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Number Muncher$ - May and June

Posted at 8:41 PM on July 20, 2008 by Timothy Baird

It was a while ago, but I remember it well. The market for giant automobiles was growing and it was getting harder and harder to see more than one or two cars ahead on the highways and city streets of Portland, Maine. Without getting into specific makes and models, let me just say that is was a bummer.

Pinned against the sidewalk in my 86' wagon, unable to make a safe right on red without a visual of the oncoming traffic that lay in wait behind the mountain of steel and rubber beside me I blurted out, "What is the point of these things!?" Without pause, Luke responded from the passenger seat, "How else can you burn through a full tank of gas picking up the groceries?"

Of course, I thought. How senseless for me to look for sense in senselessness.

So here we are - a few years down the road - fuel prices are rising with the summer mercury and the cost of our food is following suit. A double whammy for those looking to burn a tank. According to the July issue of Money magazine, milk and bread are up 14% each from a year ago. Green eggs and ham up 31% and 7%, respectively. Fortunately, for those of us trying to get by, women's clothes and new cars are both down.

And so, faced with these desperate times, I turn to the numbers once again to see if we're locally eating ourselves into the poor-house. In May of 2008 we spent 26% more than last year, and in June we spent 11% less.

And the 6 month total... 7% less this year than 2007.

Sure we're drying more homemade pasta on makeshift lines around the house but who isn't these days?