How to use the expense frequency converter
- Enter the amount of the recurring cost.
- Choose how often you pay it.
- Choose whether a year is 52 weeks or 365.25 days.
- Read the same cost for every other period in the table.
Formula
Amount a year = amount x payments in a year
Payments in a year: daily 365, weekly 52, every two weeks 26, twice a month 24, monthly 12, quarterly 4, twice a year 2, yearly 1
Any other period = amount a year / payments in that period
With the 365.25 day year, daily is 365.25, weekly is 365.25 / 7 and every two weeks is 365.25 / 14.
$25 a week
$25 a week is $1,300.00 a year, which is $108.33 a month, $54.17 twice a month, $325.00 a quarter and $3.56 a day. A bill of $100 every two weeks is $2,600.00 a year, or $216.67 a month.
Using 365.25 days, $25 a week becomes $1,304.46 a year and $108.71 a month, because 365.25 / 7 is slightly more than 52. A quarterly bill of $1,800 comes to $600.00 a month.
Why weekly is not four times monthly
A month is a little over four weeks. Twelve months have about 52 weeks, so a weekly cost is paid about 4.33 times a month. People who budget by the month and pay by the week are often surprised by how much more a weekly cost adds up to, and the same applies to every-two-weeks costs, which are paid 26 times a year, not 24.
Converting every cost to the same period makes comparing them fair. Monthly is the most common choice for a budget, and yearly is helpful for deciding about subscriptions.
Choosing the convention
Fifty-two weeks is the usual convention for pay and bills. The 365.25 day year is closer to the calendar and slightly higher for daily and weekly costs. For lists of your costs see the Annual Expenses Calculator and the Subscription Cost Calculator. The Pay Period Calendar shows the months with an extra paycheck, and the Bill Calendar Planner places each bill on the calendar.
Assumptions and limits
- The cost is the same each time it is paid.
- Twice a month means 24 payments a year, not every two weeks.
- The figures shown are examples. Use your own costs.
- Results are rounded to the cent for display only.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between twice a month and every two weeks?
Twice a month is 24 payments a year on fixed dates. Every two weeks is 26 payments a year, so two months of the year have three payments.
Which year length should I choose?
Use 52 weeks to match how pay and bills are usually counted. Use 365.25 days for costs that really run every day of the calendar.
Does it handle leap years?
The 365.25 day option averages them. The 52 week option ignores the extra day and a half in a year.
Is the daily figure exact?
It is the yearly amount divided by 365 or 365.25, rounded to the cent for display.