Task value vs cost.

Task value calculator decides whether to do task yourself or outsource. 5 hours × 100 task value vs 5 hours × 200 your hourly rate = -500 (outsource - your time worth more). Task value framework: if task value per hour > your hourly rate, do it yourself; if less, outsource or eliminate.

Example: 5-hour task generating 500 value. Your hourly rate 200. Doing yourself: 500 value - 1,000 your time cost = -500 net. Outsource (50/hour cleaner/admin): 500 value - 250 cost = +250 net. Outsourcing saves 750 vs doing yourself. Apply this analysis to all tasks.

Task value decision matrix: (1) Tasks generating value > your hourly rate: do yourself. (2) Tasks below your hourly rate: outsource or eliminate. (3) Tasks you uniquely can do: do regardless of cost (relationship, strategic decisions). (4) Routine tasks: automate. Common delegation rates: cleaner 15-25/hour, virtual assistant 20-50/hour, gardener 20-40/hour, dog walker 15-25/hour, accountant 80-200/hour, lawyer 150-400/hour. High earners (100+/hour): delegating 20-50/hour tasks frees time for 100+/hour activities. Net positive financial + life satisfaction.

Run it with sensible defaults

Using task hours of 5, task value generated of 500, your hourly rate of 200, the calculation works out to -500.00. Nudge the inputs toward your own situation and the output recalculates instantly. The defaults are meant as a starting point, not a recommendation.

The levers in this calculation

The inputs — Task Hours, Task Value Generated, and Your Hourly Rate — do not pull with equal force. Not every input has equal weight. Flip one at a time toward extreme values to feel which ones move the needle most for your situation.

How the math works

Net = task value - (hours × your hourly rate). Positive: do yourself. Negative: outsource. The working is transparent — you can verify every step yourself in the formula section below. No black box, no opaque "proprietary model".

When to revisit

Your time isn't priced once. As your rate changes (promotions, side income, efficiency gains), the threshold shifts. Re-run this after any meaningful earnings change so the "outsource vs do-it-yourself" math stays current.

What this doesn't capture

Hour-for-money math misses the tasks you enjoy and the ones that build skill. The number is an efficient-markets view of your time; real decisions about what to do yourself vs outsource should also weigh what you learn and what you enjoy.