A price tag tells one story. Your time tells another. Turn a purchase into hours of take-home pay.
Your time receipt
Updates instantlyThis purchase represents
12 hours
of work at $20.00 take-home per hour
Each block = 1 hour · one row = an 8-hour workday
The alternative represents 4 fewer work hours.
Worth it? That's your call. This is one way to put the price in perspective.
Work-hour equivalent, not time to save. Living costs still come out of your take-home pay.
A small money experiment from Ricco. All amounts are in US dollars. See the math
This calculator makes one trade-off visible: the paid work behind a purchase. It doesn't decide what's worthwhile for you.
Divide the full purchase price by your take-home hourly pay.
Using a paycheck? A $1,600 take-home paycheck covering 80 paid hours gives $20 per hour. Use the hours covered by that same paycheck.
Use take-home pay: the money left after taxes and payroll deductions. It is closer to the money you actually receive. The calculator does not estimate your taxes. See the CFPB's explanation of gross and net pay.
Monthly prices are multiplied by 12, weekly prices by 52, and yearly prices by 1. For example, a $15 monthly subscription costs $180 per year, equivalent to 9 work hours at $20 take-home per hour. We assume the same price for a full year and exclude future increases, discounts, interest, and inflation.
No. Work-hour equivalents are different from time to save. Rent, food, debt payments, savings, and other expenses still need to be covered. A 12-hour result doesn't mean 12 additional hours of work are available or would produce the same take-home rate. Think of this as a reflection tool, not an affordability verdict.
Use a representative paycheck and the paid hours it covers, or divide your total take-home pay across several paychecks by their total paid hours. Bonuses, overtime, paid leave, and deductions can change the equivalent hourly rate. Unpaid commuting time and work-related expenses are not included.
Yes. Save a result image or copy the summary, then choose where to share it. Both include your purchase amount and equivalent hourly rate, so review them before sharing. Your inputs stay on this page and reset when you reload. For a resource list or article, .
Build your confidence with budgeting, saving, and investing in Ricco's browser-based financial literacy game.