School: Pricey coffee should be avoided

SEATTLE, June 18 (UPI) -- Officials at the Seattle University of Law have launched an effort to educate students about the financial dangers of expensive coffee.

The school has circulated charts among students that say one $3 coffee a day for five days can add up over time, reaching $4,154 when repaid over 10 years, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

"A latte a day on borrowed money? It's crazy," said Erika Lim, director of career services at the law school, located in a city that's home to more coffee shops per capita than any other major U.S. metropolitan area.

Lim has been directing students to a Web site she helped create: the "Stop Buying Expensive Coffee and Save Calculator" at hughchou.org/calc/coffee.cgi, which claims that if a person refrained from spending $3 daily on coffee for 30 years; he or she could save $55,341 with interest.

However, Mike Ferguson, spokesman for trade-group Specialty Coffee Association of America, said high-priced coffee shops provide an ideal atmosphere for studying.

"You can occupy a table for two hours for about $3, which is unique in a retail setting," he said. "At a traditional restaurant, they will kick you out."