what gets me is the cost of groceries

or at least that's what's hitting me this week. I went into Key Foods, one of my local grocery stored and was very excited to see Nabisco 100 calorie packs on sale 2/$6 and I nearly bought them. I called mom from the store to see if she'd ever tried a certain one -- and she told me she'd just bought them at 2/$4! So I didn't buy them.

I'm a big coupon clipper -- and because enough people I know get the Sunday paper(s) and aren't coupon clippers - I don't have to buy them. I use them, but sometimes I think I'm blowing into a hurricane! It's like the breakfast bars I like -- usually $3.99 at Duane Reade but they're almost always 2.50 or less by Mom or at Wal-Mart so even when I have a $1 off, it's still not competitive. I need to get better about monthly or at least bi-monthly trips to Wal-Mart -- $$ goes further even when you factor in the $6RT bus fare to Secaucus. 

I also need to look more closely at Drugstore.com for things that may be cheaper on there -- even when I can't use coupons. I think, however, it's a lot like Amazon in that it encourages overspending so we'll see. 

I'm going to make progress -- but this month isn't it.

Quick Post: Cost of Living

Found this very interesting cost of living calculator via Get Rich Slowly's recent post about Osage County, Kansas - which interesting made me think of a play that someone just mentioned.

I know New York is expensive, I know Manhattan is the worst, but I never realised how negatively it compared with other metro areas until a friend in Los Angeles was talking about buying a home and I realised what was available there.

I'd have a hard time leaving, but sometimes it's amazing to realise how much we over pay to live here. 

Inflation and Pricing: NYC

Interesting post over at My Open Wallet on price increases vs. inflation in the last forty years here in the city. I'm somewhat surprised that some things have gone up less than the cost of inflation, while at the same time surprised at those that did: i.e. smoked salmon and luxury tickets. Admittedly I'm drawing on my own thoughts rather than my econ background but I would think that given the relative elasticity of luxury goods, they'd go up more than inelastic necessities. 

Seeing the increase factor puts in perspective more than the dollar amount, but on the top of the list of things that don't surprise me: NYU tuition