What this calculator does
It adds up small costs that repeat — daily, weekly, monthly or yearly — and turns them all into one yearly number. Then it shows the part you ticked as "could cut", how many hours of your work pay for all of it, and what the cut amount could grow into if you saved it instead.
When it helps
- When you earn enough on paper but the month still runs out before the money does.
- Before you look for extra income — plugging a leak is often faster than earning more.
- When you are building an emergency fund or paying off debt and need to find money for it.
- Once a year, as a check-up, because subscriptions quietly come back.
How to read the answer
The big number is the yearly cost of everything you listed. It is usually the one that surprises people, because we think of these costs in daily or monthly amounts.
Hours of work divides that yearly cost by your pay per hour. It answers a different question: how many hours of your life go to things like these. Use your real take-home pay per hour, not the number on your contract.
The 10- and 20-year figures show what only the ticked costs could become if you saved that money every month instead, growing at the yearly rate you entered.
What it cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which costs are worth keeping — only you know what makes your life better. It does not know about your rent, loans or big bills, so it is not a full budget; for that use the 50/30/20 budget calculator. The growth figures assume the same return every year, which never happens in real life, and they ignore fees, taxes and inflation.
Frequently asked questions
What is a money leak?
A money leak is a small cost that repeats so quietly you stop noticing it: a subscription you no longer use, bank fees, delivery charges, a daily snack or drink. Each one looks tiny. Together over a year they are often a surprisingly large amount.
How do I find subscriptions I forgot about?
Go through the last three months of your bank and card statements and mark every payment that appears more than once. Also check the subscriptions list in your phone's app store and in your PayPal account. Most forgotten subscriptions show up in one of those three places.
Should I cut every small expense?
No. Keep the small things that really make your life better and cut the ones you pay for out of habit. The goal is not to live without any joy. It is to stop paying for things you do not use or value.
Is the growth figure guaranteed?
No. It uses the yearly return you enter, as if that return were the same every year. Real investments go up and down, and fees, taxes and inflation reduce the result. Treat it as an illustration of what steady saving can do, not a promise.
Does this calculator save or send my data?
No. Everything is calculated inside your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or stored on a server.