What this page works out
This page holds two related calculations. The first values the time a task would take at your hourly figure and compares it against the cost of paying someone else. The second values time spent queueing or travelling against the money it saves.
Both rest on putting a number on an hour of your time — which is a judgement rather than a fact, and the thing worth thinking about before using either.
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Queue Time Value Checker
Compare a saving with the value of the time and extra costs involved in waiting.
Before you set an hourly figure
- Your wage is a starting point, not the answer. Unless you can genuinely trade an hour for an hour's pay, it overstates the value of leisure time.
- A lower figure is often more honest for time you would not have spent earning — evenings, weekends and holidays.
- Whatever figure you choose, use the same one consistently. The value comes from comparing decisions on a common basis.
- Some tasks have value beyond the hourly rate. Enjoyable work, skills learned and jobs you would rather control are not captured by the arithmetic.
There is no correct hourly value for personal time, and arguing towards one is a waste of effort. What makes the calculation useful is applying the same figure across decisions — delivery charges, driving further for cheaper fuel, DIY versus a tradesperson — so that they are ranked consistently rather than judged by mood.
How this calculator works
Two comparisons:
Task value = hourly value × task hours
Outsource if the quoted cost is below the task value
Waiting: time cost = minutes ÷ 60 × hourly value × people
Net value = money saved − time cost − extra costsThe waiting calculation multiplies by the number of people, because a queue costs everyone in it. A family of four waiting 45 minutes spends three hours of collective time, which changes the arithmetic substantially.
Worked example: both calculations
Using the default figures on the first calculator — £20 an hour, a 3 hour task, £40 to outsource:
- Task value: £60
- Outsourcing at £40 is below that, so it may be worthwhile
And on the second — 45 minutes of waiting to save £10, at £15 an hour, one person:
- Value of waiting time: £11.25
- Net value: −£1.25 — the wait costs more than the saving
That second result is the more instructive. A £10 saving feels worth having, and 45 minutes feels like nothing much. Priced consistently, the queue is a small loss. Add a second person waiting and it becomes a £12.50 loss.
Common mistakes
- Using your gross wage for leisure time. You cannot usually sell an evening hour at that rate.
- Changing the hourly figure to suit the answer. Consistency is the entire point.
- Forgetting others' time. A queue costs everyone standing in it.
- Ignoring non-financial factors. Enjoyment, control and learning do not appear here.
- Applying it to things you would not otherwise be paid for. The comparison only works where a real trade exists.
Frequently asked questions
What hourly figure should I use?
Something you would genuinely accept for an hour of free time. For many people that is well below their wage — a job paying £30 an hour does not mean a Saturday morning is worth £30, since nobody is offering to buy it. Choosing a lower, honest figure and sticking to it produces better decisions than an aspirational one.
Should I outsource everything below my hourly rate?
No, and the arithmetic is not the whole answer. Some tasks are enjoyable, some build skills worth having, and some you would rather control than delegate. The calculation identifies where money and time are clearly mismatched; it does not decide what you want to spend your life doing.
How do I value a queue for something I want?
Differently. Queueing for a concert or a table at a restaurant you have chosen is part of the experience rather than a cost imposed on you. The calculation suits queues you would avoid if you could — traffic, waiting for a delivery, a longer route for cheaper fuel.
Does this work for driving further for cheaper fuel?
It is one of the clearest applications. Include the fuel used getting there as an extra cost, and the time both ways. A five mile detour to save 4p a litre on a 50 litre fill saves £2 and typically costs more than that in time and fuel once both are counted.
Is what I enter stored?
No. Figures are processed in your browser and never transmitted or retained.
Related tools
References
- MoneyHelper — guidance on budgeting and everyday spending decisions
- GOV.UK — minimum wage rates, useful as a floor when valuing time
Sources are checked at publication and can change — how I choose and check references.