Smart Purchase Reality Check Calculator
A price tag tells you the cost.
This tool tells you the truth.
Most calculators ask "can you afford this?" and stop at income vs. price. This one converts any purchase into five numbers that actually change how you feel about spending — work hours, future wealth lost, a 0–100 stress score, your financial runway, and an honest verdict. All in your browser, nothing stored.
How it works
Five steps. No sign-up. 30 seconds.
- 1Income
Step 1
Income & stability
Your take-home pay plus whether it's a stable salary, contract, freelance, or no income. Stability directly weights your stress score — the same purchase hits differently on guaranteed vs variable income.
- 2Savings
Step 2
Bank balance & emergency fund
Total savings and how much is untouchable in an emergency. These two numbers drive the runway calculation — months you could survive with zero income, before and after the purchase.
- 3Bills
Step 3
Monthly obligations
Rent, EMIs, credit card dues, subscriptions, family support. Most calculators skip this and only look at gross income — that overstates what you actually have. Obligations give you your real disposable income.
- 4Purchase
Step 4
What you want to buy
Product name, price, and cash vs EMI. For EMI: down payment, interest rate, tenure. We apply real amortisation math — a 14% rate on ₹1.2L adds ~₹9,300 to your actual cost.
- 5Invest?
Step 5
Vs SIP / FD / Mutual Fund
What if you invested instead? Choose SIP (12% p.a.), Fixed Deposit (7% p.a.), or Mutual Fund (12% p.a.) and a time horizon. The tool shows exactly what you're giving up in future wealth.
Under the hood
Four calculations.
Not a black box.
Most tools stop at Price vs Income. We run four separate engines and show the math for each.
Work Hours
Cost ÷ (Income ÷ 173)173 = avg working hours/month. Converts rupee price into actual hours of your life.
Future Wealth Lost
Price × (1 + r)ⁿCompound growth at your chosen rate. Shows what the money could become if invested instead.
Stress Score 0–100
5 factors blendedPrice-to-income · obligation ratio · runway drop · emergency fund hit · income stability risk.
Job-Loss Runway
Balance ÷ ObligationsCalculated before and after, so you see the exact months of safety margin the purchase costs.
Worked examples
Same tool. Very different verdicts.
Salaried professional, stable job
Laptop ₹1,20,000 — Cash
Verdict
Go for it — obligations are manageable and runway stays healthy.
Freelancer, variable income
Phone ₹90,000 — 12-mo EMI @ 16%
Verdict
Wait and rebuild buffer — EMI looks small monthly but runway becomes dangerously thin.
Questions
Answered plainly.
QHow is the stress score calculated?
How is the stress score calculated?
Five weighted factors: price-to-income ratio, obligation load, how much your runway drops, how hard your emergency fund is hit, and an income-stability risk weight. No single factor decides it — a ₹2L purchase on ₹3L income with no debt scores very differently from the same numbers with existing EMIs.
QWhat does 'work hours required' actually mean?
What does 'work hours required' actually mean?
It converts the purchase price into hours of real labor. Formula: Cost ÷ (Income ÷ 173). A ₹1,20,000 purchase on a ₹60,000 salary = 346 hours — that number lands differently than a price tag.
QIs the opportunity cost realistic?
Is the opportunity cost realistic?
It uses long-term historical averages — 12% for SIP and mutual funds, 7% for fixed deposits. These are not guarantees. Treat the figure as a directional estimate, not a promise.
QDoes a high stress score mean I shouldn't buy?
Does a high stress score mean I shouldn't buy?
Not automatically. It's a flag to slow down, not an absolute no. Medical needs, essential repairs, and career tools can still be the right call at score 70+. The tool makes the trade-off visible — the decision is still yours.
QCash vs EMI — which is better?
Cash vs EMI — which is better?
Neither by default — run both modes for the same product. Cash drains your runway in one hit. EMI adds real interest cost (a 14% rate on ₹1.2L over 12 months adds ~₹9,300). The tool shows the true total for each so you can compare directly.
QIs my financial data stored anywhere?
Is my financial data stored anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server, logged, or saved. Closing the tab clears everything. You can verify this by watching your network tab — no outgoing requests when you enter numbers.
When to use it
