Does Spending Account for Lifestyle Difference?
“Southern Californians Buy Into the Lifestyle” (Feb. 6) uses the Consumer Expenditure Survey to show how the Southern California lifestyle differs from that of the rest of the country. Some of the data seem to show something real; some don’t.
The difference between annual expenditures for tobacco probably shows a lifestyle difference: L.A.’s $204 is just two-thirds of the U.S.’s $309. It’s reasonable to assume that cigarettes in California are not significantly cheaper than elsewhere, so Angelenos probably smoke fewer packs per day.
The difference between annual housing expenditures for L.A., $16,550, and the U.S. as a whole, $12,188, may be significant; L.A. spends about one-third more. But housing in the U.S. overall is substantially less costly per square foot than housing in Southern California, so does the difference show anything about lifestyle?
Other figures probably show nothing at all. For example: “Southern California households spend $148 on books, compared with $153 nationally.” To attribute that tiny difference to anything at all is unsupportable. Similarly, the difference between a transportation expenditure of $7,215 nationally and $7,701 in Southern California is less than 7%, reflecting not lifestyle but slightly higher gas prices.
The wonderful Southern California lifestyle is actually based on our extraordinary environment and the creativity of the people who live here. These things cannot be bought.
Jerry Bradley
Santa Barbara
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What about a regional comparison on how much fatter people are now compared to 30 years ago? Or maybe an international comparison so that Americans might start seeing how they really look through others’ eyes. In spite of how much time Southern Californians spend at the gym, they don’t seem to be losing any weight. At least the statistic showing lower alcohol consumption is one we can be proud of.
Looking good because we’re in good health is the real issue here, not how much we spend on clothes and cars.
Julia Huntsman
Long Beach
