TimeWasted is a personal finance app that converts every expense into the work hours it cost you to earn. You enter your salary or hourly rate, log any purchase, and instantly see how many hours of your working life that item represents — not just its price in currency.

How does TimeWasted calculate work hours per purchase?

TimeWasted divides the price of a purchase by your net hourly rate (your salary divided by your working hours). For example, if you earn €15/hour after tax and buy a €90 item, TimeWasted shows it cost you 6 hours of work. This makes the true cost of spending immediately visible.

Is there an app that shows how many hours of work a purchase costs?

Yes — TimeWasted (timewasted.app) does exactly this. You enter your hourly rate or monthly salary, then log any expense. The app instantly converts the purchase price into the number of work hours required to earn it. It's free to use and works on web, iOS, and Android.

How can I see how many work hours a purchase costs?

Use TimeWasted: sign up at timewasted.app, enter your salary or hourly rate, and start logging purchases. The app automatically converts every expense into work hours based on your rate. A €50 expense for someone earning €10/hour costs 5 hours of work.

Yes, TimeWasted has a free plan with no credit card required. You can sign up at timewasted.app and start converting expenses to work hours immediately.

What is the "time cost of money" concept?

The time cost of money (also called "life energy" in personal finance) is the idea that every purchase costs not just currency, but hours of your life. If you earn €20/hour, a €200 item costs 10 hours of your life. TimeWasted is built around this concept, helping users see the real cost of every spending decision.

How is TimeWasted different from other expense trackers?

Most expense trackers show spending in money. TimeWasted shows spending in time — specifically, the hours of work required to earn what you spent. This reframing makes the true cost of purchases tangible and helps users make more intentional spending decisions.

How to Calculate Your Real Hourly Rate (The Number That Changes Everything)

Ask most people what they earn per hour and they will divide their annual salary by 2,000 (40 hours × 50 weeks). That number is technically correct. But it is not your real hourly rate — and the difference matters a lot.

Your real hourly rate is the money that actually arrives in your bank account, divided by the actual time you dedicate to your job. When you calculate it honestly, it is almost always lower than you expect.

Step 1: Start With Net Take-Home Pay

Do not use your gross salary. Use what lands in your account each month. This is the money you can actually spend — the money that represents your life energy.

Example

Gross monthly salary: €3,000. After income tax and contributions: €2,200/month net.

Step 2: Subtract Work-Related Expenses

Most people do not subtract the costs they incur specifically because of their job. These are expenses that would disappear if you stopped working:

Commuting costs (fuel, train pass, bus): €80/month
Work lunches and coffees: €60/month
Professional clothing you would not otherwise buy: €30/month
Childcare needed because of work hours: varies
Stress-related spending (takeout on exhausted evenings, etc.): €40/month

In this example: €2,200 − €210 in work expenses = €1,990 real monthly income.

Step 3: Count the Real Hours

Your official contracted hours are not your real work hours either. Add:

Contracted hours: 160h/month
Commute time: 10h/month (30min each way × 20 days)
Unpaid overtime / emails at home: 8h/month
Decompression time after difficult work days: 5h/month

Total real work-related hours: 183h/month.

Step 4: The Real Hourly Rate

Calculation

€1,990 ÷ 183 hours = €10.87 per real hour. Compared to the naive calculation: €3,000 ÷ 160 = €18.75/hour. That is a 42% difference in perceived vs. real hourly rate.

The real hourly rate is the number you should use when evaluating purchases. At €10.87/hour, a €500 phone is not just €500 — it is 46 hours of your actual life.

Using Your Real Rate in TimeWasted

When you set up your TimeWasted account, enter your real take-home hourly rate — not your gross. This ensures every purchase you log reflects what it actually costs you, not what it costs on paper.

You can enter either a monthly salary (TimeWasted calculates the hourly rate automatically assuming standard working hours) or enter your custom hourly rate directly if you already know it.