Let’s get one thing straight — $5 in New York City doesn’t stretch, it snaps. You drop five bucks here and it disappears faster than a cab at rush hour. A slice of pizza? $4.50 if you're lucky. MetroCard swipe? $2.90. Bodega coffee? Maybe. Add oat milk? Forget it. So here’s what I did: I took five actual dollars — not metaphorical motivation, not "if I