Telling the truth costs you once. A lie sends you a bill every time somebody asks a follow-up question.

Honesty has a single price, paid the moment you say it, and then it is done. A lie has to be maintained, which means remembering the version you gave, who heard it, and what you now have to invent to keep it standing. The upkeep is what exhausts people, not the original moment.

When you are tempted this week, think about who will ask a second question and what you will owe them then. If you have already told one, correcting it early is nearly always cheaper than letting it mature. Short, plain, no long explanation, and the account closes.