🧾Cost Per Use Calculator

About this tool

Each card is one item. Enter its price, how often you'll use it, how many years it will last, the yearly upkeep and the resale value. The calculator shows the cost per use, the number of uses and the total cost, and highlights the best value. Add up to four items to compare.

Why cost per use beats the price tag

The cheapest thing to buy isn't always the cheapest thing to own. Cost per use divides the real cost of an item, its price plus upkeep, minus whatever you'll get back when you sell or trade it, by how many times you'll use it. £40 boots worn twice a week that last a year cost about 38p per wear. £180 boots that last five years, with £5 a year of care and £30 resale value, cost about 34p per wear, so the more expensive pair is better value. The same thinking helps with winter coats, work clothes, kitchen knives, power tools, laptops, gym memberships and subscriptions, where a monthly fee you rarely use can be the worst value of all. It also highlights hidden costs: printers with expensive ink, cars with high maintenance, or gadgets that will be obsolete in two years. Honest limits: the result depends entirely on your estimates of how often you'll use something and how long it will last, so be honest, especially about gym visits. It also ignores the benefit of keeping your money now and the pleasure of owning something nice. The unit price calculator compares pack sizes, the subscription tracker totals recurring costs and the lease vs buy calculator compares cars.

Frequently asked questions