You may hear people argue that the savings from changing your own oil are minimum because you have to dispose of the oil and filter, and pay the disposal fee. It takes longer because you do not have the equipment, so it is not efficient because of the time, and that the extra benefits of getting your oil changed, like the tire rotations, 22 point inspections, etc. make it worth the extra cost as they can help you avoid big expenses later. However, this is simply not the case. While those things are valuable, and you can find value in having someone else change your oil, when it comes down to the cost, dollar for dollar, and even in time, it is less to change it yourself.

To get an oil change you generally need to go to a lube shop of some kind. A full synthetic oil change will cost you $45 to $60, possibly even more. There are times when you get a promotional coupon and can get your oil changed for less, and in some rare cases, you can get it changed for close to your cost, but if you do not have a coupon, or do not have a way of getting a discounted oil change, then the cost is far more than it would be to do it yourself.

So, how much does it cost to change your own oil? Typically you have to pay for the oil, you have to have some equipment to be able to change it, and you need to buy a filter. So, how much does that run? Well, oil is about $1-$2 a quart, and you need 5 quarts, and a filter on average is $8 or less. So you are looking at $13 for a basic oil change, $20 if you use really good oil (which most cars do not need). Then as far as the equipment goes, you need a wrench, sometimes a special one for your car, but typically any wrench will work. You need oil pans to catch the oil you are changing, but things like old cat litter boxes will work, or something similar. So, the savings for changing your own oil instead of paying someone to change it for you is between $20 and $45 each time. If you change your oil every 3 months or so, you are looking at between $100 and $200 in savings each year. So, by learning to change your own oil, and doing it yourself you can save about $100 a year to put in your cash reserve, even possibly more depending on the frequency of your oil changes.

While the extra stuff is nice, for the extra $45 dollars you could probably pay for a 22 point inspection for less.