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We use the Future Value of an Annuity: FV = PMT × [((1+r)^n − 1) / r] where PMT is your monthly equivalent spending, r is the monthly return, and n is months to retirement. This is what your money would compound to if invested in a broad index fund instead.

Future values overstate real purchasing power. We apply Real = Nominal ÷ (1+inflation)^years. At 3% inflation, $500K in 30 years is worth roughly $206K today. We show both so you see the full picture.

The S&P 500 has returned ~10% nominal and ~7% inflation-adjusted annually over the past century. 7% is the standard financial planning assumption. Individual results vary — this is a planning tool, not a guarantee.

No. All calculations run entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server. No cookies, no tracking of inputs. You can verify this by disconnecting from the internet and reloading the page.

We convert opportunity cost into hours of work at your wage: Hours = Opportunity Cost ÷ Hourly Wage. Every financial decision is ultimately a trade of your irreplaceable time.

This tool creates awareness, not rules. Some spending has genuine value. The goal is informed decisions — knowing exactly what something truly costs so you can decide if it's worth it to you.

Our formulas use standard financial mathematics (Future Value of Annuity, compound interest) identical to those used by CFPs. We use 7% return (S&P 500 100-year inflation-adjusted average) and 3% inflation by default — both standard planning assumptions. Individual results vary. Use this as a directional planning tool, not a guarantee.

We calculate how many months of retirement funding this decision erases: Months Delayed = (Opportunity Cost / Retirement Target) × Total Months. If your $1M target needs 240 months of investment and this decision destroys $80K of your portfolio, it delays your retirement by approximately 19 months.

Yes — switch to the Debt tab. Enter your balance, monthly payment, and APR. The calculator shows your payoff timeline, total interest paid, and — crucially — how much wealth you'd build by redirecting those same payments into investments after the debt is cleared. We also have a dedicated Debt Avalanche vs Snowball Calculator.

Nominal = future dollars. Real = today's purchasing power. $500,000 in 30 years at 3% inflation is worth about $206,000 today. We show both: nominal gives you the raw compound growth story, real gives you the gut-check in today's money.

All 30 calculators are completely free, forever. No login required, no subscription, no data collected. We earn revenue through display advertising and affiliate partnerships when you click through to recommended financial services. We only recommend products we believe are genuinely useful.

Naval's core insight: true wealth isn't income — it's ownership. A salary stops when you stop working. Assets (investments, equity, businesses) compound without your direct effort. This calculator shows the gap between spending (which produces nothing) and investing (which produces sleeping income). Every dollar this tool shows as "opportunity cost" is a dollar that could have become a sleeping asset.

Because it's the only mathematical force that works harder the longer you leave it alone. $200/month invested at 22 becomes $524,000 at 65. The same $200/month starting at 32 becomes only $243,000 — a $281,000 penalty for 10 years of delay. Buffett built his entire fortune on this principle: buy great assets, then do nothing. The "eighth wonder" is that patience itself generates returns.

Munger's rule: instead of asking "how do I get rich?", ask "what makes people poor — and avoid that." Most financial advice tells you what to do. WealthDelay shows you what not to do, quantified. That $6 coffee isn't a coffee problem — it's a $244,800 wealth destruction problem. Inversion turns a vague good intention ("I should save more") into a specific, motivating number.

The highest-impact decisions to model: (1) Daily/weekly habits (coffee, dining out, subscriptions), (2) Major purchases over $1,000, (3) Any debt with APR above 8%, (4) Employment decisions — try our Salary Negotiation calculator to see the lifetime value of a raise, (5) Retirement contribution rate — our 401k Impact calculator shows the power of employer matching.