Whoever said ignorance is bliss couldn’t have been referring to bank account numbers and gas prices. No matter how hard I try to ignore them, the numbers (or what I imagine them to be in my state of ignorance) loom over me as my once-healthy savings account steadily shrinks. To combat the tightening feeling in my chest, I’ve decided to stop ignoring my numbers and, instead, figure out just what I need to financially survive and (fingers crossed) thrive now—and in the future. Turns out, the figuring is a lot easier than I thought—there are all kinds of online calculators out there just waiting to do the work for you. You can calculate everything from whether you should buy that car you’ve had your eye on, to how much using public transportation would save you, to what your personal budget should be … plus a whole lot of stuff in between.

Will public transportation save me money?
Every time I turn on the news, they’re talking gas, gas, gas. But when I get on the subway, the dollars seem to creep up just as fast. This site had me enter some basic information about my commute, my car, and local public transportation, and it spit back how much I can save each year on the subway ($3,214!). Bonus feature—it breaks down different public transportation options in your area.

How much should I expect from the government when I retire?
That depends. The official Retirement Estimator, found on the Social Security Web site, asks you when you want to retire, your earnings history, and what you plan to earn in the future. Input these—along with stats like your birthday, place of birth, name, and (sort of scary) Social Security Number—and the calculator pulls up an estimate of the Social Security benefits you’ll receive during your golden years. And if the initial estimate doesn’t seem too golden, it’ll create some additional scenarios for you to check out as well.

Speaking of retirement, how much should I be saving?
If there’s anything that the Retirement Estimator accomplished for me, it was jump-starting a new dedication to my savings accounts. Looks like I’m a member of the generation that can expect, well, just about nothing in terms of Social Security. Whether you are in the same boat, or you just want to make sure you’ll be prepared, this calculator tells you how much you will save switching from a brand-name service to the generic one by the time you retire. (For me this means bye-bye to HBO and a bunch of fancy movie channels.) I could be saving $840 each year and $25,200 extra dollars by the time I want to retire. Time to call the cable company.

How do I make a monthly budget?
Making a monthly budget is one of those great ideas that never actually becomes a reality for me. Making a budget entails tracking every expense, and that always turns out to be not only incredibly meticulous, but a bit depressing—sort of like food journals. This calculator does the hard work for you—all you have to do is enter a few numbers and click “calculate.” Mine still turned out to be depressing (I shop way too much), but it’s nice to see it all laid out in a colorful pie graph. I’m printing it out and putting it on the fridge.

Should I rent or buy?
This all-things-mortgage calculator will break it all down, whatever your mortgage dilemma is. Enter how much you’re paying in rent, and it’ll tell you what you can buy for the same amount over a certain amount of time. If you’re already considering buying, check out the Affordability Calculator to see what it’ll really cost you or save you—and the taxes you’ll be paying. Other useful calculators on this site fill you in on whether you should refinance or pay a little more every month.

What’s the best car payment option for me?
This calculator allows you to start with the car payment you’re willing to pay every month and then shows you what you can afford—or you can enter the car price first and it will break down different payment plans.

How can I finance school for the kids (or myself)?
Whether you’re paying your way through school or you’re looking ahead to financing your kids’ degrees, these calculators let you explore college savings plans and goals, how much school will cost when you plan to enroll, and financial aid and loan options.

For me, planning is at least half the financial battle. But these sites make planning a lot faster and less painful … and actually kind of fun. Here’s to leaving ignorance behind.

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