I think part of all my stress over money stems from the adjustments I’m still making to the increased cost of living here. Here are just a few examples, from the mundane to the grand:

Average home price
Former red state: 157,350
Current blue state: 273,246 (in the neighborhood we first lived in, it was 800,000)

Daycare/mo.:
Former red state: $345
Current blue state: $810 (it was $950 for Geeky girl as an infant when we first arrived; the costs are coming down a little)

Hair care
Former red state: $25-30 (at a decent salon)
Current blue state: $50-60 (at a similar type salon)

Gas prices
Former red state: $1.40/gallon
Current blue state: $2.00/gallon
(part of an overall trend in gas prices)

In all other indexes–groceries, other housing costs (utilities, etc), our new area costs more. For two years, our salaries were the same. Untill I started working, we basically took a salary cut to move here. I think I’m still reeling from that.