This tool uses UK context. View US version →

Money · Pay-to-win index

Pay-to-Win Life Index

How much of your monthly spend goes on solving problems that didn't used to cost money? Podge names the category and returns the total.

Blank until you answer Plain-English why Copyable takeaway
Money Under 1 minute Verdict card

Pay-to-win index

Waiting for your input

Enter your monthly spend on convenience subscriptions, freemium upgrades, outsourced tasks, and premium access. Podge returns the total and names the dominant category.

What this means

This instrument starts blank so it does not judge a made-up example before you have entered your own situation.

Formula used

Pay-to-win total = convenience subscriptions + freemium upgrades + outsourced tasks + premium access fees

Worked example

£15 Spotify + £9 YouTube Premium + £9 extra cloud storage + £50 cleaning + £7 priority boarding: £90/month on problems that previously had free solutions.

Common questions

Is all pay-to-win spending bad?
Not necessarily. Time has a value, and outsourcing some tasks can be rational. The tool names the total so you can decide whether it represents value or drift.

What counts as a freemium upgrade?
Any subscription that removes limitations from something that used to be fully free — cloud storage upgrades, ad-free tiers on platforms that were previously free, premium features on basic software.

Plain-English summary

Fill in the questions on the left to generate a verdict card.

This section translates the result into a short, direct takeaway rather than leaving the page at a bare number.

Disclaimer: Categories are illustrative. Whether a given service is a convenience tax or a genuine necessity is a judgement call — the tool applies a consistent definition.

After this verdict

Try Percentage Change Engine next

Work out the percentage increase or decrease between two values with a clear result and worked explanation.

Open the next verdict

Related instruments

Keep going

Percentage Change Engine

Work out the percentage increase or decrease between two values with a clear result and worked explanation.

Open verdict

VAT Engine

Add or remove VAT from a price with clear totals, tax breakdown, and net versus gross context.

Open verdict

Subscription Shame Index

Find out how much your subscriptions are quietly costing you in money and attention.

Open verdict