No-Fluff Tools for Real Decisions

Real Talk
Calculators

Six calculators for questions you actually Google at 2am.

Calculator 01

How Much Is Your Raise Actually Worth?

A 10% raise sounds great. But after federal taxes, state taxes, and inflation you might be taking home far less than you think. Find out your real number.

$
$
%
%
Your Real Monthly Gain
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—
Gross Raise
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After Federal Tax
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After All Taxes
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Inflation-Adjusted
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Real % Increase
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Extra Per Day
—

★ Uses 2024 US federal marginal tax brackets. Single filer, standard deduction ($14,600). FICA (7.65%) included. State tax applied as flat rate.

Recommended on Amazon — Make the Most of Your Raise
📗 I Will Teach You To Be Rich Best Seller Ramit Sethi's #1 guide to automating your money after a salary bump. 📘 The Psychology of Money Amazon's Choice Why behaviour matters more than knowledge when managing money. 📓 Budget Planner Notebook Top-rated monthly budget journal — give every new dollar a job. 🧾 TurboTax Deluxe 2024 Higher salary = more tax complexity. File it right the first time.

★ As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you.

Calculator 02

Is It Worth It?
Time vs. Money.

Your time has a dollar value. Use this to decide whether to hire it out, buy the upgrade, or just do it yourself — in actual hours of your life.

$
h
$
h
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Your Time Is Worth
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—
Your Real Hourly Rate
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Task Cost in Your Hours
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Value of Your Time Spent
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Net Advantage
—

★ Real hourly rate = approx. take-home pay ÷ actual hours worked per week. DIY is worth it when your time value exceeds what you'd pay someone else.

Recommended on Amazon — Save Time at Home
📕 Four Thousand Weeks Cult Classic The best book ever written about time and what it's really worth. 🤖 Robot Vacuum — Top Rated Amazon's Choice The classic "hire it out" decision — pays for itself in time saved. 🍲 Instant Pot — Best Seller Cut weekly cooking time in half — a classic time vs. money win. 🏷 Label Maker + Organizers Top-rated home organization tools — stop wasting time searching for things.

★ As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you.

Calculator 03

Split the Bill
Fairly.

50/50 splits aren't always fair. This calculates each person's proportional share based on income — better for couples, roommates, and friend groups at different pay levels.

$
Fair Split Breakdown
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—

★ Income-proportional splitting means higher earners pay more, reflecting ability to pay. Commonly recommended by financial advisors for couples and roommates.

Recommended on Amazon — Shared Living Made Easier
📗 The Total Money Makeover Best Seller Dave Ramsey's classic guide to budgeting as a household together. 📋 Shared Expense Tracker Journal Paper ledger for tracking who paid what — no app needed. 📅 Family Wall Planner / Whiteboard Amazon's Choice Shared household calendar — keeps bills, chores, and plans visible. 💑 Couples & Money — Top Books Best-reviewed books on navigating finances as a couple.

★ As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you.

Calculator 04

The True Cost
of Your Daily Habits.

What does your coffee, streaming, and takeout habit actually cost over 10–30 years — including what that money could have grown to if invested instead?

%
Total Spent Over Period
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—

★ Opportunity cost = what money could have grown to, compounded monthly at the rate specified. Not financial advice — some habits are worth every penny.

Recommended on Amazon — Redirect Those Dollars
☕ Home Espresso Machines Top Rated Make café-quality coffee at home — pays for itself in under 2 months. 🫖 French Press — Best Sellers Amazon's Choice $25–40 and makes better coffee than most coffee shops. 🥗 Glass Meal Prep Container Sets Cut the takeout habit — top-rated containers for weekly meal prep. 📙 The Automatic Millionaire David Bach coined the "latte factor" — the book that started it all.

★ As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you.

Calculator 05

Is Your Gym
Membership Worth It?

Calculate your real cost-per-visit including your commute time, and compare against home gym and drop-in alternatives. No judgment — just numbers.

$
$
#
m
$
$
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True Cost Per Visit
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—
Monthly Cash Cost
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Annual Total Cost
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Drive Time Cost/Visit
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vs. Drop-in Classes
—

★ True cost includes membership, pro-rated annual fees, and the value of your commute time at your hourly rate. Break-even = visits/month needed to justify the membership.

Recommended on Amazon — Whether You Stay or Go
🏋️ Adjustable Dumbbells Best Seller Bowflex & PowerBlock — replace your gym for under $300. 🚪 Doorway Pull-Up Bar Amazon's Choice $25–40, zero installation, full upper-body workout at home. 💪 Heavy Resistance Band Sets $20–40 and replaces dozens of cable machine exercises. 🧘 Premium Exercise / Yoga Mat Top-rated thick non-slip mats — the foundation of any home gym.

★ As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you.

Calculator 06

How Long Will It Actually Take?

Every DIY project takes longer than you think. This applies real-world multipliers — experience level, interruptions, store runs, and the "one more thing" effect — for a brutally honest time estimate.

h
h
—
Realistic Time Estimate
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—
Where Your Time Goes
Your Estimate
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Realistic Total
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Hidden Overhead
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Finish By
—

★ Based on planning fallacy research: people underestimate task time by 25–200% depending on complexity and experience. Store runs, drying time, and scope creep are the biggest culprits.

Recommended on Amazon — Make the Project Go Smoother
🔧 DeWalt Cordless Drill Kit Best Seller The #1 rated DIY drill — the right tool cuts your project time in half. 🎨 FrogTape Painter's Tape Amazon's Choice The tape pros use — prevents the re-do that costs you 3 extra hours. 🪚 Black+Decker Detail Sander Top-rated compact sander — handles corners and tight spaces fast. 🧰 Stanley Tool Bag / Organizer Stop losing 20 min hunting for bits — keep everything in one place.

★ As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you.