Oil change 101

Mini started a disconcerting death clack rattle last week.  I chalked this up as yet another reason why driving in general is not my cup o' tea.  Initial theories involved possibly bad gas.  However, MacG had the inspired idea to top off the oil with a partial bottle rolling around in the boot (during the weird wet the parking spot-thirsty mini who needed a new water pump saga).  We were a couple hundred miles over the 3K guideline.  Clacking solved.

I wanted to learn how to do this in order to achieve a bit more financial independence.  Price-wise, I'm not sure if you save beaucoup bucks on this endeavor.

5 quarts of 5w-30 synthetic oil (initially thought I only needed one per change)  -- $40 or $30 for semi-synthetic stuff MacG found in a gas station to supplement the 2 quarts I ordered
1/2 an oil filter (not attempted in this iteration) -- $8.40
[free] oil drain container which MacGyver already has
[free] funnel that is no longer food grade
[free] rag to check status
[free] car jack and stand
[free] hex tool used to loosen the bolt (actually, this cost $12 at home depot because we couldn't find the original)

= $34- $44  per change... plus you get pretty dusty, have to wait for the tank to cool off, will have to find a place to dispose of the oil, etc.

At which point, I get to wondering if an extra $10-$20 might be worth it to avoid the hassle... as long as they don't freak you out about other maintenance your car might need in the upsell.  That said, one facet of my car's vascular system is slightly less mystifying.