Frequently Asked Questions

The Time Value of Money is a financial concept stating that money available now is worth more than the same amount in the future — because it can be invested and earn returns. On this calculator, we use the phrase in a personal finance sense: we convert money into the time (work hours) required to earn it, so you can evaluate purchases in terms of your own life energy.

Always use your after-tax take-home wage for the most accurate result. If you only know your gross salary, enter it in the hourly wage field and enter your effective tax rate — we will calculate your net wage automatically. The reason is simple: you can only spend money after taxes, so the real cost of a purchase is measured against what you actually take home.

Divide your annual gross salary by 2,080 (52 weeks × 40 hours) for a standard full-time estimate. For example, a $52,000/year salary is roughly $25/hour gross. Then subtract your effective tax rate to get your net hourly rate. Enter that number directly into the "Hourly Wage (after tax)" field.

It means the number of hours you must work — at your current after-tax hourly rate — to earn enough money to pay for the item at full price. It does not account for savings already set aside, investments, or side income. It is a simple, direct measure of "how much of your working life does this cost?"

Because the raw number of hours can be hard to contextualize. Saying a purchase costs "96 hours" is less intuitive than "12 workdays" or "2.4 weeks." We show all formats so you can choose the framing that feels most meaningful to you.

Yes. The currency selector supports USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, CHF, JPY, INR, BRL, MXN, PLN, SEK, NOK, DKK, and RON. The calculation logic is identical regardless of currency — it is the ratio of price to wage that matters, not the specific currency.

No. All calculations happen entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter — your wage, purchase price, or results — is sent to our servers or stored anywhere. We only store your cookie consent preference and language choice in your browser's local storage.

The math is straightforward: hours = price ÷ net hourly wage. Days = hours ÷ 8. Weeks = hours ÷ weekly hours you set. Years = hours ÷ (weekly hours × 52). The accuracy depends entirely on the wage figure you enter. We recommend using your real after-tax take-home rate for the most honest result.

The three cards translate your work hours into everyday time units — commute trips (30 min each), lunch breaks (30 min each), and nights of sleep (8 hours each). These comparisons help make abstract hour counts feel concrete and relatable.

Yes. The calculator is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, and Romanian. Your browser language is detected automatically, or you can switch languages using the selector in the top-right corner. All calculations work identically in every language.

Anyone who wants to make more intentional spending decisions. It is especially popular with people pursuing financial independence (FIRE), minimalists, frugality advocates, students learning personal finance, and anyone comparing the true cost of major purchases like cars, vacations, gadgets, or home renovations.

Yes, completely free. There is no sign-up, no paywall, and no premium tier. The site is supported by non-intrusive advertising.