Impulse buys seem harmless. A $5 latte here, a quick drive-thru snack, an app subscription you forgot about. But over time, those little splurges can quietly drain thousands of dollars from your bank account and kill your savings and investing goals. The impulse buy calculator below helps you get a clear look at just how much these small purchases are really costing you each year.
Whether you’re trying to build an emergency fund, invest for the first time, or finally stop living paycheck to paycheck, cutting back on impulse spending is often the easiest way to start.
How to use the impulse buy calculator
- Enter your common splurges
Think about things you buy regularly without much thought. Coffee runs, snacks, takeout, lottery tickets, extra streaming subscriptions—anything you wouldn’t normally budget for. - Add the cost per purchase and how often you buy it
Example: if you buy a $6 coffee 8 times per month, put $6 and 8. - Add more items
Click “+ Add Another Item” to add as many as you’d like. - (Optional) Enter your hourly wage
This lets you see how many hours of your life you’re trading for these impulse buys. - Click “Calculate”
You’ll get a breakdown of how much each item costs you per year, and if you entered your wage, how many work hours it’s costing you. - Click “Clear all”
Use this to start fresh at any time or just refresh the page.
Impulse Buy Calculator
Enter your common splurges to see how much they’re costing you each year—and how many hours you’re working to pay for them.
FAQs
1. What counts as an impulse buy?
Anything you buy on the fly or regularly without budgeting for it—like drive-thru meals, energy drinks, candy, scratch-offs, or unused app subscriptions.
2. Isn’t this being too strict?
Not at all. This tool isn’t about guilt. It’s about awareness. You can still enjoy small splurges—just make sure they aren’t sabotaging your bigger goals.
3. What if my wage varies?
If you’re a freelancer or gig worker, enter your average hourly income. If you’re salaried, divide your annual salary by 2,080 (hours/year for full-time work).
4. Can this really make a difference?
Absolutely. If you’re spending $1,500/year on small stuff, and invest it instead, that could turn into over $20,000 in 20 years depending on the market. That’s a real difference.