How to save money on products?

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freshstartauto

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We are in our busy season (thank you summer!) and it seems that we are constantly going to Advance Auto or Home Depot to buy glass cleaner, leather cleaner, etc.
How do you save on products? Anyone know of a good distributor in the Northern VA area? Do I just need to go to a shopping warehouse like BJs? Any help is greatly appreciated since it seems we have as much going out as coming in!
 
Hey there :welcome: to AGO.

I think we have all been in that spot. What I started doing was budgeting my money and buying in bulk. It cost more but saves money in the long run if your busy.

IMHO always stock enough APC,Wax,Dressing,Towels,Glass cleaner just having one bottle around is simply not enough if you do this for a living.

I would start keeping inventory so you know what you have and how low you are and before you "run out" just order up some from here (AG has everything you need and also in bulk).
 
T3 AutoDetails said:
Hey there :welcome: to AGO.

I think we have all been in that spot. What I started doing was budgeting my money and buying in bulk. It cost more but saves money in the long run if your busy.

IMHO always stock enough APC,Wax,Dressing,Towels,Glass cleaner just having one bottle around is simply not enough if you do this for a living.

I would start keeping inventory so you know what you have and how low you are and before you "run out" just order up some from here (AG has everything you need and also in bulk).
Click to expand...

:iagree:
Bulk is the way to go. You can nearly get everything in bulk and ends up saving you money in the long run.

Example: Megs Ultimate detailer at Autozone $12 bucks 22.oz
Megs M135 (Bulk version) $30 bucks 128 oz


$1.83 per oz
$0.23 per oz

Same product. So you tell me the better buy! :props:
 
Evan.J said:
:iagree:
Bulk is the way to go. You can nearly get everything in bulk and ends up saving you money in the long run.

Example: Megs Ultimate detailer at Autozone $12 bucks 22.oz
Megs M135 (Bulk version) $30 bucks 128 oz


$1.83 per oz
$0.23 per oz

Same product. So you tell me the better buy! :props:
Click to expand...

Pssst... tell my wife why we now have so many freaking gallons of product in the garage now! :D

Along that line, unless you're getting ANYTHING with a BOGO sale, you're paying too much. Even then, the prices just start to come in line with those same products (AG house brands for instance) when buying by the gallon. Even without any discounts on the gallon products, but with discounts it's a no brainer. I'll buy house brands on BOGO to try this or that, once I figure what I like then its gallons from then on. (Handy to have the old bottles to spray or squeeze from though.) ;)
 
Hey tony just tell her your saving a butt load of money with all those gallons.:dblthumb2:
 
What I did on my last year in L.A was saving money from each job that I was doing. putting on the side a %. in som jobs I was saving as much as the 30% 40%

My mind was on trying to buy the most that I could that whole Year. And it does help me a lot!!! I end up with soo different tools that I need them for my Multi-service cleaning, Since I was doing from
Residential to Semi-Commercial Carpet & Upholstery cleaning / Mobile Auto Detail & High pressure washing jobs

Soo I had to get many different tools for my different type of services
One full year!!! it paids off at the end, Once doing the jobs with the right tool, is just a great feeling!!!!!
 
I try to stay away from aerosol products and chemicals that arent highly dilutable. Products like ONR, that have many uses will save you a ton. ONR is an excellent rinsless and waterleas wash, quick detailer, clay lube and an outstanding glass cleaner
 
Like others have said bulk! 5 gallon containers are the way to go.....Meguiar's to name one mfg sells their detailer line chemicals in 5 gallon containers... Could also look at getting a product metering system to make bottle filling easy.

5 Gallon Bulk Items I would have IMO are:

APC
Degreaser
Car Wash
Wheel Cleaner
QD/Clay Lube
Dressing


meguiaras-d101.jpg


meg-d15505.jpg






meguiars_prometeringsystem_1.jpg
 
I only buy in bulk or pkg deals and only stuff that's on sale. And you can also save on shipping. Some companies charge extra for shipping (like AG) and some don't.

Only buy stuff full price if its a must have instead of a nice to have.
 
Go out to HD or Lowes and get a nice rack system, and start keeping bulk inventory on this rack. Make an order once a week, and only get what you are running low on, low enough on that if you got super busy you would not run out by the time standard shipping would get you your product. I run a large shop's inventory this way, and some weeks I make a huge order, and some weeks I don't even get a single thing. Before we started doing it this way the guy before me was making large orders every week, over ordering by as much as 300 gallons of chemical a week. It is important to be able to see what you have , and see what you need at all times. This will help you having to run out and pay 4x as much for a product just to have it run out on you by the time a bulk order gets to you. When my shop is fully stocked we have around 600 gallons of liquid product.
 
I live by the northern Virginia line and I usually find discounts and many good deals in Advanced Auto definentley check there if you haden't there always comming out with new ways for there customers to save big bucks on car care products.
 
Multi use products and stuff that has a high dilution ratio. Eliminate as many products as possible. Gary Dean's detailing juice for one. It's pricey but 1 gallon makes 51 gallons of final product. I don't buy large amounts of polish sealants or waxes. I find what I like and stick with it. If something goes on sale cheap like a wax or polish I may pick it up. I have the CG V series sample bottles. 4 ounces each. When your talking 3-4 drops on a pad per pass on a 2x2 space on each panel. 4 ounces of a polish will last you. You will always tear through, dressing, APC, detailing spray, glass cleaner, wheel cleaner, microfiber wash, distilled water, foam pad cleaner, AIO and clay bars. Some would argue that some clay bars are better then others. In the states they are only made by one company who holds the patent. They are all the same unless someone is having them imported and selling them. That patent belongs to Japan. Car pro sells water only window towels. No glass cleaner needed. Yes they work. I keep a bottle of glass cleaner just in case but I very rarely use it.
I do keep specialty products on hand like Iron X. If I suggest to a client that it would work for a certain scenario it's an up sell to cover the cost.
 
freshstartauto said:
We are in our busy season (thank you summer!) and it seems that we are constantly going to Advance Auto or Home Depot to buy glass cleaner, leather cleaner, etc.
How do you save on products? Anyone know of a good distributor in the Northern VA area? Do I just need to go to a shopping warehouse like BJs? Any help is greatly appreciated since it seems we have as much going out as coming in!
Click to expand...

Welcome.

Bulk is the way to go, to echo the rest of the good posts on this thread.

Many excellent products can be found at AG in bulk, and free shipping sales often occur to help keep costs down even more. I'd echo the Meguiar's detailer line in bulk for the majority of your detailing/cleaning needs. Tried and true and when diluted to the proper concentrations you will realize the savings of buying in bulk! :xyxthumbs:
 
Since the sale has been extended, what is the Mirror Glaze equivalent line of Ultimate Quick Wax, and QD? They are having some bulk specials right now, but not sure what to get and I use a lot of this stuff.
 
BTW, just to add one more cost savings to the thread, I found by cutting 16oz distilled water to 16oz of quick detailer works just as well for claying. -Ed
 
Becciasm said:
Welcome.

Bulk is the way to go, to echo the rest of the good posts on this thread.

Many excellent products can be found at AG in bulk, and free shipping sales often occur to help keep costs down even more. I'd echo the Meguiar's detailer line in bulk for the majority of your detailing/cleaning needs. Tried and true and when diluted to the proper concentrations you will realize the savings of buying in bulk! :xyxthumbs:
Click to expand...

:iagree:
 
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