One of the tactics used by a salesperson that recently came to my house was to calculate how much an item would cost on a daily basis.  For the ridiculously overpriced blender he was trying to sell, it worked out to something like $2 per day.  He conveniently left out the number of days the price was divided by, so for all I know, it could've been $2 per day for the rest of my life. 

As stupid as this tactic is, it's actually kind of a useful way to look at certain purchases.  One of my co-workers successfully justified his purchase of a $3000 laptop by saying that it'll last for 10 years, so really it's like $300 per year, which isn't a ton of money.  If he went with a $1500 laptop that lasted maybe 6 years, that's $250 per year, which is only $50 less than the more expensive laptop. 

The main problem with this method of viewing purchases is that the payments typically aren't spread out over time.  For blenders and laptops, the money is spent up front, so viewing it as a per-year investment is slightly misleading.  A house or a car on the other hand is usually paid for with a loan, and the payments are spread out over months and years (and decades -- hooray mortgages!), so comparing payments makes sense.  In the end, it's all just a mind game that helps fickle consumers justify their expenses.  If I can work the numbers right, I'll be able to justify the purchase of a Palm Pre.  Work with me, Excel! #business