We are already into week 14 of the Money Save Ways tips. This weekly guide to saving money in every day ways is a supplement to the 52 Week Money Challenge. If you are following along, you should put $14 in your savings or if you are doing it in reverse, place $39 into it.
52 Money Save Ways: Week 14: Wash Your Car at Home
This past week, the weather has been great. I am kind of bad in the sense that I don’t really attempt to wash my car in the winter because it just gets dirty again a day or two later, so when the weather starts getting nice out, one of the first things I want to do is wash my car. Taking it to the car wash either to be done by hand or done by machine can get expensive when you are a person like me who likes to keep their car looking nice when the warm weather hits. Just that $5-$10 you spend can mean you are spending $20-$40 a month is you wash your car weekly.
I never minded washing my car at home and as a kid, it was great to get out and wash my parent’s cars because it meant I could play with the hose.
With the amount of water you are using, does washing your car at home really save you money? It sure can if you follow these money saving tips:
1. Use a bucket and soap. You can use dish soap as it will break up grease and grime as well as oil pretty easily. A bucket full of hot soapy water is mere pennies.
2. Don’t leave the hose running when you are not using it. This wastes so much water and not only is that bad for the environment, it is bad for your budget.
3. Wash in the most effective way: top to bottom. Start by giving your car a quick rinse, just enough to get it wet, and then scrub top to bottom with your hot soapy water. I use soft rags made from old towels rather than buy special sponges because, well, they are free.
4. Work in sections. Oddly enough, washing in sections and rinsing in sections saves more water than rinsing the entire car because you are doing it in short bursts and are more conscious of how long the water is on.
When all is said and done, you can wash your car at home for less than a dollar a week.
Make sure you join here next week for another money save ways tip! Also, follow previous weeks here and take a peek at the 52 Week Money Challenge:
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 13: Meatless Monday
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 12: Create a Pricebook
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 11: Avoid Fees
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 10: Cut Your Own Hair
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 9: Watch your Electricity
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 8: Turn Off The Tv
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 7: Drink More Water
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 6: Maintain your car
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 5: Reap the Rewards
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 4: Practice the Waiting Game
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 3: Buy Seasonings in Bulk
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 2: Buy Your Clothes Used
- 52 Money Save Ways: Week 1: Make Lists
- 52 Week Money Challenge
- 52 Week Money Challenge Tracker (Printable and Electronic Versions)
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