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Personal runway calculator

How many months savings last without a salary, before quitting to start something.

3 questions. Typical defaults fill the rest; your result lists them.

Essentials Start here.

Money you would live on while there is no salary.

What you and your household spend in a normal month.

Optional. A partner’s pay, rent received or other steady income.

Fine-tune Sharpens the answer. Leave a box blank if you are unsure.

Optional. Money you keep aside whatever happens. Blank counts as 0.

Optional. Add it if it is not already in your spending.

Optional. Paid once, before any income, such as fees or equipment.

Private: calculated in your browser, never sent. Any currency works; read $ as yours.

Your result

Example result

Personal runway

20 months

At these inputs, savings last about 20 months without a salary.

Example numbers: Savings you can spend $60,000 · Personal spending per month $4,500 · Other household income per month $1,500. Type your own numbers above to replace this example.

How this calculator works: the formulas, what the result means and its limits

How personal runway works

Personal runway = usable savings ÷ net spending per month. Usable savings = savings − savings you will not touch − one-time costs to start. Net spending = personal spending + health cover − other household income.

Worked example (Quick). Savings of 60,000, personal spending of 4,500 a month and other household income of 1,500 a month. Net spending is 4,500 − 1,500 = 3,000 a month. Runway is 60,000 ÷ 3,000 = 20.00 months.

Worked example (Detailed). Keep 9,000 aside and add 500 a month of health cover. Usable savings are 60,000 − 9,000 = 51,000. Net spending is 4,500 + 500 − 1,500 = 3,500 a month. Runway is 51,000 ÷ 3,500 = 14.57 months. The result also shows the month the money runs out, and what spending 10% lower or higher changes.

Savings you will not touch and one-time costs to start come out first, because both reduce the money that can be spent. Blank optional boxes count as 0.

If other income is at or above spending plus health cover, savings are not drawn down. The page then shows a note in place of a number of months.

What this calculator does not do

  • It assumes spending stays flat. Prices, taxes and one-off bills are not modelled.
  • It assumes the new business brings in no income, and that other income stays the same.
  • It does not say whether a number of months is enough. That depends on the person, the household and the plan.
  • It is arithmetic on the numbers entered, not a forecast or a plan.

Frequently asked questions

What is personal runway?

It is the number of months your savings would cover your own spending when no salary comes in. It is the same idea as a business runway, applied to a household. It is arithmetic on the numbers entered, not a forecast.

Why is there a box for savings you will not touch?

Some people keep part of their savings aside whatever happens. The calculator takes that amount out before counting months, so the result covers only the money meant to be spent. Leave it blank and it counts as 0.

What if other income covers my spending?

Then nothing is drawn from savings each month, and the result says so instead of showing a number of months. The page does not guess how long that income would last.

Does this include income from the new business?

No. It assumes the new business brings in nothing and that spending stays flat. Real months can differ if either changes.