How Long Will You Work for Gas?

There's a timely scene from Dan in Real Life where he's pumping gas. While doing the deed he says something like "There goes Jane's college fund, and Cara's college fund, and Lily's college fund...". That's probably not the exact line, but you get the idea.

Don't we all feel the pain of wasted money as we watch those dollars just clicking away? But have you taken the time to figure out how hard you've worked just to pump gas into your car? Isn't it ironic that you're filling your tank so that you can get to work to make money to fill your tank. Okay, that might be way to philosophically mind blowing for a Monday morning. But if you're curious MoneyMusing's has taken the time to devise an Excel spreadsheet to help you estimate the hourly cost of filling your tank. (This link is safe. You may be asked by your computer to open it or save it. I've done both without problems.) Here's what the calculator looks like:

This calculator is indeed better than a similar one on CNN, which doesn't take into account several important factors--just as MoneyMusings points out. But I have to add a little caveat that this (and any) calculator may not be 100% accurate and is only provided as an estimate.

What I like about this calculator is that you can use it for any purchase. How long did you work for that gallon of milk? What about that vacation? New shoes? Just set the tank capacity to 1.

It puts a whole new spin on things when you think about how hard you've worked to earn something doesn't it?