Convert a purchase price into hours of take-home pay. This free work-hours calculator gives you another way to think about a purchase before deciding whether it is worth the money.
How to use this calculator
Enter your hourly take-home pay, after deductions, and the purchase price. Include relevant taxes or delivery charges in the price you enter. Use a representative hourly amount if your income varies.
The “Hours of Life” Test
Find out exactly how many hours of work it takes to pay for that impulse purchase.
Calculations run in your browser. Values are not saved by this calculator. No signup required.
A worked example
At $20 per hour in take-home pay, an $85 purchase equals 4.25 hours of pay. The calculator displays approximately 4.3 hours because results are rounded to one decimal place.
The calculation: Hours of pay = purchase cost ÷ hourly take-home pay.
Does this show how many extra hours I must work?
No. It converts the cost into an equivalent amount of pay. It does not account for living expenses, irregular income or the availability of extra shifts. If hourly pay does not fit your situation, another savings tool may be more useful.
Put the result into practice
Review one optional purchase this week →
Ask Professor Cheap for ideas to help you plan your next step. For current prices and purchase terms, check the retailer.