Okay so last summer I got real sick of my 9-to-5 and thought, "Heck, why not start washing windows?" Seems simple enough, right? But lemme tell ya, figuring how much cash you actually need ain't straightforward. I'll walk you through every penny I spent chasing shiny panes.

The "This Can't Be Hard" Phase

First thing I did? Went full detective mode. Tore apart YouTube clips, pestered dudes on Reddit cleaning forums, and straight-up stalked local window guys at Starbucks to ask gear questions. Realized I needed three things bad: squeegees, solutions, and marketing. Thought maybe $200 would cover it. Boy was I wrong.

The Gear Gut Punch

Hit Home Depot thinking I’d grab a starter kit. Saw that shiny $50 professional squeegee kit – snagged it! Then realized you need different sizes for houses vs office windows. Grabbed an 18-inch and a 6-inch one too, already $90 down. Buckets? Cheap. Microfiber towels? Like $25 for a pack. Then the solutions slapped me – good concentrated stuff ain't $3 bottle garbage. A gallon each of soap and water-spot remover ran me $45 total. Felt dizzy staring at my cart.

• Squeegees (multi-pack): $55
• Extra squeegees: $35
• Towels/buckets: $40
• Solutions & concentrates: $45

The Insurance Nightmare

Almost skipped this. Big mistake. Called for insurance quotes and nearly choked on my coffee. Basic liability? $650 a year! They asked if I'd do skyscrapers (hell no) or use ladders (yep). Added workers’ comp for my dumb future self hiring buddies – boom, another $200. Paperwork took three damn days.

Marketing Costs That Hurt

Made 500 flyers myself thinking Vistaprint’s cheap. Paid $80 for "premium" cardstock – trash. Dropped em in mailboxes... got zero calls. Hired a high school kid to design a simple logo – another $50. Facebook ads burned $120 fast with two small jobs to show for it. Finally caved and paid $100 for magnetic car signs. That actually worked.

Total surprise costs? Added easily $350 for people to NOT ignore me.

What I Actually Spent

Added everything while drinking cheap beer:

• Gear: $175
• Insurance: $850
• Licensing/biz reg: $150
• Marketing: $350
• Gas can/jugs: $30

Grand total? $1,555. Not $200 like I dreamed. Took me six jobs just to break even. But hey, two months later I quit my job. Still smell like vinegar though. Worth it.