Lozano's Car Wash Coupons - 38% gain in Two Years

Here are the current coupons for Lozano's Car Wash in Mountain View, California.

The lowest price, best coupon for those watching their spending, is up 38.5% in just over two years while CPI inflation in the US is up less than 5%.

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Compare it to the coupons for just over two years ago.

Notice how the very best price offered, the Tuesday Special, went from $12.99 to $17.99, a gain of 38.5% in just over two years!

Official inflation over this period is, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BEA) is less than 5% so why did the price of a car wash go up 38.5%?

Mountain View's minimum wage is currently $10.30 per hour with a goal of $15 per hour by 2018. See Mountain View boosts its minimum wage to $10.30, with $15 goal by 2018

Lozano's Brushless Car Wash is in Mountain View.

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The minimum wage was $9 per hour before so my guess is most of the higher car wash prices are the costs to comply with Obama Care.  

It is good that workers have health insurance but it is not free.  We all pay for it.  I find I go much longer between car washes these days and I wash my cars more often at home.  If everyone does this due to the higher price, it is possible there are fewer jobs at the car wash than before helping explain why the economy isn't growing as fast as it has in past recoveries.

With the cost of Obamacare - ACA slated to go up 17.3% for me next year and higher minimum wages slated for Mountain View, I wonder what sort of prices we'll pay to get a car wash in 2016.

What do you think?  Feel free to comment below or on my facebook page.