What does the donation roundup cost from age 30 to 65?
The Donation Roundup
$2, five times a week, age 30 to 65 — the long-term cost is $77,000.
How the number's built.
The checkout roundup stays small enough to feel logistical. At $2 five times a week, the annual spend is $520. Over 35 years, it becomes $77,000 through annuity-due compounding.
Half the pattern stays.
$38,000 stays compounding.
No rush. It keeps until you want it.
cutting the pattern in half
$260 annual spend avoided
compounding (annuity due, 7% annual return)
total recovered = $38,000
$2 five times a week
$520 annual spend
$18,200 cash contributed over 35 years
+ $58,800 compound growth (annuity due, 7% return)
total cost = $77,000
Assumptions
- The behavior costs $2 five times a week.
- The amount stays constant in real terms.
- Annual savings are invested at the start of each year at 7%.
- Timeline spans 35 years from age 30 to 65.
The lifetime cost of donation roundup
Last reviewed: May 2026.
An estimate built for reflection — not financial, medical, or legal advice. The figures follow the assumptions above.