In the previous post, we discussed how to think about gadget purchases when you are faced with similar gadgets where one has long-term value than the other. This time, you will see a case study around deciding whether to buy a gadget that accomplishes the same function as a service you outsource. You will see how the comparisons and the cost-benefit analysis are made, so that when next you are faced with similar circumstances, you can know how to make the best decision for you.
Gadget vs outsourcing services
Washing Machines vs. Dry Cleaner vs. Laundromat vs. Washing Person
This case study examines a hypothetical situation: whether it’s worth buying a washing machine, especially in a scenario where you either already pay for a washing lady, dry cleaner, or a laundromat. Let’s use the situation of a fictional working-class Nigerian man.
Assumptions:
- He can actually afford a mid-range washing machine.
- Has space in his apartment for a washing machine, including water and drainage.
- Wears between 3-5 clothing articles (shirt, trousers, singlet, boxer, suit jacket, socks, tie, handkerchief) per day.
Washing Machine
- As of 2025, if we assume the cost of a mid-range washer with a 2-year warranty is ₦250,000
- Usage period: 5 years = 5 * 52 weeks per year = 260 weeks
- Cost per week: ₦250,000 / 260 weeks = ₦961 per week
- Water + electricity per wash (weekly): ₦500
- Detergent per week: ₦500
- Maintenance: ₦10,000/year, but only in years 3–5 -> total maintenance over 5 years = ₦30,000 (pro-rated average ₦6,000/year → ₦115/week)
- Upfront Capital: ₦250,000
- Running costs (over years)
- Water & electricity: 500 x 260 = ₦130,000
- Detergent: 500 x 260 = ₦130,000
- Maintenance (years 3-5): ₦30,000
- Total running costs over 5 years = 130,000 + 130,000 + 30,000 = ₦290,000
- Total cost of ownership (5 years)
- Capital 250,000 + Running 290,000 = ₦540,000 over 5 years
- Within two and a half years, you would have recouped the initial 250,000 capital of buying the machine. Usage after that point is cost-effective.
Dry Cleaner
Dry cleaners in Nigeria charge drastically different rates, especially depending on the location. In 2025, on average, you are looking at shirts: ₦500 – ₦800, trousers: ₦800 – ₦1,200, Suits: ₦2,000 – ₦3,500, Bedsheets: ₦800, Duvets: ₦2000, Native: ₦700.
Let’s assume you send out 20 clothing items of different types at an average price of ₦500 each.
- Weekly: ₦500 * 20 clothes that will cost ₦10,000.
- Monthly: ₦10,000 * 4 = ₦40,000 per month
- Washing only: Even if you are excluding the ironing parts of the dry cleaner’s services, it could cost at least ₦250. That will still cost at least (₦250 * 20) ₦5000 per week, ₦20,000 per month.
- Total running costs after 5 years: (monthly cost * 12 months * 5 years) = ₦1.2 million – ₦2.4 million.
Laudromat (Self-service laundry shop)
For self-service shops, we are looking at a range of ₦1000 – ₦3500 per dry load, depending on the location as of 2025.
- So ₦1000-₦3500 per one wash and dry cycle, not considering color sorting, and heavy clothing like duvets, towels, and agbada, etc
- Let’s say detergent and transport to the laundromat cost ₦1000 per week
- Total cost per week is between ₦2,000 – ₦4,500
- At 4 loads/ month, we get ₦8000 – ₦18,000
- Total running cost over 5 years: ₦480,000 – ₦1,080,000
Washing Man/Lady
This is where someone comes to your house to wash manually on your behalf. Assume they come once a week, and they charge ₦100-₦500 per item, depending on the size, color, and how dirty the cloth is. Calculations will look like:
- At 20 items/week = ₦2k-₦10k
- Monthly: ₦8k- ₦40k
- 5 years: ₦480k-₦2.4m
Comparisons
- Buying the washing machine, and if you can afford it a washer-dryer is usually the best, especially if you can afford the upfront cost. Even after you have recovered the cost of buying it after several years, you still have access to it indefinitely till it becomes unusable. Plus, it has resale value. Although the washing machine will not press your clothing, you can do your own cost-benefit analysis to see if buying a steamer or steam iron alongside the washing machine is worth it, or cheaper than a dry cleaner.
- The washerperson and the laundromat are the second cheapest because of how cheap the washerperson’s services can be and the per-load charges of the laundromat. But this is very location-dependent. In cities, this will usually cost more than in rural areas.
- A dry cleaner is by far the most expensive option. They tend to wash, starch, and iron clothing with proper handling. But it costs more in the long term.
- Hand washing is also an option, a free one at that. But whether it is cheap or not depends on whether you could be making money doing other productive things in the time you are washing those clothes. It also depends on whether you can afford the comforts of outsourcing it.
Summary
If you were already spending money on either the wash person, dry cleaner, or laundromat, the washing machine stands out as a net positive. Even after the 5 years are over, you get to keep the machine perpetually. Not to mention, as the cost of goods and services rises, and inflation takes over, the cost of these services will rise with it. But the washing machine was paid for up front, so you don’t have to really worry about inflation.
This case study’s purpose isn’t to tell you that you must buy a washing machine over the other options. You are meant to evaluate your specific situation and do a cost-benefit analysis for your own specific case. Some people only patronize a dry cleaner for special occasion outfits, and handwash or use a laundromat for the rest of their clothes once per week. Others pay a tiny amount for dry cleaning weekly; they don’t wear too many clothes because they work from home, and that could be cheaper in the long run than actually getting a washer. It’s not a one-size-fits-all, so tailor it to your situation accordingly.
At the end of the day, gadgets are not just shiny toys. They are powerful tools that can be used to improve your standard of living or quietly drain your savings. When you learn to look at gadget purchases through the lens of long-term thinking, overall value, cost-benefit analysis, and tradeoffs, you are better primed to make the most choices that serve you far beyond the moment of excitement.
The wiser we get about these trade-offs, the closer we move toward a life where our spending truly reflects our priorities, not just our impulses.
In the next post in the series, I’ll be exploring another angle: Short-term status Symbols vs long-term quiet value.