Appreciating the Little Bills ...

When I originally left Oregon 16 years ago, I was looking for something bigger and wider and brighter than where I had lived my entire life. So, I moved to Southern California, in search of my own golden dreams.

What I didn't know was just how much gold those dreams would consume in their own right. As I bounced from Victorville (it's near Barstow ... you're thinking of Vacaville, which is in Northern California) to San Bernardino to Wilmington, Del., to Los Angeles to Los Angeles to Los Angeles (yes, three different L.A. areas over the years) to San Diego to San Francisco, it took more and more money just to survive. And I'm not talking cost-of-living increases. These were genuine differences in what it cost to live in each of these communities. My rent decreased only once in all of those moves -- when I left Los Angeles for San Diego. Of course, the 9 percent savings I found there were completely blown away by the 26.5 percent rent hike I took when I moved to San Francisco.

Upon returning to Oregon, I knew that my world view would change. Trees would no longer by dwarfed by buildings. Mom-&-Pop shops would be far more inviting than chain stores. Wide open spaces would hold greater value than urban sprawl. And bills would be lower.

I didn't really know how much lower until I received my electric bill. Having lived in Southern California for several years, I will admit that I am prone to keeping the heat high in my apartment. So, when I opened the bill, I expected it to be a little excessive.

It was $46.

I paused momentarily, thinking about how I used to pay $100 a month for electricity in the winter months in San Diego and $150 or more for gas and electricity in San Francisco during the same time frame. By comparison, $46 was a downright bargain.

Then I realized that $24 of that was the fee to set up my new service. My actual bill for electricity was $22.

This has definitely been a change for the better -- mentally, physically, emotionally and now financially. It may seem ridiculous, but it's true: my cost of living now is what my rent used to be in San Francisco. Isn't it great?