Clark has never had cup of coffee in his life -- a real shame considering how cheap it is to brew the stuff at home. But we Americans have defeated ourselves by turning coffee into a social occasion, thereby transforming what should be cheap into a multi-dollar purchase. In the futures market, coffee prices have been steadily on the rise. Yet at the supermarket, the java you buy a bag or container of is still cheap. But try buying that same coffee while you're out and about…you could blow between $1 and $5 on every cup. So the message is, yes, prices are steadily increasing. But don't get your jitters about the cost. Keep getting your jitters from the java -- just brew it at home and forget about the negligible rising price.