Sometimes a helpful exercise in making financial purchases is to add up how many hours of work it would take to pay for the item you are considering. It can be a cumbersome exercise and not one I would recommend for small purchases, but it can help on a big purchase. Has anyone done this? This can actually be a very helpful tool in keeping spending in check. Ask yourself "How many hours do I need to work to pay for this?" Then add back FICA, income taxes, day care etc. and get the real cost per hour. Many times it will astound you to realize the true cost. Has anyone done this? How did it go$?$ Did it help? Why or why not?