At the Car Wash

Yes, you can start singing..."at the car wash.." (by Rose Royce for those interested). I was singing this tune to myself on Sunday when we washed both of our cars as our afternoon entertainment. Lukas and Brett with the hose and sponges and me on the interior detailing and vacuuming. We had a great time talking and working side by side and best of all, as Lukas noted, "Our cars look brand new!"

If we had paid someone else to wash the cars we would have had to drive somewhere, costing gas and time as well as the money, to pay for the washing. I also know for a fact the cars would not have looked nearly as good on the interior. But for me the money saved was actually secondary to the time we enjoyed as a family. We shared some fun conversation and we also had built in teaching moments for Lukas as he improved his car washing technique. In this case our family activity cost nothing and saved us both car wash money as well as additional money that we might have spent on something else, ie attending a movie or going out for ice cream. I hope you might think of some creative activities for you and your family that build community and save money. I'd love to hear your ideas!