Inside, the vibe was different—less sterile, more chaotic. She navigated past the seasonal tinsel and the wall of off-brand chips until she found the health section. There, tucked between the bandages and the aspirin, were the "New Choice" tests. They were $1.25.

Still feeling a bit skeptical, she made one last stop at . In the pharmacy section, she found the "Equate" brand—the store's generic version. A bundle of three was less than $10. She also noticed the "ReliOn" brand, which offered a simple stick for under a dollar.

She remembered a tip from her roommate, a nursing student who lived by the "science over branding" motto. Mia turned on her heel and headed toward the local .

The price tags, however, were the real shock: $18 for a two-pack.

"Eighteen dollars to pee on a stick?" she whispered to herself. As a grad student living on caffeine and prayer, that was three days' worth of groceries.