---
title: "Secondhand vs New Calculator: Cost per Year | Thrift Morrow"
description: "Used or new? Enter each one’s price, years of use and resale value to compare the cost per year of use and see the break-even point for the secondhand one."
url: https://thriftmorrow.me/secondhand-vs-new-calculator/
---

Used · new · resale

# Secondhand vs new calculator

A bargain only stays a bargain if it lasts. Compare what each option costs for every year you use it, after selling it on.

## How the comparison works

For each option, the cost of owning it is the **price minus what you expect to sell it for**, spread over the **years you expect to use it**. The one with the lower cost per year of use is the better deal, as long as it does the job equally well.

The **break-even** shows how long the secondhand one has to last to match the new one, and the most you could pay for it over the years you entered. If it might not last that long, the new one may be the safer buy.

Resale values are your own estimate: look at what similar used items sell for now. Repairs, warranties and delivery costs can be added to the price if they apply.

**Signing up for a price alert or first-order code?** Refurbishers and secondhand marketplaces often ask for an email address just to send a price alert or a discount code. A temporary inbox from [CleanTempMail](https://cleantempmail.com/) (no sign-up, emptied after three days) receives the code without the newsletters that follow. Use your real address for the order itself, since you will want the receipt, warranty and delivery updates.

## Questions

**What if I won’t sell it at the end?**

Put 0 as the resale value. The whole price is then spread over the years of use.

**How do I guess how long a used one will last?**

Ask the seller about its age and repairs, and check its condition. Then try a cautious and a hopeful number: if secondhand wins either way, the choice is easy.

**Does it allow for repairs?**

Only if you add them. Put an expected repair cost into the price of whichever option needs it.