How much does it cost to clean my windows?

Are you thinking about hiring a window cleaning service, but aren't sure if you can afford it?

Let's be real, you have windows so that you can look outside and see the beautiful views of your neighborhood, but when your windows get dirty it ruins not only your view, but also the aesthetics of your beautiful house. That's when you know it is time to get your windows cleaned

Not very many people like washing windows. Additionally, if your house is two stories or has windows that are difficult to reach, cleaning your own windows can be dangerous. That is why we recommend hiring a professional window cleaner.

The reality is that the cost of hiring a professional window cleaner varies. There are a lot of variables that determine the cost of cleaning your windows.

Cost by the pane

Without seeing your house in person or being given a detailed description, it is hard to ballpark the cost of cleaning your windows. However, window cleaning is usually priced by the pane. Your average double hung residential window will consist of two panes. Therefore, a house that has many windows or windows with multiple panes will cost more to clean than a house with few windows or less panes.

Generally we recommend getting your windows cleaned twice a year, but that can change too. If your house is close to a freeway, near an ocean, or exposed to frequent bad weather, you will need to have it serviced more often.

Trying to figure out how much a window cleaning will cost.

The easiest way to figure out how much window cleaning service will cost is to get a quote or to contact us by phone

Some companies may give you a rough cost on their website, but often that estimate may change on the day of service. While you may think that window cleaning is a fairly easy job, there are a number of factors that can affect the final price of your service.

• How clean or dirty are your windows? This may play a big factor in what equipment is needed or how much time it will take to complete the job.

• How many windows — Simply said, the more windows you need cleaned the longer it will take and subsequently the cost will increase.

• Types of windows — Are your windows large, small, double hung, multi-pane, or French windows? This all gets calculated into your estimate.

• Accessibility — Is your house single story or double story. Are the windows easy to get to or are they difficult to access. All of this will play a factor in the equipment needed and the overall time it will take to complete the job.

• Interior, exterior or both? Although selecting jus the inside or just the outside may save you a little money on the first service, generally the best price in the end is going to be to have both done at the same time.

Think about additional services you may want

There are some additional services you may want to think about before you decide to get your windows cleaned. Some of these services include:

• Paint Removal- this can get expensive depending on the amount of paint that needs to be removed. The price will differ quite a bit depending on the size of the job

• Mineral Deposit Removal- If you have a sprinkler that regularly hits one of your windows, you may wish to have the "water spots" removed. This takes special cleaners and equipment and will also add to the cost of your service

• Track Cleaning- some people prefer to clean out their tracks before they have their windows cleaned. Others prefer to have it done for them. If you want your tracks cleaned, make sure that this is part of the estimate you receive.

• Screen Cleaning- If you have exterior screens, most customers ask that we clean their screens as part of the service, but this does add some additional cost.

What is the average cost?

For the average house that we service in our local area (Upland, California), the cost is typically between $200 and $250, but as we pointed out every house is unique and every quote is slightly different depending on the services you request.

Final Tip

Before you select a window cleaning service, make sure that you read reviews and research the business that you are inviting into your house. You want to make sure that you are dealing with professional that has the right equipment, supplies and insurance to keep you and your family safe. You can see some of our reviews on the following platforms:

Facebook

Yelp

Google

Having said that, with the above information you can begin to estimate what it may cost to get your windows cleaned, but we recommend that you visit our website and request a professional estimate.

Budgeting....A personal road-map

Budgeting....A personal road-map 

The New Year is quickly approaching, and many people will make one of their resolutions to better control their finances in 2016.  However, having a goal and being able to achieve it are two very different things. 

Know what you want…….Know how to get there

When attempting a new goal, it is always good to have a plan.  Creating a simple budget creates a great road map for how you will achieve your financial goals for the New Year.    For many, the concept of sitting down and creating a budget is a tiresome, frustrating, boring or even daunting, but I would submit that budgeting, if you make it simple enough, is not only helpful, but it can be fun!

Where do I start?

The first place that you need to start is by listing your gross income.   For many, your income will be the same from month to month.  If you make $40,000 per year take 40000/12 for your monthly income. If it varies, budget to your lowest month; this will ensure that you are not budgeting money that will not be there. 

The next step will be to remove all of your payroll deductions.  Take a look at your last pay stub.  They should all be listed.  Subtract your deductions from your gross income.  This will give you your “take home pay” or net income.  Your take home pay is what you have left to budget for the rest of the month.  At this point you will have something that might look like this. 

	January
Income	$  3,333.33
Health Ins	$     (50.00)
401k	$   (333.00)
Taxes	$   (500.00)
Take Home	$  2,450.33

Fixed Costs

The next thing to do is list all of your Fixed Costs.  These are all of the bills that are roughly the same each month.  This might include Rent (mortgage), Utilities, or even other bills you have signed up for like pet insurance, gym memberships etc.  Some of these bills may change slightly from month to month like utility bills.  For a more accurate budget, look at last year’s bills and average them over the year.  For instance if you spent a total of $600 on your electricity bills over the year, take 600/12 and you find your average electricity bill was $50/month.  In this case some months might be under budget and some might be over budget, but by the end of the year, it should total about the same amount.  Once you have all of your Fixed Costs listed, you will take your “Take Home Pay” less your “Fixed Cost”.  This is the amount you have left over after all of your current commitments.  It may look something like this:

	January
Income	$  3,333.33
Health Ins	$     (50.00)
401k	$   (333.00)
Taxes	$   (500.00)
Take Home	$  2,450.33
Fixed Cost
Rent	$     500.00
Utility: Gas	$        10.00
Utility: Elec	$        50.00
Utility: Water	$        30.00
Utility: Sew	$        30.00
Utility: Cable	$        50.00
Cell Phone	$        50.00
NetFlix	$          7.00
Total Fixed Cost	$     727.00
Total After FC	$  1,723.33

Look Out For Number One! (Saving and Goals)

The next step is to determine your financial goals for the year.  This might include saving for retirement, setting aside your “rainy day fund”, saving for a down payment on a house, or paying off a credit card.  For these types of goals, I always recommend finding a way to automate them.  That way, you can “Set it and forget it”.  For instance, you might set up an automatic monthly transfer to your savings account or retirement account, or you may set an automatic bill pay to your Mortgage or Credit Card Company.  If you automate the process, you don’t have to think about it each month.  Of course, I always promote having at least 6-12 months savings in an emergency fund, and having all of your credit cards paid to a zero balance, but it takes time to get there and setting a budget is a good way to start.  You will list all of these items below your fixed costs.  It may look something like this:

Transfers
Savings Transfer	$     333.33
IRA Transfer	$     333.33
Total TXFR	$     666.67
Total After TXFR	$  1,056.67

Irregular Expenses

The next category is irregular expenses or non-discretionary expenses.  These include expenses that you have committed to like insurance premiums, car registration, etc, but it can also include some of the more fun expenses like birthday gifts, or clothing budget.  Many times, people tend to forget about these items until they come up, and this can create and undue hardship at that time.  One trick that I suggest is taking these amounts and dividing them by 12.  Then setup a separate month transfer into a secondary checking account.  That way, when the expense comes up, the money is there to pay it.  This section may look something like this. 

Non-Discretionary Expenses
Car Registration	$        16.67	(200/12)
Car Insurance	$        66.67	(800/12
Car Maintenance	$        20.00
Tax Payments	$        33.33	(400/12)
Renter's Insurance	$        25.00	(300/12)
Medical Exp	$        20.00
Birthday Gifts	$        16.67	(200/12)
Holiday Gifts	$        16.67	(200/12)
Clothing	$        40.00
Haircuts	$        20.00
Animal Care	$        10.00
Total Non-Disc Exp	$     285.00
Total After Non-Disc Exp	$     771.67

Now you know exactly how much you have left over at the end of each month.  This will lead us to our discretionary expenses. These are the budget items that you have the most control over.  If you are looking at the number left over after all of your commitments and don’t feel comfortable with that number, maybe it is time to start trimming some of your monthly commitments.  For example: I haven’t been to the gym in 6 months. Do I really need a gym membership? Or I am paying $200 a month for cable TV, could I find a package that still has all the channels I want for $100 per month?

Discretionary Spending

This section is all about YOU!  The key is setting a realistic budget.  This section will include your groceries, lunches out, fuel, and many of the other items you have control over on a month to month basis.  You have to be realistic, but you also have to be willing to commit to the budget.  Let’s say you want to eat out a couple more times next month.  You can choose to cut a couple of restaurant visits this month to make sure the budget balances next month.  If you need to spend more on groceries this month, you can cut back on some of your dinners out.  The whole key to discretionary spending is make sure that you are keeping it to the budgeted amount over the course of time.  Your discretionary budget might look something like this.

Discretionary Exp
Fuel	$     200.00
Allowance	$     250.00
Groceries	$     250.00
Shopping	$        50.00
Misc Exp	$        21.67
Total Discretionary Exp	$     771.67
Total After All Expenses	$               -

Wait!!!!!!!! My total after all expenses is $0.  Yes, this is what we call zero dollar budgeting.  We account for every dollar to make sure that we are not over spending.  If you get done with your REALISTIC discretionary expense and you still have money left over, make sure that you have accounted for everything, and then make some adjustments.  I would suggest you consider adding additional budget to one of your goal transfers so that you can hit your goal even sooner than you had expected. 

When you are all done, you might have a budget that looks something like this:

	January
Income	$  3,333.33
Health Ins	$     (50.00)
401k	$   (333.00)
Taxes	$   (500.00)
Take Home	$  2,450.33
Fixed Cost
Rent	$     500.00
Utility: Gas	$        10.00
Utility: Elec	$        50.00
Utility: Water	$        30.00
Utility: Sew	$        30.00
Utility: Cable	$        50.00
Cell Phone	$        50.00
NetFlix	$          7.00
Total Fixed Cost	$     727.00
Total After FC	$  1,723.33
Transfers
Savings Transfer	$     333.33
IRA Transfer	$     333.33
Total TXFR	$     666.67
Total After TXFR	$  1,056.67
Non-Discretionary Expenses
Car Registration	$        16.67	(200/12)
Car Insurance	$        66.67	(800/12
Car Maintenance	$        20.00
Tax Payments	$        33.33	(400/12)
Renter's Insurance	$        25.00	(300/12)
Medical Exp	$        20.00
Birthday Gifts	$        16.67	(200/12)
Holiday Gifts	$        16.67	(200/12)
Clothing	$        40.00
Haircuts	$        20.00
Animal Care	$        10.00
Total Non-Disc Exp	$     285.00
Total After Non-Disc Exp	$     771.67
Discretionary Exp
Fuel	$     200.00
Allowance	$     250.00	(eating out, movies, etc)
Groceries	$     250.00
Shopping	$        50.00
Misc Exp	$        21.67
Total Discretionary Exp	$     771.67
Total After All Expenses	$               -

How do I implement my budget?

I suggest creating a three bank account system.  Generally I suggest keeping them all at the same bank to make transferring funds easier, but some folks will suggest you keep your savings account at a different bank. 

Non-Discretionary Spending Account

I would suggest setting this account up as the account that your paycheck goes into.  From here, you will transfer your monthly discretionary spending budget, and your savings account transfer.  All income goes into this account.   This is the account that you will use for your Fixed Cost budget items as well as your Non-Discretionary spending items.  Don’t get a debit card for this account even if they offer it!  Try to automate everything going out of this account.  If your bank offers automated features (like automatic bill pay and Automatic Transfers) set them up so that you don’t miss any of your commitments.    

Discretionary Spending Account

This is where your monthly allotment of discretionary spending money will go.  I would suggest making this a checking account that you have access to with a debit card.  Using ONLY this account for your discretionary spending will help keep you on budget and keep you from overspending on these items that you have the most control over. 

Emergency Fund (Savings Account)

I suggest having a MINIMUM of 6 months’ pay in your Emergency Fund Account (in this scenario that would be $20,000).  Notice I said minimum.  Many people believe that number should be closer to 12 months.  This is the account that you don’t touch except in the case of an emergency.  You should set up an automatic transfer to this account so that you don’t have to think about it.  Once you have your 12 months’ pay set up in this account, I recommend opening a second savings account to save for planned purchases (cars, TV’s, Boats, dream vacation etc).  Your goal should be to never use this money. 

I can’t seem to stay on track

Debit and Credit cards make it very easy for consumers to spend.  If you are having trouble staying on track with your discretionary spending, make life simple.  Ditch the credit card, debit card, etc.  Each week, go to the bank and pull out the amount of cash you have budgeted for that week.  When you get home, stick that cash into an envelope, and only take it out when you are ready to use it.  Only use cash for the discretionary spending purchases.  Once the money is gone, you are done spending for the week.  If there is money left over at the end of the week.  Put it back into the envelope for use another day. 

How do I track my budget? 

There are a lot of different ways to track your budget.  Quicken is a great took for helping you track your spending and budgets, but it can take a lot of time and commitment in order to do it right.  There are several free services like www.mint.com that will help you track your budgets.  They connect automatically to your bank accounts and will even give you alerts when you have over-spent.  Lastly, there is always the pen and paper method.  Stick on extra column on your budget sheet that says Actual.  Once a week (or more) sit down and fill in the actual amounts spent on each budget item.  Keep it in a binder throughout the year so that you can look back at exactly how much you have spent.