When the fall comes around, the pumpkin spice latte is basically the only thing the female population is talking about, besides Ryan Gosling and the new sweaters at their favorite department stores.

Until earlier this morning, I had never taken a sip of a pumpkin spice latte. I just have never had the desire. I am not a big fan of pumpkin; and honestly, I like my coffee plain with some half and half and brown sugar.

I am an avid coffee drinker. I have a cup every morning when I wake up and another in the afternoon to keep me going for the rest of the day. When you drink coffee as much as I do, you cannot get addicted to one of the many specialty drinks at Starbucks. Why?

Because, you would go broke. The price of $4.01 flashed on the register after I ordered my coveted pumpkin spice latte, and I almost had a minor heart attack. Specialty drinks, especially seasonal ones, are just too costly for a college student who needs at least a venti, with a couple shots of espresso, to get through the mornings.

Without looking at the price, the drink was surprisingly tasty. I wanted to dislike it, I really did; but the sweet taste, the whip cream and the delicious aroma were hard to deny.

I couldn’t drink the whole thing because of how sweet it was, but now I can see why people are craving this treat as soon as they see the first leaf fall.

The pumpkin spice latte phenomenon has taken over the fall season. Now, you can find candles, wax, air fresheners and other smell-good things in this flavor. Personally, I don’t enjoy these scents and find them extremely overwhelming, but they do help to create a warm, fall atmosphere in your home.

With that said, I think the hype that surrounds the pumpkin spice latte is vastly overrated. It’s a drink, ladies. That’s all. Some may say I am trying to be a hipster by not following this trend, but you can’t blame me for liking to stick to the basics.

So, all you ladies out there who enjoy a grande blonde roast over the trendy pumpkin spice latte, don’t let the weird stares by your friends get you down. You like what you like. You are saving a lot more money that can be spent on red wine or an expensive cream sweater.

For all you pumpkin spice latte lovers, there are cheaper ways to feed your craving. Many grocery stores offer inexpensive creamers in this flavor. Don’t let your fall addiction break your wallet.

Also, the calorie count in those creamers is a lot less than those specialty drinks. We all know nothing is worse than putting on your winter weight a little early.

Trends come and go. But as for this fall, the pumpkin spice latte is here to stay. Go out and try it. If you don’t like it, oh well. If you do, oh well. It’s all about what you like and not what everyone else wants in their coffee cup.