Shawn Cruze
Founder and author, TrueCostCalc
Why I Started TrueCostCalc
I started TrueCostCalc because the number you're shown is rarely the number you end up paying. Too many money tools bury the math under ads, signup walls, or a product pitch, so I built something simpler: free calculators that run in your browser and guides that show every step. The goal is to help you see the real cost of a loan, a credit card balance, or a savings plan before you commit to it.
The Sticker Price Isn't the Real Price
The price on the tag is only the starting point. What a car, a home, or a purchase on a credit card really costs depends on the financing, the interest rate, insurance, and the ongoing costs that keep coming after you sign. That's why the guides here work through the full monthly picture and the total you'll pay, not just the headline number.
What I Cover
Car affordability and auto loans come first. Start with the main guide, then use the supporting pages to compare terms and prices:
- How Much Car Can I Afford? (main guide + affordability calculator)
- Auto Loan Calculator
- How Much Car Can I Afford on a $60,000 Salary?
- 60 vs 72 vs 84 Month Car Loan
- Auto Loan Guide: New vs Used and Best Rates
- Car Deals: Financing Is the Real Price Tag
I also cover:
- Credit cards and debt: Credit Card Payoff Calculator
- Fastest Way to Pay Off Credit Card Debt
- Mortgages: Mortgage Calculator
- How Much House Can I Afford?
- Savings: Emergency Fund Calculator
- Emergency Fund: How Many Months Do You Need?
- Investing: Compound Interest Calculator
- Compound Interest Explained (With Examples)
- All guides on the blog
Free Calculators and Guides
Every calculator and guide on TrueCostCalc is free, with no paywalls and no signup. The calculators run in your browser, and the guides show the math step by step so you can check every number yourself.
Contact
Have a question, or spot a number that looks wrong? Email me at shawn@truecostcalc.com and I'll take a look.
Some pages on this site include affiliate links, which are always labeled. See the affiliate disclosure and about TrueCostCalc.