Where did all the time go? There’s no question time flies as it’s December already. I really notice how fast time flies every time I see my teenage nephews, who seem to be inches taller every few months or perhaps, I’m shrinking.
What does December mean? It’s Holiday time. Hanukkah started on Thursday and by the time you read this, Christmas will be less than 2.5 weeks away. We have covered holiday shopping tips, as holiday time seems to flush out emotions that have accumulated during the year. Holidays can be stressful with year end goals, exams, holiday shopping responsibilities and choosing which holiday parties to attend.
Unless you have a career where you wear a suit or female business attire daily, holiday parties are condensed into these next 2-3 weeks of dressing up regularly, which ratchets up your dry-cleaning bills during the time when “Financial Stress” hurts the most!
As per Lending Tree, the average American took on $1,249 of holiday debt in 2021 and $1,549 of holiday debt in 2022, a 24% increase. Dry cleaning plays a part in holiday spending, as it all adds up as you will see below!
As per getonedesk.com, the dry-cleaning industry generates $5 billion in revenues per year across the United States. This industry is expected to grow by 4% per year.
If you have been to the dry cleaners recently, (many have closed during COVID-19) you might have noticed significant price increases compared to pre-COVID-19. For example, I have seen pricing for dry cleaning men’s shirts between $6- $8 and from $14-$18 for a 2-piece suit. The average cost (it’s on a case-by-case basis) to clean a woman’s dress is in the $20-$25-dollar range.
I decided to take it one step further and called Micky’s Dry Cleaning at 67-20 Rockaway Beach Boulevard. They have favorable pricing, as men’s shirts cost $6.25 to dry clean ($3.95 to wash and press) and dresses start at $13.50, although they recommend taking the dress into them for a more accurate price quote.
That being said, see my top 6 money-saving tips below:
- Take off your work clothes and hang them up immediately upon returning home from work: Let clothes “air out” for a few hours before putting them back on a hangar in a closet.
- For men, wear a washable t-shirt: To prevent perspiration stains, wear tee shirts under dress shirts and jackets.
- For semi-wrinkled clothes: Either use Downy wrinkle releaser or hang garments in your bathroom while showering. Close the door and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Search and clip coupons: Choose a dry cleaner located close to your home. Try Groupon.com for dry-cleaning specials.
- Opt to Wash & Press Instead of Dry Clean: If you follow tips 1-3 and there are no visible stains, opt to wash and press men’s shirts instead of dry cleaning. Be careful with this as some shirts MUST be dry cleaned. Be sure to read the label carefully.
- Travel Tip, when on a business trip: When packing, leave shirts/suits/dresses in the dry-cleaning plastic. This will reduce most if not all the wrinkles from movement in flight, etc.