Lower Cost of Living?? Bah-humbug! (Charlotte, Washington: coupons, apartment, to rent)

[chicagocubs]

^^^^^^^^^yeah, it is Jewel/Osco. Unfortunately, like you already know, do not have an Ingles here, don't go to Food Lion, still scared over that scandal they had a few years ago...so, I am stuck with Walmart/Sams/Aldi.

Dominicks (Safeway) was OK with their prices; it was the sale stuff there. Buteras was comparable to here.

I guess that it was the meat, especially, that I was so impressed with the prices. And, the fruits/veggies (fresh ones) but, at the mom-and-pop markets, like the local Italian grocery store... my friend told me that the meat prices were even cheaper at a local butcher shop that I never got the time to get to.

[ZnGuy]

speaking of Aldi (a German company), I bet many don't know that they own Trader Joe's.....I just found this out and was suprised to hear this...

[CouponJack]

The cost of living is higher here than in NJ. No matter how many stores you goto for food (i goto 3 sometimes in a week to get the best deals), it is still more expensive here.

However property taxes in NJ were through the roof (I paid roughly 8K/year which was pretty cheap..LOL) and real estate was expensive. So, for many transplants from my area, they took the higher daily costs because of the cheaper property taxes and RE.

[CharlotteGal]

Originally Posted by chicagocubs

Here, you can pay $60.00 for a CATS pass, but, the only place you can get to (from N Charlotte) is downtown.

The buses, while certainly not efficient, take you lots of places all over the city. The Lynx line is efficient, and leads to several other bus lines.

I wouldn't use our transit system as a selling point - though it sure as h**l beats lots of cities - but to say you can get only downtown is not true. You can ride all over the city all month for $60.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by chicagocubs

^^^^^^^^^yeah, it is Jewel/Osco. Unfortunately, like you already know, do not have an Ingles here, don't go to Food Lion, still scared over that scandal they had a few years ago...so, I am stuck with Walmart/Sams/Aldi.

Dominicks (Safeway) was OK with their prices; it was the sale stuff there. Buteras was comparable to here.

I guess that it was the meat, especially, that I was so impressed with the prices. And, the fruits/veggies (fresh ones) but, at the mom-and-pop markets, like the local Italian grocery store... my friend told me that the meat prices were even cheaper at a local butcher shop that I never got the time to get to.

When we moved from Michigan to South Jersey I recall my mother being amazed by the overall drop in food prices while the meat prices rose.

I won't shop in these Food Lions based on what I saw last winter. dirty stores & rotten produce. . .then there were the rude employees, although admittedly they were equally rude to everyone, natives & transplants alike.

A native told me recently of a stop at one of the local Food Lions. The employees are now required to run up to any potential customer & yell "Welcome to Food Lion!" This person was nearly scared to death by it & then decided that any store with that few customers, probably isn't a very good place to shop. Chalk up another customer for Ingles.

[lumbollo]

Originally Posted by chicagocubs

.....

Just letting people know that, although Charlotte has many other redeeming qualities...the one that comes to mind is the weather....cost of living is not one of them!

So far this is just your opinion as you haven't proven it with your statements. You just admitted you didn't comparison shop and you were incorrect on taxes, you make a generalization about the quality of house construction in Chicago vs Charlotte that isn't based on any statistics and you are ignoring the obvious differences in the costs of energy.

[chicagocubs]

Lumbollo, let me as you something: Have you ever BEEN to Chicago? (the city itself, the neighbourhoods not the suburbs and certainly not just the airport)

[chicagomichauds]

Here is what we have determined since our move from Gurnee, IL (a northern suburb of Chicago) in late June:

1- Food is just as expensive here as back in Gurnee, including produce, meats, etc.
2- Gasoline is much cheaper here, even with the rising costs lately. And I cross the border into SC to fill up.
3- Car insurance is the same as back in Gurnee (but I used to live and drive in Chicago, and the car insurance there is a rip off).
4- Property taxes are much cheaper here than in Gurnee (at least for now).
5- Clothes are about the same as in Gurnee.
6- Movie tickets are slightly higher here than in Gurnee ($1 extra per ticket).

I did not mention specific stores, but in general when I compare food I think of Jewel and Harris Teeter, clothes: Khols, which is in both places, or JC Penny.

For me the *gain* is in better weather conditions and in some cases for me lower costs. I would still move if I had to do it all over again

[lumbollo]

Originally Posted by chicagocubs

Lumbollo, let me as you something: Have you ever BEEN to Chicago? (the city itself, the neighbourhoods not the suburbs and certainly not just the airport)

Indeed I have. I was on temporary assignment there once and go to see much of it and the endless suburbs via the local employees who showed me around. Does this have anything to do with what I posted?

[figpucker]

I moved here from Houston, Texas. I was floored when I first started shopping for groceries. Food and taxes here are painful.

On the flipside, my electricity costs went down. However, it is much more expensive to live in Charlotte then to live in Texas or the state of Florida.