With household bills taking up such a large chunk of a family’s budget, it is important that we make cutbacks wherever possible if we are going to be able to free up some extra cash for other important things. With this in mind, it’s worth asking ourselves if there are any jobs which you are currently paying other people to do for you that you could actually do yourself? I think there are, especially when it comes to cleaning things around the home.
Let’s consider 3 cleaning jobs that you might currently be paying other people to do for you but where you could actually save yourself some money by doing them for yourself.
This is a guest post from Adam, he is the founder of Money Bulldog. He started his website back in 2012 because he felt that the finances of many people had become strained due to the financial crisis and he wanted to share his experience in the world of personal finance with the aim of making a difference. You can connect with Adam on Twitter@MoneyBulldogUK. Let me know if you would like to guest post on RFI.
Cleaning your Car
Years ago it was pretty much the norm that people cleaned their own cars. The weekend came and the neighbours would be out in their droves on a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon and the car cleaning would commence. During the economic boom years however, we seem to have all gotten a little lazy! J It now seems that we would much rather line the pockets of business owners to wash our car for us rather than to sacrifice half an hour of our own time on a weekend. If you’re trying to save money then perhaps now is the time to root out the bucket and sponge once more and to start cleaning your own car again. Or perhaps you could invest in a power washer to help you get the job done that little bit easier. Who knows, you might even find it therapeutic once you get going.
Window Cleaning
It’s true to say that most house-proud people are really fussy about having clean windows! They simply can’t live without them. But do you really need to pay a professional window cleaning company to clean them for you? These days it has never been easier to clean your own windows with the help of the latest water fed pole technology used by professional window cleaners like Blades Maintenance. If you are willing to spend a little money getting a hold of the right gear, then you might never have to employ the services of a window cleaner again.
Power Washing
We’ve already mentioned investing in a power washer once in this post with regards to cleaning your car but it could also save you more money if you use it to clean up your patio and decking too, rather than employing somebody to do this for you. It doesn’t take as much time as you might think to get these jobs done and you could save yourself hundreds of pounds per year on home maintenance costs! It’s also pretty fun to use a power washer and it’s always a winner with the kids as the inevitable water fight breaks out. J
So there we have it, 3 ways that you can save money regularly by taking the time to do some common cleaning tasks yourself, instead of paying other people to do them for you. You may need to put a little elbow grease in to get the jobs done but it will be worth it when you are feeling the financial benefits and who knows, you might even get a great feeling of satisfaction and enjoyment from doing these tasks yourself too.
Do you save money by doing any of these cleaning jobs yourself?
You should also consider how much you value your time, and if you can’t spend your time doing things that (maybe in the long turn) would allow you to earn more. I would happily pay a cleaning lady if that saves me time to read a book that helps my carreer. Another aspect : a carwash costs 10 € , and takes 10 mins . If I need to clean my car myself it would take at least 3 times as long .
Doing these tasks ourselves is really a way in saving money. For example, I myself clean my own car every weekend.
Indeed, not using car washes can save you a good bit. I have taken my car to a car wash twice in the five years I have been driving. I spend that money on going out to eat every once in a while with my husband instead.
Love the pics!! I need to detail my car so bad. Even more so now that I have seen what a difference it can make and where dirt can linger. Love the toothbrush for detailing. I’ll be sure to do that. Hopefully it will cool off enough next week to get it done.
Great ideas for saving money.Now I spare time for cleaning my windows and car.So that i can utilize it for different purposes.Keep the sharing please!
You have a good point about the cleanest home owners having a preference for super clean windows and cleaning them often. It’s good to hear you found the power washing option useful.
Really They have all the more cleaning instruments,Knowledge of product.Their cleaning stays for long time and have better finishing.I will procure proficient cleaner for coming spring. Thanks .
Investing in the right products can always save you a ton of money when it comes to cleaning services. These are great tips to follow, thanks for sharing!
All of these things we can clean DIY and can save a lots of money. The way you elaborated the all of these projects are amazing. Really appreciate your efforts on this.
Hello Pauline,
Great Tip to save money for everyone.
As a car lover, I’d like to go into deep detail of car cleaning especially car interior because this can save quite much money for you.
There are so many ways to clean the car interior but this way I usually use to clean my car:
Step 01: Eliminate Floor Mats, Rubbish and Various other Items:
Step 02: Clean the Central Console
Step 03: Clean the Inside Windows:
Step 04: Clean the Seat Plus Upholstery
Step 05: Clean the Car Floor Mats
Step 06: Finishing Up
Step 07: Put Everything Back in the Same Place:
You can read more information here to know exactly how to do.
Thank you so much and have a nice day!
You can try power washing to remove mold, dirt, grime or grease in every part of your house.
Thanks, Pauline for sharing this article, I want to use some good tools to clean my windows but It is so difficult and risk involved to clean sensitive and above height windows. Professionals have those techniques and tools to do it without spending too much time. I’m based in Virginia and I am looking for best window cleaning in Virginia as you suggested I should not go for window cleaning my own.