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Good luck guys! We need this kind of tools to stop this debt mess. Shameless plug: We have recently developed a simple app that calculates your affordability based on your financial data. You can use it as a quick check to make sure all your bases are covered before making any purchases. We appreciate any feedback, including from Rod and Ignacio. Thanks. http://caniafforditnow.com

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Highlighting the "real" cost is critical. If something like this existed, say at the point of sale, I imagine lots of people would think twice about charging it. Thanks for the comment.

It might be little late to check for affordability at the point of sale. Once your in a store your heart takes over your mind.

Yes, but the real cost might affect your choice. E.g. two fridges in the store, one costs more initially, but uses less power. Knowing the real cost can be a win-win situation for you and the store here. They get more revenue and you get a smaller total cost of ownership.

The incentives for stuff apart from energy efficencies may be different, though.

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