Building a Transparent Cost Worksheet

A cost comparison becomes useful when someone else can change an input and understand why the result changes. This worksheet compares two offers over the same period using your own quoted prices and planning assumptions. It contains no STEADYWRK internal costs or made-up vendor rates.

First define the result being purchased. A price for a report and a price for software access are different units. If the offers cover different results, resolve that scope difference before using the formulas below.

Fill the input sheet

Choose one currency and one comparison period. Record where every input came from and whether it is quoted, measured or estimated.

Symbol	Your input	Unit / source to retain
M	Comparison period	Months in your plan
F	Recurring fixed price	Currency per month; written offer
S	One-time setup expense	Currency; written scope
Q	Usage in the period	Your selected usage unit and assumption
U	Price per usage unit	Currency per unit; written offer
H	Preparation, review and correction time	Hours in the period; your estimate or trial
R	Value assigned to that time	Currency per hour; your stated assumption
X	Other included comparison expenses	Currency in the period; list each item

If a charge is absent, enter zero only after confirming it is not charged. If it is unknown, leave it unresolved rather than using zero to make the total calculable. Keep taxes or currency conversions as explicit reader-supplied inputs where they apply to your situation.

Use the same formula for both offers

For a simple offer whose charges fit those definitions:

Cash expense = (M × F) + S + (Q × U) + X
Time value   = H × R
Combined planning value = Cash expense + Time value