition from cheaper rivals.

However, in its most recent quarter, the company topped most sales expectations and Niccol changes that were visible to customers, such as the decision to stop charging extra for non-dairy milk and a streamlining of the menu, 

boosted store traffic 

and improved service.

Starbucks shares rose less than 2% Monday.

---

Dee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/company-news/2025/02/24/starbucks-lays-off-1100-corporate-employees-as-coffee-chain-streamlines/

Apr. 29, 2025 "Starbucks says turnaround on track as sales decline persists": Today I found this article on BNN Bloomberg:

Starbucks Corp. quarterly sales fell slightly faster than expected, highlighting how hard the coffee chain will have to work to regain lost ground.

Same-store sales declined 1 per cent in the quarter ended March 30, according to a statement Tuesday, falling short of the average estimate of analysts polled by Bloomberg. Earnings per share also missed expectations.

The shares slipped 1 per cent at 4:14 p.m. in extended trading in New York. The stock has declined 7 per cent so far this year through Tuesday’s close, slightly more than the drop of the S&P 500 Index over the same period.

Starbucks is working to revive sales growth after 

price increases, 

long lines 

and boycotts related to the company’s perceived stance on war in the Middle East turned customers away.

The company is also contending with Americans’ increasingly bleak outlook on the economy, which also contributed to weak results at Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.

Under Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol, who started in September, Starbucks kicked off an overhaul of its cafes to make them more welcoming. 

It’s also working to speed up service by 

adding more workers to stores 

and rolling out an algorithm to prioritize which orders to prepare,

among other initiatives.

“Our financial results don’t yet reflect our progress, but we have real momentum with our ‘Back to Starbucks’ plan,” Niccol said in remarks released alongside the earnings report, adding “we know we will return the business to growth.”

Analysts had lowered their expectations for same-store sales ahead of the earnings report, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. 

Third-party sources, including Placer.ai’s mobility data, suggest that visits to Starbucks slipped in the first three months of 2025 from a year ago. 

Analysts also factored in how costs related to the company’s corporate restructuring would hit profits, as well as spending tied to the turnaround efforts.

The comparable-sales results represents an improvement from the company’s previous quarter, when the measure fell 4 per cent. It’s the fifth consecutive decline.

In North America, the company’s biggest market, a decline in transactions drove a deeper-than-expected comparable sales decline. The international business performed better, with comparable sales rising 2 per cent. China was also a bright spot, with flat sales coming in better than expected and improving markedly from the prior quarter.

Daniela Sirtori, Bloomberg News

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/2025/04/29/starbucks-says-turnaround-on-track-as-sales-decline-persists/

"As sales drop, Starbucks is killing extra charges for non-dairy options"/ "Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu"

Oct. 30, 2024 "As sales drop, Starbucks is killing extra charges for non-dairy options": Today I found this article by Jenna Benchetrit and Anis Heydari on CBC:

Starbucks will stop charging customers an extra fee for substituting dairy milk with a non-dairy alternative, part of the mega coffee chain's efforts to fix what its CEO called "very disappointing" sales results and revenue drops.

The change goes into effect on Nov. 7 at its stores in Canada and the U.S., and it will apply to soy, oat, almond and coconut milks, the company announced Wednesday. It has already dropped the surcharge in several countries including the U.K., Germany and France.

The company said that, as a result of the change, the price of non-dairy drinks will drop to be the same as their dairy counterparts. (For example, an oat latte will cost the same as a café latte made with cow's milk.)

Starbucks brought in former Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol earlier this year to tackle key issues afflicting the Seattle-based coffee giant, including overwhelming menus and long waits, and to bring a "community coffeehouse" feel to its locations.

Sales at Starbucks locations both around the world and in North America dropped by two per cent in the company's 2024 fiscal year. 

Results from October 2023 to the end of September 2024 show it struggled with slumping sales and consumer boycotts.

Niccol replaced Laxman Narasimhan, who helmed the company for just 17 months and was ousted in August. But even after that change, its earnings per share dropped 25 per cent year over year in its fourth quarter.

"We have to make it easier for our customers to get a cup of coffee," said Niccol in the company's earnings call on Wednesday evening, admitting that Starbucks needs to win back customers with a changed strategy.

Niccol also told market analysts that the company will not increase prices at its cafés in North America for its 2025 fiscal year, which would mean from now until the end of next September.

He didn't provide specifics on how much it would cost Starbucks to drop the additional charges for alternative milks, but said he's "confident it's the right investment in the business to get people to re-engage with the brand." 

'They're trying to correct the ship,' says retail expert

Retail analyst Bruce Winder said that the coffee giant is trying to lure customers back while also keeping shareholders happy, but he's not sure the move will have a huge impact.

"Starbucks has been under a lot of pressure recently in terms of sales," especially as consumers stretched by inflation choose more affordable options, said Winder, who is based in Toronto.

"Companies often do this when times are really tough, when the economy is tough. 

They often introduce value meals, 

or they find ways to reduce costs to try to sharpen that price point for the consumer, 

to increase volume 

and stay relevant."

Some competitors might follow Starbucks in dropping their non-dairy surcharges, Winder said, but also said the cost of non-dairy drinks is only one piece of the larger problems plaguing the company.

"It will have some impact, but not a material impact.... 

This is just an example of them showcasing one thing they're doing that shows that they're more price-sensitive and that they're trying to correct the ship."

In Canada, many Second Cup outlets still charge extra for non-dairy milk alternatives, 

while many Tim Hortons locations do not. 

McDonald's and McCafé outlets have limited non-dairy offerings when it comes to coffee.

Earlier this year, three customers in the U.S. launched a class-action lawsuit against the company, 

saying the dairy-alternative surcharges violated the civil rights of customers who are lactose intolerant or have dairy allergies.

A Canadian law firm also launched an investigation into the company for a similar nationwide class action. A Starbucks spokesperson said she was unaware of any Canada-specific lawsuits, but said the company would not comment on ongoing litigation.

Starbucks dropping items, rolling back renos

"We're focusing on coffee," said CEO Niccol in the company's earnings call, detailing how menus will become simpler at Starbucks with some items dropped.

The chain's Oleato beverage — an olive oil latte that received mixed reactions, as some customers complained of laxative-like effects — will also be removed from store menus.

The company also said it's going to 

reduce the number of new stores it opens in 2025,

along with cutting back on renovations 

and bringing back "coffee condiment bars" where customers can add their own milk, cream or sugar to their drinks.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/starbucks-non-dairy-substitution-surcharge-1.7368337

1. 31 min ago

   Did they consider the whole menu is over priced and not just the non dairy?
2. Comment by Kent Manning.

   1 hr ago

   Interesting. While I used to be a Starbucks double, double Pike Place every day person during my working life, I find the coffee there too strong in retirement and much prefer a small black coffee at Tim’s for $1.78. Go figure.

Jan. 29, 2025 "Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu": Today I found this article on CBC:

Coffee giant also adding digital menus to all U.S. stores

Starbucks is planning to cut its food and beverage offerings by 30 per cent over the course of this year, 

aiming to 

simplify operations 

and speed up service.

It's not yet clear what items will be taken off the menu, but in a conference call with investors on Tuesday, chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said that dialing back the menu would free the coffee giant up to ensure they have "the right food offerings in the morning."

"And then, also, we're looking at how do we provide the right kind of snack/food offerings as you get further into the day," he said, according to a transcription of the meeting reported by Fortune.

Starbucks will also add digital menus to all of its company-owned U.S. stores over the next 18 months, to make 

ordering options clearer 

and make it easier to shift its offerings depending on the time of day, 

Niccol said.

A spokesperson for Starbucks Canada said they are also planning to deploy digital menu boards in Canada across newly opened company-owned stores, beginning this year.

Starbucks' same-store sales — or sales at locations open at least a year — fell four per cent compared to the same period last year. 

But the decline was less than the 5.5 per cent analysts anticipated, according to FactSet. 

It was also better than the previous quarter, when global same-store sales were down seven per cent.

Niccol, who joined the company in September, said customer-focused changes — such as a decision to stop charging extra for non-dairy milk and a streamlining of the menu — were helping to improve service and drive store traffic.

Niccol said the company is also 

adding staff to some stores

 and experimenting with ordering algorithms that prioritize in-store customers 

and better pace mobile orders.

"The place where we run into problems, frankly, is the fact that there is just no gating on the mobile orders," Niccol said. 

"All these orders come flooding in faster than even our customer can get there. 

So all these drinks are sitting on the counter, and it's at the expense of providing any other experience for a customer that's right in the store."

Starbucks is trying to re-establish itself as a gathering place, and recently announced that it will 

start using ceramic mugs 

and offering in-store customers free refills of coffee or tea.

The company is also trying to appeal to customers with a new rule that requires people to buy something if they want to hang out or use the restroom.

With files from CBC News

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/starbucks-cut-food-beverage-1.7444948

timing/ how to save money

This was published in Oct. 10, 2008.

On Jul. 1, 2025, I updated and revised it:

Oct. 10 Timing: However, since I have my revised resume, I will email it to Stat Canada at west-recruitment@statcan.gc.ca.

I emailed my resume in 2007 and no one called. Only when I went to Spherion, that staffing agency helped me get my foot in the door by setting me up to do the test. However, I didn't get 20/30 questions right. Good news though, I went by Adecco that staffing agency in downtown, and it closed down. In your face. However, there are still probably Adeccos in other parts of the town and country.

I told my friend Jennifer that staffing agencies are bad because they make money off of you like $2.50 for every hour that you work. She then tells her friend who works for a staffing agency about that.

Here is an old article that I found on Yahoo and I saved into my draft account. I find this important to share with you.

How to save money:

Bankrate.com 6 (worthless) excuses for not saving money Monday October 9, 6:00 am ET Tamara Holmes

Everyone knows the key to building wealth is through saving and investing. Yet last year, the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis revealed that Americans had a negative savings rate for the first time since the Great Depression.

So why aren't people saving for their futures? While a number of excuses may be given, few are legitimate.

"Unless you're working in a sweatshop and you're getting paid 12 cents an hour, you can save," says Rob Bennett, who writes the Financial Freedom Blog at PassionSaving.com.
Saving money Before you can stop making excuses, you've got to understand just why your argument is not valid.

6 worthless excuses:

1. I don't make enough money. 

2. I'll get around to it later. 

3. I deserve a little luxury in my life. 

4. Someone else will take care of it. 

5. I'm saving through my 401(k). 

6. This item or service will pay for itself.

Excuse No. 1: I don't make enough money.

"We think we don't have enough money because we're always the last ones in line," says Julie Stav, author of "The Money In You!: Discover Your Financial Personality and Live the Millionaire's Life." 

What's the first thing you pay when you get your paycheck? If the answer is your mortgage, your car note or your credit card bills, you're probably buying into this excuse.

One reason many people don't think they have enough to save is because they don't know where their money is going or how much money they're spending on items they don't need.

 "People say, 'Money just goes through my fingers,' or, 'I don't know what happened to it,'" says Stav. 

If that's the case, "pay attention and bring it from the unconscious to the conscious." 

Once you find out what you're spending money on that you don't need, 

you'll realize it's all money you can be saving.

In order to make sure you save that amount, have it automatically taken out of your account before you pay anything else for the month. 

"The first check you write every month should be to you," says Stav. "That should go to your savings. 

Start with 5 percent; hopefully you can get to 10 percent. 

When you get a raise, put half of your raise in savings."

Excuse No. 2: I'll get around to it later.

"The answer to that excuse is: Someday never comes," says Bennett. "You get older and the more bad habits you have, the harder it is to break them."

People who put off saving and investing also don't get the benefit of time, which is one of the greatest factors in successful wealth accumulation.

"It's little by little that you're able to accumulate vast amounts of money," says Jeff Harris, founder of The Family Legacy Forum, an organization based in Lake Wylie, S.C., that helps families preserve wealth. 

"For example, take someone who is 25 years old who just sets aside a dollar a day in their retirement account. If they earn 8 or 9 percent interest on their money by the time they're ready to retire they would have close to $1 million."

Excuse No. 3: I deserve a little luxury in my life.

The purpose of having a healthy savings plan is not to deny yourself the pleasure of buying things you like today. Not only should you be saving for retirement and emergencies, but you should also reward yourself by saving for things you'll want to splurge on sometimes. If this is your favorite excuse, Stav suggests creating separate accounts for various savings goals, including occasional indulgences.

"If I know that this account is my (spending account), that's the first one I'm going to put my hands on," she says. "If I know my other account is my vacation money, I'm not going to touch it until I take that vacation."

Another way to combat this excuse is to think of saving as a luxury since your savings buy you the freedom from being constrained by money worries, says Bennett.

"The way I think about saving is I call it spending money at the freedom store," says Bennett. 

"Just like you buy a product or buy a service, you buy freedom. 

And every time you put money into savings, you are a little more free than you were before."

Excuse No. 4: Someone else will take care of it.

While this is more likely to be the excuse of a spouse waiting for the other to bring home the bacon, anyone can fall into the trap of putting the savings responsibility onto someone else.

Counting on an inheritance to kick in or even entertaining serious hopes of enjoying the fruits of gambling or lottery winnings are forms of this excuse.

Ultimately, you are responsible for your own financial future. 

Even if someone else does bear most of the financial responsibility in your household, "you'd better have a say-so on how it's being run, because nine out of 10 of us are going to have to take care of our own money at some point," says Stav.

Excuse No. 5: I'm saving through my 401(k).

Yes it's crucial to save as much as possible for retirement, but if you don't have additional savings for emergencies and life's occasional luxuries you're going to end up having to dig yourself out of debt.

"The reason people get themselves in trouble financially is because they don't have anything in savings," says Stav. 

"They think that because they own a home and they're building equity or they have money in their 401(k) that's enough. If there's an emergency or the car breaks down, then they start borrowing money."

A savings plan should have a multilayered approach: 

Savings should be allotted for retirement, 

emergencies 

and the evolving needs of life.

Excuse No. 6: This item or service will pay for itself.

One of the main reasons people give for blowing their savings is because they're buying intangibles that are worth more than money over time. 

While there are some items that fall into this category such as an education, 

it's easy to rationalize that something is worth more than it is.

"People say 'I should buy a vacation because I will learn about the world,'" says Bennett.

 That may be true, but "you have to compare financial freedom to the benefit of the trip around the world."

A better idea would be to save for that vacation. 

It may take longer before you can go, 

but you won't be compromising your financial future in the process.

Once you stop making excuses, 

you'll see your money add up. 

At that point, something interesting will happen, 

says Bennett.

"After you've gotten serious about saving for six months, what you'll find is you actually like it.

 Spending is addictive, 

but saving gets addictive, too