Hi, I’m David Calf
I’m a web developer and I created WorkSmartMoney, an independent website helping people make sense of work, pay and time. I look after the site, build and maintain its calculators, and research, write and maintain its guides, with the aim of making the numbers easier to understand.
I use official UK sources such as GOV.UK and HMRC where relevant. The methodology explains the sources and assumptions behind the tools.
Found a problem or something that could be clearer? Get in touch with the page and what you noticed. Feedback helps me decide what to improve.
Why WorkSmartMoney exists
WorkSmartMoney started from a pretty normal problem: trying to make sense of work, money and time without turning it into a second job.
Like a lot of people, I've searched online for calculators to answer questions that sound simple but can have a big impact. How much of my salary do I actually get to keep? What am I really earning per hour? Would freelancing leave me better off? What rate would make freelance work worthwhile?
I found plenty of calculators, but many were either too basic, overloaded with distractions or gave me a number without helping me understand what was behind it.
Those questions become even more important when you're balancing a job, freelance work, family life and everything else competing for your time and money. WorkSmartMoney is being built around the tools I wanted when making those decisions myself.
The aim isn't to create hundreds of generic calculators. It's to build a smaller collection of useful UK-focused tools that are clear, transparent and genuinely helpful when you're weighing up your options.
WorkSmartMoney won't tell you what career to choose, how much to charge or what to do with your money. It's here to help you understand the numbers behind those decisions so you can make them with a little more confidence.