Cost per use answers a different question than unit price: not "what does this cost per gram," but "what does this cost every time I actually use it." It's the right lens for durable goods — appliances, tools, tires, shoes, subscriptions with usage caps — where the sticker price is only the start of the financial story.
The formula: cost per use = (purchase price + expected maintenance costs − expected resale value) ÷ expected number of uses over the ownership period. Every term matters. Skipping maintenance understates cost for anything with consumables or service intervals; skipping resale value overstates cost for anything with a real secondary market.
Worked example: two blenders
Example only: Blender A costs $80, needs no real maintenance, has negligible resale value, and you expect it to survive about 300 uses before the motor gives out. Cost per use = ($80 + $0 − $0) ÷ 300 = $0.267/use. Blender B costs $290, needs a $20 replacement gasket kit once during its life, but has an active resale market and you could reasonably sell it for $90 after heavy use, and you expect 1,200 uses before you'd replace it anyway. Cost per use = ($290 + $20 − $90) ÷ 1,200 = $0.183/use. Blender B is cheaper per use despite costing 3.6x more upfront, because it lasts roughly 4x as long and retains resale value.
Blender comparison (example figures)
| Price | Maintenance | Resale | Uses | Cost/use | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blender A | $80 | $0 | $0 | 300 | $0.267 |
| Blender B | $290 | $20 | $90 | 1,200 | $0.183 |
Decision rule
Decision rule: cost per use only favors the pricier option if the ratio of (expected uses) to (net price after resale) is actually better — verify your "expected uses" estimate is grounded in real product lifespan data, not optimism, before trusting the conclusion.
The estimate that breaks everyone's math: expected uses
Purchase price, maintenance, and resale value are usually knowable numbers. Expected uses is a forecast, and it's where most cost-per-use comparisons quietly go wrong. Sources worth checking before you guess: manufacturer warranty length (a rough proxy for expected lifespan), owner reviews mentioning failure timelines, and your own actual usage frequency rather than aspirational usage frequency (the treadmill bought for daily use that gets used twice a week has a cost per use 3.5x higher than planned).
When resale value should be zero
Don't include a hopeful resale figure for goods with thin secondary markets — most small appliances, most fast fashion, most consumables-adjacent gear. Reserve nonzero resale assumptions for categories with documented resale activity: name-brand tools, some electronics, vehicles, and specialty sporting equipment.
- Include real maintenance costs, not just the sticker price.
- Only assume resale value in categories with an actual liquid secondary market.
- Base expected uses on realistic usage frequency, not intended usage frequency.
- Recompute if any assumption changes materially — cost per use is only as good as its inputs.
Try it
Cost Per Use Calculator →Plug in price, maintenance, resale, and expected uses to get an apples-to-apples per-use cost.
All figures in this guide are illustrative examples, not current prices. Cotco does not sell products and is not affiliated with any retailer. Verify prices, sizes, and product details with the seller before buying.