It really pains me to say this, but taking a long, relaxing bath after a stressful day can cost you dearly. While baths do have certain benefits, such as washing away the worries and tensions of the day, for the environment – or your monthly water bill – a bath is certainly not the best solution.

Managing money is crucial, and it is important to try to save on monthly expenses wherever you can. You can always save some money in the household by turn off the light And Setting your thermostatbut a good way to pocket some extra cash is to take a shower instead of a bath (and Shorten your showersto).

That’s not to say bathing is out of the question (I know it’s out of the question for me), especially since it has numerous health benefits: it promotes relaxation, relieves fatigue, and treats chronic pain. But showering more often can leave you with a few extra dollars in your bank account at the end of the month. Here’s exactly how much you can expect to save.

Showering is actually better than bathing

Although everyone has their own preferences when it comes to how they clean themselves, showers have some advantages that baths don’t. First, you save water when you shower, which is good for the environment. Second, you save money on your water bill.

How much water do you save when showering?

The average amount of water a tub holds is 80 gallons, but this number can vary depending on your home situation. To fill a tub halfway, you’ll probably use about 40 gallons of water. If you want to bathe in a tub that’s more than half full, you’ll probably use more like 60 gallons of water.

A shower with a standard shower head and normal water pressure uses 2.5 gallons per minute. On average, people spend 10 minutes in the shower, so an average shower uses 25 gallons of water.

How much money do you save by showering?

Similar to how much water a person uses, the cost savings will depend on how long you spend in the shower or how often you bathe and how much your municipal water company charges for it.

Water utilities measure water usage in hundred cubic feet (CCF). One CCF is equal to 748 gallons of water.

If you take a 10-minute shower every day for a year, you will use 9,125 gallons of water (12.2 CCF). If you take a half-full bath every day for a year, you will use 14,600 gallons of water (19.51 CCF).

In Charlotte, North Carolina, where I live, water costs $5.29 per CCF for 9 to 16 CCF of water – or 6,732 to 11,968 gallons – and $10.03 per CCF for over 16 CCF. Daily showering would cost $64.54 per year per person, and daily bathing would cost $195.68 per year per person, about three times as much.

The conclusion

While it’s hard to say how much you’ll save per year, on average, showering is both more environmentally friendly and more economical than bathing. When you factor in average time and cost, you could save three times as much water if you shower daily and only allow yourself to bathe as an occasional luxury.

Note that these calculations do not take into account wastewater costs or other water uses – including the sink, dishwasher, lawn sprinklers. If you want to learn more about other water-saving tips and tricks, read our overview of how to Save money on your gas, electricity and water bills and these Smart devices that help you save on utility costs.

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