The truth costs more upfront. Lies just hide their price in the fine print.

Honesty charges you immediately and in public, which is why it feels like the expensive option. A lie charges nothing at the counter and then bills you repeatedly, in the effort of keeping it consistent. The difference is not whether you pay. It is whether the amount is known in advance.

When you are about to shade something, ask what the maintenance will cost over the next month. Usually it is more than the single awkward moment. Saying the plain version early is the version you never have to remember.