About

Most consumers evaluate purchases based on currency, yet this metric often fails to register the physical and mental effort required to earn that money. A price tag of 200 currency units is abstract, whereas the realization that it represents sixteen hours of focused labor creates a tangible psychological barrier known as the pain of paying. This tool translates monetary costs into time units, allowing users to assess whether a purchase is worth the portion of their life energy required to acquire it. By reframing consumption through the lens of labor, individuals can distinguish between essential value and impulsive spending. This calculation is particularly effective for freelancers and salaried employees who often lose sight of their effective hourly wage after taxes and unpaid overtime.

Formulas

The core calculation determines the user's Effective Hourly Rate (E) and then applies it to the Item Price (P). To convert the result into standard working days, we assume an 8-hour workday.

1. Effective Hourly Rate:

I × 1 − TH × W

Where I is gross income, T is the tax rate (decimal), H is hours worked per week, and W is weeks per period (52 for annual).

2. Time Cost (t):

Reference Data

Item / Service	Avg. Price ($)	Min. Wage Worker (7.25/hr)	Teacher (30.00/hr)	Engineer (55.00/hr)	Executive (120.00/hr)
Daily Latte	5.50	46 min	11 min	6 min	3 min
Streaming Sub	15.00	2.1 hrs	30 min	16 min	8 min
Video Game	70.00	9.7 hrs	2.3 hrs	1.3 hrs	35 min
Running Shoes	120.00	2.1 days	4 hrs	2.2 hrs	1 hr
Smartphone	999.00	17.2 days	4.2 days	2.3 days	8.3 hrs
Laptop	1,500.00	25.8 days	6.3 days	3.4 days	12.5 hrs
Designer Bag	3,000.00	51.7 days	12.5 days	6.8 days	3.1 days
Used Car	15,000.00	1.0 year	62.5 days	34.1 days	15.6 days
Wedding	30,000.00	2.0 years	125 days	68.2 days	31.3 days
Down Payment	60,000.00	4.0 years	250 days	136 days	62.5 days

Frequently Asked Questions

By default, the standard calculation uses contracted hours. However, to get a truly accurate "Life Energy" assessment, you should add your commute hours and unpaid break times to the "Hours worked per week" field. This decreases your effective hourly rate and increases the time cost of items.

You purchase items with net income (after tax), not gross income. Ignoring taxes makes items appear cheaper in time-value than they truly are. A 20% tax rate means you must work 25% longer to afford the same item.

This tool defines a "Work Day" as 8 hours of labor, not a 24-hour calendar day. This accurately reflects how many actual shifts you must work to pay for the item.

Yes. If you are a freelancer, input your target annual revenue and total billable plus non-billable hours. This helps visualize if a new piece of equipment (expense) justifies the hours required to pay it off.