2002: I remember as we were getting ready to move to Oregon (the first cross-country trip the eager-student-now-wife took me on) I was prepared for an increase in the cost of living. I mean after all, it's the west coast! Things are pricey. Economy was in the crapper. Etc. Managed to make it work, due to Costco, WinCo - buying in bulk and what we couldn't purchase that way was pretty dirt cheap.
2006: We get to Michigan, and I say to myself, "Self, of course there is sales tax here, but not on food. It's the midwest, it is centrally located to pretty much everything the nation has to offer. Cost of living and prices should be better than the ritzy west coast!" Now, I don't envision myself as a miser (hell, I spent $200+ on a GPS/heart rate monitor to run with) and I didn't just crawl out of a bomb shelter after 60 years but holy freakin' cow was I shocked by prices in the grocery store! Everything costs more. Doesn't matter what it is.
For example:
Oregon Michigan
Milk $1.98 $2.99
Bread $0.99 $1.50
Can of peas $0.45 $0.60
Frozen Pizza $4.98 $5.99
Thank god Little Cesar's Hot-n-Ready is still $5!
Also, evidently here in the suburbs of Grand Rapids people still subscribe to the "Let's throw everything away" school of thought and haven't heard of the new capability to take packaging/paper/plastic and reuse it. It's called RECYCLING.
1 comment:
I think you should skip milk once in a while and splurge on fresh or frozen peas. I can't stand the canned ones.
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