The facts of life are a Nickel and a Penny?!?

Question

What do people mean when they say the facts of life are a nickel and a penny?!

Answer 1

Why is this in Chemistry anyway? Maybe because you said nickle (Ni)? Pennies are copperish (Cu). . .  

Answer 2

Perhaps, as I googled it, that nickels and pennies are more costly to produce than they are worth

Answer 3

perhaps that everything is about the money