Price tags in hours
Converting a price into hours of work is one of the simplest ways to decide whether something is worth it. Use your take-home pay per hour, ideally your real hourly wage after commuting and work costs, because that is what each hour of work actually gives you to spend. A $1,200 phone at $22 an hour is 55 hours, or almost a week and a half at work.
The last row adds a second lens: what the same money could become if invested instead. That is not an argument against ever buying anything, just a way to make the trade-off visible.
Common questions
How do I find my take-home hourly pay?
Divide one paycheck by the hours it covers. For a fuller picture, use the real hourly wage calculator.
Is this the same as "life energy"?
Yes, it is the idea from Your Money or Your Life of measuring purchases in hours of your life.
This calculator gives estimates for planning. Real returns, rates and prices change, so treat the result as a guide rather than a promise. Read how we build and check our calculators.