That 12-euro cocktail looks harmless, but what did it really cost you? This (not-so-serious) calculator turns your aperitivo price into minutes of net work, so next time you know exactly how much working life you're toasting away.
How much that drink costs you measured not in euros, but in minutes of your working life.
The trick of this sum is to measure a discretionary cost against your net hourly wage — the money that actually stays in your pocket after tax. That's why you should use net, not gross: with gross pay the drink looks cheaper than it is. Turning the price into minutes of work isn't there to make you feel guilty, but to give you a concrete yardstick: nine euros doesn't say much, half an hour of your time does.
The neat part is that the same tool works for any expense: converting a cost into the hours of work needed to cover it is an honest way to decide whether it's worth it, without giving anything up on principle. And there's a curious flip: the price that's half an hour of salary for you is revenue for whoever runs the place — revenue they still have to subtract ingredients, staff and rent from. If you want to see it from the other side of the counter, try the drink cost and Spritz cost calculators below.
Use your net wage: that's what you actually spend at the bar. With gross pay the drink looks cheaper than it really is.
It's a bar-top game, not financial advice. But it makes the point: time really is money.
A silly entertainment game. Not financial advice: drink (and spend) responsibly.