This is a calculator for what your daily commute actually costs you — not just in gas, but in time and total distance traveled over your working years. Enter your commute details, punch in, and see the real numbers, framed as things you could have done instead.
Your one-way commute time and distance are doubled for a round trip, then multiplied by a 5-day workweek, 50 working weeks a year, and the number of years you enter. Gas cost is estimated from your entered price per gallon assuming 25 MPG. These are simplified, illustrative estimates — actual fuel efficiency, workweek length, and vacation time vary — but the math is transparent about exactly what it assumes.
One-way commute minutes are doubled for a round trip, multiplied by 5 workdays a week, 50 working weeks a year, and the number of years worked, then converted to hours.
A flat 25 miles per gallon, a reasonable average across vehicle types. Actual costs will vary based on your vehicle's real fuel efficiency.
They're grounded in roughly accurate time, cost, and distance estimates — a bachelor's degree really does take about that many hours of coursework, for example — but they're presented for entertainment, not as literal life advice.