Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Months you can take
11.9
Net monthly burn
$2,700
Usable savings
$32,000
True cost with lost pay
$117,333
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter savings available ($).
- 2Enter monthly spending on break ($).
- 3Enter income during break ($).
- 4Enter monthly salary given up ($).
- 5Enter reserve to keep untouched ($).
- 6Read your months you can take on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
A career break costs savings burn plus the income you skip. This shows how many months your savings cover and what the break costs in total.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Savings available: 42000 $
- Monthly spending on break: 3300 $
- Income during break: 600 $
- Monthly salary given up: 7200 $
- Reserve to keep untouched: 10000 $
Results
- Months you can take: 11.9
- Net monthly burn: $2,700
- Usable savings: $32,000
- True cost with lost pay: $117,333
What each field means
Inputs
- Savings available ($)
- The savings available used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 42000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Monthly spending on break ($)
- The monthly spending on break used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 3300 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Income during break ($)
- The income during break used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 600 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Monthly salary given up ($)
- The monthly salary given up used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 7200 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Reserve to keep untouched ($)
- The reserve to keep untouched used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 10000 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Months you can take
- Returned as a decimal number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Net monthly burn
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Usable savings
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- True cost with lost pay
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How does the sabbatical affordability calculator work?
A career break costs savings burn plus the income you skip. This shows how many months your savings cover and what the break costs in total. The underlying maths is: Months = (savings − reserve) ÷ (spending − income during break).
What do I need to enter?
5 values: savings available, monthly spending on break, income during break, monthly salary given up, and reserve to keep untouched. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move.
What does the months you can take result mean?
It is returned as a decimal number and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds.
Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?
Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser.
How accurate is the result?
It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
Who is this tool for?
It's built for anyone comparing money scenarios before committing — budgeting a payment, sanity-checking a quote, or seeing what a change in rate or term actually costs.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Sabbatical Affordability Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sabbatical-affordability
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sabbatical-affordability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sabbatical Affordability Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Sabbatical Affordability Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sabbatical-affordability) (2026).