It's simple: MAKE YOUR OWN COFFEE

Some of you might think "sure, it's pledge time, and I really oughtta do my part and call in a pledge...but I'm not too sure I've got that expendable cash!"

Okay, that's good logic, but I think it falls apart if you examine it more closely. Let's say you stop in every workday at a national coffee chain...let's just call it the StellarEuro. For just a plain StellarEuro coffee you're paying...what? $1.42 with tax? And those hungry, oddly-pierced and tatoo'd baristas...don't you let them keep the change?

So that's $2 you're spending every day at the StellarEuro, which for you 5-day-a-weekers is $10. There are 4 weeks in a month, which puts you at $40 twelve times a year. Do I need to extrapolate what you spend the 52 weeks each year?

So as far as not being able to afford it...while that surely applies to some of you, I'd say most of you have the wherewithall. So I'm here to encourage you to consider a viable alternative: make your own coffee. If that seems a bit Draconian, make it every other day.

If you saved just $4 a week, $16 a month that would total out to $192 a year! And you know what? I can even let you off easy here: Membership is just $60 a year. If you just didn't get coffee 1 day--that would be $2 X 4 X 12...and even at just one day a week sacrifice, where you make your own coffee instead of that StellarEuro place...you'd have PLENTY to give.

We're here at least 5 days a week, making interesting, beautiful, important local TV. And we're bringing you all the Antiques Roadshows, Austin City Limits and Masterpiece Theaters that you can watch. So pour yourself a congratulatory cup of coffee, and then call in your pledge. Thanks!