Is that monthly retainer actually paying you? Free, no signup.
Content creation: 0 hrs/month
Be honest: revisions, DMs, and "quick calls" are where retainers die.
Every "can you just..." has a price. Quote these before saying yes.
Start with your two anchor numbers: the hourly rate you want to earn and the monthly retainer fee the client pays. Then fill in the content load card: how many platforms you post to, posts per week per platform, and minutes per post. The tool auto-counts content creation hours from those three numbers using 4.33 weeks per month, so a heavy posting schedule shows up in the math instead of hiding. Next, work through the Where the hours go list: scheduling and publishing, community management, revision rounds, monthly reporting, strategy calls, and ad management all come preloaded with editable starting hours. Add your own rows for anything missing and delete what does not apply. The reality check adds it all up and shows your true hourly rate on this retainer: the fee divided by total real hours. If that number is at or above your target, the verdict reads PRICED RIGHT. Within 75 percent of target it reads LEAKING MONEY, and below that, DONATING YOUR TIME. The scope-creep guard at the bottom prices the three most common extras: one extra revision round, one more platform, and five extra hours of DMs, so you can quote them before saying yes.
Example only, not typical earnings/pricing/numbers. Your target rate is $50/hr and the retainer pays $1,500/mo. You post to 3 platforms, 4 posts per week per platform, 45 minutes per post. Content hours are 3 x 4 x 0.75 x 4.33 = 38.97 hrs. The default task rows total 24 hrs (6 scheduling, 8 community management, 4 revisions, 3 reporting, 3 calls). Total real hours: 62.97. Your true hourly rate is $1,500 / 62.97 = $23.82/hr. What this should cost at your rate is 62.97 x $50 = $3,149/mo, so you are undercharging by about $1,649/mo and the verdict reads DONATING YOUR TIME. The scope-creep guard prices one extra revision round at $50 x 1.5 = $75, one more platform at (38.97 / 3) x $50 = $650/mo, and 5 extra hours of DMs at $250.
A month averages 52 weeks divided by 12, or about 4.33 weeks. Multiplying your weekly posting load by 4.33 converts it to monthly content hours, which is what the retainer fee has to cover.
Everything the client costs you: scheduling and publishing, comments and DMs, revision rounds, reporting, strategy calls, and admin. The tool's own note says revisions, DMs, and "quick calls" are where retainers die, so do not round them down.
PRICED RIGHT means your true hourly rate meets or beats your target. LEAKING MONEY means you are at 75 percent or more of target but still undercharging. DONATING YOUR TIME means you are below 75 percent of your target rate.
It prices the three extras clients ask for most: another revision round, another platform, and more DM time. Quote these numbers before you say yes, so every "can you just..." comes with a price attached.
Yes. Leave the content card at zero and let the task rows carry the hours: strategy calls, reporting, and community management still count. The true hourly rate math is the same.