Comments on: Saving Money in Small Town USA

By: financial wellness project » festival of frugality #152: affected by recession edition

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:17:35 +0000

[...] Beddingfield presents Saving Money in Small Town USA posted at Saving [...]

By: Gail

Gail — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:52:59 +0000

I love my small town and yes the grocery prices may be higher but where else will you get to know the frozen food manager and ask him when the your favorite will be in again or ask him if he can get a certain something and he tries to get it in? Okay, my son is the local grocery store frozen food manager and he takes his responsibilities seriously and is happy to try and fill requests. Everywhere I go with him, he always seeing people he knows as he has worked in the one place in town where eventually everyone comes to. It is what makes small town living great. Walking into the bank and everyone saying hello by name. Same with the library, etc.

By: gaelicwench

gaelicwench — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:21:11 +0000

It’s my guess that the reason grocery stores in small towns are pricier, especially if they are a good half hour to hour from the nearest city, is because of having to transport food and merchandise that far out in the country. But I’ll take small-town living any time of day.

DF and I are planning to retire in a small town environment in southern PA near WVA. As long as there’s a nearby Cracker Barrel nearby, I can transfer there and keep working.

Property is definitely cheaper, too. Bigger lots/acreage for far less and more privacy, no covenants to worry about, altho we follow them as needed. Property taxes can go in either direction depending on the age and size of the home/property.

Personally, I like the Mom and Pop diners. That’s where you go to socialize. You get to know the servers on a first name basis.

By: Carol

Carol — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:12:02 +0000

I have lived only in large cities, so I don’t have a small town perspective (unless you can count my college town, but it was near a major metro area). However, I know that property taxes and insurance (both home and car ) are very high here, so if you can get a break on those costs, it would be worth it.

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:05:42 +0000

Transportation isn’t necessarily cheaper in a small town. I currently live in a big city & can just hop on the subway/streetcar/bus for about $100 a month with a bus pass, without having to worry about car expenses such as gas and insurance. That being said, I do spend a lot of TIME on transportation, whereas in a small town it doesn’t take too long to get from one end of town to the other!

By: Cassie

Cassie — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:17:05 +0000

I live in a small town, population 700. We have a small town bank, that I happen to work at, and what you said is so true. We have a relationship with our customers that bigger banks do not.

Our little grocery store, hardware store, pharmacy, etc are more expensive than going to the “bigger town/city” stores to buy things but the convenience of not having to drive 45 miles to shop is a big plus. I find if I buy things on sale at our grocery store, the prices are very reasonable and comparable. It’s the not-on-sale $6.00 box of cereal that’s a little tough to swallow.

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:59:08 +0000

I live in a small town as well. The lack of traffic is a plus, but the groceries and property in this area are the same as the city. I had to commute to Atlanta before finding a job that offered the benefits that I need(insurance). The movie theater however is much cheaper than larger areas and has that small town appeal.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:55:41 +0000

Here in Ft. Collins, Colorado just about all prices are comparable to big-city markets. It’s actually almost at the level of a nearby big city, like Denver. Groceries, restaurants, and most markets are about the same.

Then again, it probably doesn’t take a small town much growth the get to a level where things change in a hurry. And Fort Collins was once small, but now has 150,000+ in the metro.

Land prices are rising as well in the area.

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:48:22 +0000

In my experience as well. Locally owned grocery stores prices are way higher.

By: Monkey Mama

Monkey Mama — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:30:22 +0000

I actually live in a “small town, turned city.” As such, when I See the city versus country debates I identify with both sides.

Big cities have plenty of small banks (& credit unions). That one I Don’t necessarily agree with.

Property is cheap here. I can walk to the nearest farm for fresh produce.

On the flip side, there are no commutes (5-minute drive to downtown) and there are so many free cultural events and such. The pay is also very good because it is a relatively big metro area.

No doubt our hybrid living won’t last forever. The farms will probably disappear in the long run. But in the meantime I certainly feel blessed to have the best of both worlds.