Hill bunny, you've got that right. It now costs me $15 round trip to go in to the big city. If I have to pay $1 or $2 more to buy something locally, I'll do it. It makes no sense to spend $15 in gas to save $1. We have two grocery stores here. The selection is limited, but I shop the sales and always, ALWAYS spend less than if I go to a large store and have unlimited options. I end up buying stuff I really don't need. Here, I buy the basics and do just fine.

The money that doesn't go in the gas tank goes toward something else, renting a movie and buying movie snacks, or treating ourselves to Dairy Queen, or put away in the entertainment fund to go on one of our yearly mini vacations.

Our farmer's market starts this weekend. The honey seller alone makes it a bargain. I can buy 2 lbs. of honey from her, from bee hives that are only 5 miles away, for less than I can get an 8 oz. bottle in the grocery store. I bought three houseplants last year for a total of $1.50. Again, we're a REAL small town, and yet I have plenty of options that don't include Wal-Mart. I don't have anything against the employees, hHey, you have to make a living somehow, but I think their policies bite the big one.

edited for typo