Latte Factor Visualizer
See how much your daily habits really cost you over 10, 20 and 30 years when you factor in compound interest.
Adjust the inputs — results update instantly.
David Bach popularized the Latte Factor — the idea that small, regular expenses compound into enormous sums over time. A $5.50 daily coffee seems trivial, but invested instead at 7% annual return, it grows to over $75,000 in 20 years and nearly $200,000 in 30 years.
This is not an argument to never enjoy life. It is a tool to make conscious decisions about where your money goes — and to understand the true long-term cost of any habit before you commit to it.
How it works
Enter your habit name, daily cost, and how many days per week you spend it. Set your expected annual investment return (7% is the historical stock market average after inflation) and a time horizon. The calculator compounds the annual savings forward at your chosen rate, showing you the opportunity cost at 10, 20, and 30 years.
The chart shows year-by-year growth of the forgone investment. The final display personalizes the result: your habit name and exact opportunity cost, making it easy to share.