The cost of living

When I would tell people of my plan to move to Los Angeles some of them combated with "Isn't the cost of living ridiculous there?" or "It's so expensive to live in California." Many said it with some sort of authority even though they'd never visited the west coast or had only been here on vacation. I would nod and say yes, I've heard that. Then I would tell them how it is also expensive to live in Yuma and how even though the vegetables and fruit were grown mere feet from the grocery stores, they cost three times more than the people in Michigan were paying. (I still don't get it.)

So as I set off on my big move, I tried to prepare. I saved, a lot (by my standards). I stuck to my budget and I knew it would be expensive. It was also expensive to live in Kalamazoo and again, in Yuma. But I wouldn't trade either experience for anything in the world.

And yes, the move was expensive. But I don't care if you're moving to Topeka, Kansas or Beverly Hills, I think moving is just plain expensive. It costs money for the security deposit or the down payment. It costs money to rent a truck and drive it. It costs money to hook up the cable and turn on the power. It costs money to restock the pantry and by new shelves. Moving is expensive. I'll give you that.

But so far, Los Angeles isn't all that expensive. Since we've moved I've heard reports from back home (those who've shared such reports shall remain nameless, ahem) that a carton of orange juice costs $12 and that 18 eggs costs over $5. I am not sure where the people who bought these items were shopping. Yes, there are places here where things are expensive. If I am at the West Hollywood Target for more than an hour (it's been known to happen), it costs me $1 an hour to park (the first hour is free). Gas is about 30 cents more expensive the further north you get toward Hollywood (but then when you get into the Valley, the price goes down again). But I can drive a mile, literally, and get cheaper gas.

As for the groceries, I've gone shopping at Target, Super Walmart, Trader Joe's, and Ralph's (the equivalent of Kroger in Michigan and Fry's in Yuma - why they can't all just be Kroger like it says on their dairy products, I don't know) and let me tell you, from what I've seen and bought the food is cheaper than it was in Yuma. Walmart prices seem to be Walmart prices regardless, even a little cheaper here because we have to drive to the suburbs to get to a Walmart. But we went to Trader Joe's last night and got some awesome produce at ridiculously cheap prices. $1.25 for a two-pack of red peppers. I paid over $2 the last time I bought a red pepper in Yuma (and it wasn't often, let me tell you). Same price for a three-pack of green peppers. Fresh green beans, a dollar for a pound. Bananas, 23 cents a pound. And to top it off, every single town around here has a farmer's market at least once a week. I can't wait to go exploring.

So no, the prices aren't as ridiculous as you've heard. Yes, I'm sure somewhere in Beverly Hills or Bel Air or Westwood (well maybe not, according to my Not for Tourists book on LA there are no grocery stores in Bel Air) people are paying through the nose for things. And yes, you can eat thousand dollar meals here and pay $2 million plus for a two-bedroom "condo" (I saw it on a Bravo reality show today) but that's not what everyone in LA does. Some of us shop at Walmart and Target and go to Chipolte for dinner (ooh, I love their chips!).

Oh, but I am very excited to go to the famous Arclight Cinema in Hollywood. It's apparently a great movie theater where you pay $12 to reserve your seat, not just your ticket! I'll let you know how it is!