lot more in the zip codes you might want to live in. part of the reason is the cost of building materials. they are clearly out of control. last october, lumber went for about $580 per 1,000 board feetn as of last week, it was 712. last august, used cars, which you might need, were selling for an average price of $21,000. this august from a year later, they were almost $28,000. same car, $7,000 more. over the same period, by the way, as you well know, the price of gas jumped a full dollar a s gallon and a lot more than thatu in some places. fed to the grocery lately? the cost of a steak is up by $2. a pound of bacon costs over $7 right now. suddenly everything costs more, egg, milk, coffee, mustard, et cetera, et cetera, these are not luxury items or a trip to saint barth's, these are things you buy every weekend you havee to buy. the question is, are your wages rising as fast as your costs? well, let's see.