Life Trade Calculator

Converts price into time, cash-flow impact, and optional comparisons. No advice — just perspective you can feel.

Inputs

Item price ($)

After-tax hourly wage ($/hr)

Use take-home pay / hours worked (not your pre-tax wage).

Monthly fixed expenses ($)

Rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, minimum debt payments, etc.

Monthly take-home income ($)

Current savings ($)

Emergency fund + checking buffer (whatever you’d actually lean on).

Workday hours (for “workdays”)

Include “financed purchase” estimate

Include “if the money had time to grow” estimate

Growth assumption (% per year)

Time horizon (years)

This is how long you imagine not spending that money. Example: “If I didn’t buy this and left the same amount alone for 10 years…”

Include “if this kind of purchase repeats” perspective

Repeat frequency

Not a prediction — just “what if this became a pattern?”

Wait window (hours)

Used only for a reflection prompt (no advice, no judgment).

Perspective tool only — not financial advice. Assumptions are simplified.

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This purchase is a trade-off.

Neutral numbers + reflection prompts.

Life-hours

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Time required at your after-tax wage.

Workdays

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Using your chosen workday length.

Monthly free cash after bills

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Take-home minus fixed expenses.

Share of free cash

How big this is relative to your monthly margin.

Savings impact

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What portion of your current savings this represents.

Emergency buffer after purchase

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Approx months of fixed expenses covered by remaining savings.

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Perspective tool only — not financial advice.