Spending Habits: what a habit really costs
See what a monthly habit could become if the money were invested instead of spent, or what the saved part of a raise could grow into. Every value is editable.
For example coffee, delivery or subscriptions. An example value, replace it with yours.
Starts at an illustrative 6%, an assumption and not a forecast. Fill in one of the published starting points below or type your own. Real returns vary and can be negative.
Used for the view in today's money. It starts at the latest US consumer-price figure.
Your results
The habit's price rises with inflation and the pot is measured in today's money, at a real return of 2.22% a year.
After 20 years
$45,150
You spend: $36,000That is about 25.1 years of the habit
- After 5 years
- $9,503
- After 10 years
- $20,109
You spend: $9,000
That is about 5.3 years of the habit
You spend: $18,000
That is about 11.2 years of the habit
Spent vs invested
| Years | You spend | If invested instead | Of which growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $9,000 | $9,503 | $503 |
| 10 | $18,000 | $20,109 | $2,109 |
| 20 | $36,000 | $45,150 | $9,150 |
Where the default numbers come from
- World stocks, long-run return (MSCI World, USD): 9.02% · MSCI World Index factsheet · as of Sep 30, 2026Annualised gross total return since 31 Dec 1987, including reinvested dividends. The 10-year figure was 13.37%, an unusually strong decade. Past returns don't predict future ones.
- 3-month US Treasury bill: 4.05% · 3-month US Treasury bill, secondary market (FRED DTB3) · as of Oct 27, 2026
- US savings account, national average: 0.38% · FDIC national average savings rate · as of Oct 19, 2026
- Inflation: 3.7% · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · as of Sep 30, 2026US consumer prices (CPI-U, all items), 12 months to September 2026.
The default 6% return is an illustrative assumption, not a forecast and not a published rate. Compare it with the published starting points above. Inflation starts at the US figure above.
Simplifications: constant return, monthly payments at the end of each month, no taxes or fees. Education only, not financial advice.
Education only, not financial advice. Results are estimates based on the numbers you enter.