€5 a day for 30 years: what a skipped soft drink becomes
Skip one €5 soft drink or snack a day and invest it instead. That is about €152 a month. Here is where it goes in 30 years.
After 30 years
€185,537
Before inflation. About €88,454 in today’s money, if prices rise 2.5% a year.
Before inflation, growing 7% a year
How it grows
| Time | Put in | Worth | In today’s money |
|---|---|---|---|
| After 5 years | €9,125 | €10,888 | €9,623 |
| After 10 years | €18,250 | €26,323 | €20,564 |
| After 20 years | €36,500 | €79,224 | €48,348 |
| After 30 years | €54,750 | €185,537 | €88,454 |
Why it grows this much
Over 30 years you set aside €54,750, a little each day. Compounding turns that into €185,537.
In today’s money that is about €88,454, enough to pay out roughly €295 a month for 30 years or more using the 4% rule.
It does not have to be a drink: any small daily cost you can drop works the same way.
Questions people ask
Is 7% a year realistic?
Broad world stock indices have grown roughly 8 to 9% a year before inflation over long periods: the MSCI World index (developed markets, dividends reinvested, in US dollars) returned about 8.5% a year from the end of 1987 to April 2025, according to MSCI. Single years swung widely and nothing is guaranteed for the future. 7% is a cautious figure for an illustration; the calculator lets you try other rates.
What does “in today’s money” mean?
Prices rise over time, so the same money buys less later. We divide the future amount by 2.5% inflation a year to show what it would buy today.
Are fees and tax included?
No. Fund fees and tax on gains lower the result; you can switch both on in the calculator to see by how much.
More examples
See all worked examples- €5,000 at birth: what it could be worth at 70See the example
Grows to about €661,958 by age 70 at 7% a year, with nothing added.
- €5,000 at birth: what it is worth at 18See the example
Worth about €17,563 on the 18th birthday at 7% a year.
- Saving for a child: €100 a month from birth to 18See the example
About €43,072 by the 18th birthday at 7% a year.
- Start at 25 or at 35? €100 a month until 65See the example
Starting at 25 ends with about €262,481 at 65, more than twice the later start.
Illustration only, not investment advice. It assumes a steady 7% a year and 2.5% inflation; real markets go up and down, and fees and tax lower the result. Check the rules for accounts in your country.