Ever wonder whether those weekly laundromat trips are quietly costing more than a washing machine? I did a simple break-even test, and the answer was much easier to figure out than I expected.
The basic question is: How many loads would it take for a washing machine to pay for itself?
No complicated spreadsheet is required. You just need a few numbers, ten minutes, and a reasonably honest guess about how often you do laundry.
My laundromat calculation
I started by tracking what one laundromat visit actually cost me.
A normal trip looked like this:
- Washing: €4.50
- Drying: €2.50
- Detergent: about €0.50
- Total: €7.50 per load
I usually did one load each week, so that came to roughly €30 per month or €390 per year.
That surprised me. €7.50 never felt like much at the time, but seeing the yearly total made it look very different. This is why tracking helps me: it finally shows where my money actually goes instead of leaving everything as a vague feeling.
I used Monee to put my laundromat spending in one category, but a phone note or paper list works just as well. The useful part was noticing the pattern, not using a perfect system.
What would a washing machine cost?
Next, I looked at a basic washing machine rather than the fanciest model available.
Here was my rough example:
- Washing machine: €350
- Delivery and installation: €40
- Total starting cost: €390
Then I estimated the cost of each home wash:
- Electricity and water: about €0.70
- Detergent: about €0.30
- Total: €1 per load
That meant each home load could save around €6.50 compared with my €7.50 laundromat load.
My break-even calculation looked like this:
€390 starting cost ÷ €6.50 saved per load = 60 loads
At one load per week, the machine would break even after roughly 14 months. After that point, each load would be cheaper—assuming the machine kept working and no major repair appeared.
Try this in 10 minutes
Want a quick version of the same experiment? Copy this mini-template:
- Laundromat cost per load: €___
- Home cost per load: €___
- Difference per load: €___
- Machine, delivery, and installation: €___
- Total starting cost ÷ difference per load: ___ loads
Then divide the number of loads by how many you normally wash each month.
For example, if your answer is 60 loads and you do four loads per month:
60 ÷ 4 = 15 months to break even
The numbers do not have to be perfect. A good-enough estimate already gives you something useful to compare.
The hidden costs changed my answer
The calculation made buying a machine look like the obvious winner, but real life added a few questions.
Do I have space for it? Is there a proper connection in the flat? Who pays if it breaks? Am I likely to move soon?
For a student renting a small room, buying may not make sense even when it is cheaper over two years. Moving a washing machine is annoying, and some landlords do not allow one. A second-hand machine can lower the starting cost, but it may also need repairs sooner.
The laundromat has its own hidden cost: time. I was losing around 90 minutes per visit, even when I brought my laptop. On the other hand, it gave me access to large dryers, and I never had to worry about maintenance.
Sharing also changes everything. If three flatmates split a €390 machine, each person pays €130. The break-even point can arrive much faster, although it helps to agree in advance about repairs and who keeps the machine after someone moves out.
So, which one was worth it?
For me, a washing machine only looked worthwhile if I expected to stay in the same flat for at least 14 months. If I planned to move sooner, the laundromat offered more flexibility despite the higher cost per load.
That was my biggest discovery: the cheapest option per wash is not automatically the best option for right now.
Sometimes the laundromat is worth paying for because there is no upfront cost or commitment. Sometimes a basic shared machine saves money surprisingly quickly. Even knowing your approximate break-even point is a small win—it replaces guesswork with a number you can actually use, without needing to make the “perfect” choice.
Discover Monee - Budget & Expense Tracker
