Where Your Money Goes a Lot Further

I had a hard time even spending my allotted per diem of over $100 during my work trip to Indiana. For $60 I had a humongous room with a couch, a chair, a coffee table, a full kitchen, a walk-in closet, and a queen-size bed.

For $22 including generous tips, I ate enough yesterday to gain 5 pounds:
Cereal
Coffee
English muffin
Orange
Pork BBQ
Mac & cheese
Turnip greens
Yogurt
Margarita (special price of $3)
Salad
Wedding soup with meatballs

I can’t figure out why the same lodging and food would cost at least twice as much in the Washington metro area.

This cost of living differential also extends to housing. People at headquarters often think about spending their last few years before retirement in Jeffersonville so thay can afford to live palatially.

Even the price of gas is at least 30 cents lower here.

So why is it that we pay so much more to live with bigger rush hours, more pollution, greater anxiety, and a higher crime rate? Would we all be better off just moving to Middle America?

There’s not a chance that I would want to live in a small Midwestern town. I have convinced myself that I thrive on spending money, buying expensive gas, sitting in rush hour traffic, and stressing over work. But maybe, just maybe I should rethink my life choices…