I've managed to cut down my driving from every day to 3-4 days a week, and hope that I will continue to cut down. Hooray! However, this means my car spends a lot of time sitting parked outside, getting bathed in leaves and dust and bird droppings. It's getting to the point that to wash it as often as it needs would result in a waste of water, time, money, or all three.
As a result, I would like to get a car cover. It seems like the purchasable car covers for my small hatchback run between $70-100, which seems like a racket, but the few instructions I've found for DIY covers make me uncertain that they save much money. Plus, there are lots of (overblown?) horror stories about people using the wrong type of fabric and getting moisture trapped, or scratching the paint, etc.
Does anyone have experience with car covers, either cheaply purchased or handmade? What is the most sensible course of action?