Most people guess at retirement. This is the arithmetic.
The Exit Number Calculator is a free Google Sheets tool that answers the two questions that actually matter:
- Your Exit Number — the invested amount that covers your baseline expenses, so work becomes optional.
- Your Exit Distance — how many years and months you are from it, at your current pace.
Enter a handful of numbers. Get your answer. Free every way you take it — no email required, no catch.
Three ways in:
- Open the calculator — view it, the worked example, and every formula instantly. No sign-in.
- Make your editable copy — puts your own copy in Google Drive so you can enter your numbers. Uses your free Google account, since Google has to know whose Drive gets the copy.
- Download for Excel — direct .xlsx download, no account at all.
What's inside
- Your Exit Number, worked out from monthly spending, other income, and a withdrawal rate you control
- Your Exit Distance, projected from what you've invested so far, your monthly contribution, and growth assumptions
- A year-by-year table and a "What Changes It" tab — see exactly what an extra $100 a month does to your date
- Projections up to 50 years, with inflation accounted for
- Every formula visible in the sheet, with sources cited — check the math yourself
What it does for you
- Replaces "someday" with a number and a date you can plan around
- Shows how much every extra dollar invested each month shortens your Exit Distance
- Ends the guessing — one target to aim at instead of a vague feeling of "not enough"
How it works
- Open the calculator with any of the three links above.
- Make your Google copy, or take the Excel download.
- Fill in the shaded cells on the Exit Number tab — your Exit Number and Exit Distance appear instantly.
Prefer it in your inbox?
Add it to your cart below — it's $0 — and you'll get the links plus the Excel file by email, and updated versions whenever the calculator improves. This is optional: the links above work without it.
Who this is for
Professionals who started late, feel behind, and want the real number instead of a sales pitch. If it can't be checked, we don't say it.
FAQ
Is it really free? Yes — every path: view, copy, download, and the $0 checkout.
Do I have to enter my email? Only if you want it emailed with future updates. Viewing and the Excel download need no sign-in at all; making a Google Sheets copy uses your free Google account.
Is this financial advice? No. Educational content only. Not individual financial, tax, or investment advice.
Exit Arithmetic — Build it quietly. Exit on purpose.