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.