Buy vs Wait

Free Buy vs Wait calculator with clear step-by-step results.

About Buy vs Wait

Projects what an item would cost if you wait, assuming a steady annual price increase.

Formula

Price later = price × (1 + annual rise)^(months/12)

Worked example

With the default values below, Buy vs Wait returns Estimated Price After Waiting of $1,024.70. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Current priceminimum 0 $: 1,000 $
Expected annual price riseaccepts 0–100: 5
Months to waitaccepts 0–600: 6

Results

Estimated Price After Waiting: $1,024.70
Difference: $24.70
Annualized Rise: 5.00%

Step by step

1Values used
2Formula
3Estimated Price After Waiting= $1,024.70
4Difference= $24.70
5Annualized Rise= 5.00

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or fees or charges into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
This is an estimate for general information and not professional financial, tax or legal advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this calculator work?