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The two-second worth-it test
cost per use = price ÷ (uses per month × 12 × years) time payback = price ÷ (hours saved per year × your rate)
Sticker prices trigger feelings; per-use prices trigger arithmetic. The $300 espresso machine at twice-daily use for four years is 10 cents a coffee — the $30 impulse gadget used three times is $10 a use. Same wallet, opposite trades, and only the division shows it.
A worked example
$200 boots, worn 8 times a month for 3 years: 69 cents a wear — versus a $70 pair lasting one year at the same wear rate (73 cents/wear, plus two more shopping trips). The expensive boots are literally the cheaper boots. This math is why "buy nice or buy twice" survives as advice.
The time-saved upgrade path
For anything that saves time — tools, appliances, software — add your hourly value (borrow it from the salary-to-hourly calculator) and the analysis sharpens: purchases that pay back inside a year in reclaimed hours are usually the best money you'll spend, and the calculator will tell you which those are.
Frequently asked questions
What is cost per use?
Price divided by the number of times you'll actually use something. A $200 pair of boots worn 200 times costs $1 a wear; a $40 gadget used twice costs $20 a use. It's the fastest honest lens on any purchase.
What's a good cost per use?
There's no universal number — the trick is comparing against the alternative: the boots vs $60 boots that die in 40 wears ($1.50/wear), the coffee maker vs the café habit it replaces. Cost per use turns 'can I afford it' into 'is it a good trade,' which is the better question.
How do I estimate uses honestly?
Use your track record, not your intentions: how often did you use the last thing like this? The graveyard of exercise equipment is built on aspirational use counts. When unsure, halve your estimate and see if the purchase still makes sense.
Does this work for work gear and tools?
Especially well — add the time angle: a $600 tool that saves 30 minutes per use, used weekly, returns ~26 hours a year. Value those hours at your rate and quality tools justify themselves embarrassingly fast.