When I think about it, there's literally not a single thing I know the true cost/value of. Everything comes with a trailing asterisk or an 'ish'. A Sandwich:

When I think about it, there's literally not a single thing I know the true cost/value of. Everything comes with a trailing asterisk or an 'ish'. A Sandwich: Sales tax and tip or service fee (the latter being taxed) Car: KBB is a thing, but how much work does it take to get that, how much of a discount is the craigslist rando going to ask, are those tires good or fair? House: Put the Zillow estimate in one hand and the inch-thick stack of paper that describes all the gotchas in buying or selling one in the other... 401k: There's an official number on that one, but it changes every 15 minutes, has 30% taxes if you take it early, and how do you figure the odds of living long enough to use it? Mortgage: Another official number, but try sending them a check for that number and you'll find you owe them a little more for the interest that happened while the check was in flight, plus fees if it's in the fine print. Salary: After taxes, deductions, bonuses, unicorn dust, what it says on your W-2 isn't even close to your alleged salary, nor is the amount that makes it to your checking account. "Ah, but that's actual cash in my checking account," you smile, "as is this crisp fiver I clutch in my very hand." Except it's not, because you're a dinosaur and your idea of a fiver was forged in an ancient time when it could buy a whole chicken or a sack of potatoes, depending on the day of the week, and what sales were on, so what you've got there is really a three-er.