A method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes making a first quantitative measurement, dispensing a number of media sheets from the stack, and making a second quantitative measurement, wherein the quantitative measurement can be, for example, the weight of the stack or the thickness of the stack. A ratio is calculated such that the ratio is equal to the number of sheets dispensed divided by the difference in the first and second quantitative measurements. The ratio can then be multiplied by the second quantitative measurement to establish an estimated number of media sheets remaining in the stack at the time the second quantitative measurement was made.