$4.99 won’t solve your snack cravings, but it could help you understand college costs.

Last Thursday, I paid $4.99 for a banana and a protein bar at the airport. It was either that or risk fainting during a layover, so I caved. The banana was bruised. The protein bar tasted like regret. Five bucks gone, ten minutes later.

That same week, I parked downtown to pick up my kid from a summer thing, and it cost $4.99 for 22 minutes. Not even a full hour.

And just this morning, my teen begged for a seasonal drink from that place with the green logo. “Limited time only!” they said. $5.35 later, it was mostly whipped cream, and they left it on the counter untouched after two sips. Classic.

None of this is tragic. But none of it adds value either. These five-dollar moments are forgettable, disposable. We blink and they’re gone.

But you know what’s not forgettable?

College costs.

If you’ve got a high schooler, you’ve seen the price tags at some schools for $70,000, $85,000 a year. And if you’re anything like me, maybe you felt that quiet wave of panic. And maybe, no hopefully, you know that’s not what most families pay. But even knowing that doesn’t make it easy to figure out what you will pay. Because colleges? They don’t really make it easy to figure the money part out.

They’re businesses. That’s not cynical; it’s just reality. Their job is to market themselves to you. To make you fall in love. To sell you on the idea that your child will discover their passion, find their purpose, and emerge four years later ready to take on the world.

They are not in a rush to talk numbers. Because the numbers? They might give you pause. And they don’t want you to pause.

So you go through the motions. You tour the campuses. You dream a little. Your teen starts planning their dorm decor and choosing majors. But you still don’t have any real idea of what this dream is going to cost, or better yet, if it’s even remotely realistic.

That’s where MyCAP comes in, and can truly change the game.

At its core, MyCAP is a college search engine, but smarter. It works like the tools you’ve probably used already, letting you search by major, size, or location. But here’s what makes it different: we’ve added financial fit to the equation.

                    

You can search based on your estimated net cost, merit scholarship potential, and even projected starting salaries after graduation.

The free version lets you evaluate up to three schools of your choice, showing you a personalized estimate based on your income and your student’s academic profile. It’s a huge eye-opener. But when you upgrade to Premium for just $4.99/month, you unlock full access to unlimited college comparisons, advanced filters, and custom strategies based on your financial situation.  You can explore different scenarios (what if they boost their SAT score? What if we move some savings around?). You can see side-by-side what each school is likely to offer you. And you can uncover affordable options you may never have even considered.

Because when the stakes are $320,000 for four years (yes, that’s real math), spending $4.99 to see if that “dream school” is even in the ballpark? That’s just smart.

And who knows, maybe the “dream school” is one neither of you had on your radar yet. One that doesn’t require a second mortgage or soul-crushing loans.

So yeah, five bucks can’t buy you much these days. It won’t fix your parking ticket or keep your kid from abandoning another artisanal beverage. But it can give you a clear-eyed plan for college.

And that? That’s worth remembering.

Ready to see through the marketing and get real answers?
Try MyCAP free today, and when you’re ready to go all in (you can upgrade right after you create your free account!), Premium gives you the full power to plan smart.
👉 Get Started with MyCAP