Sure the low cost of living and free attractions are among the things we love most about St. Louis, but does that make us cheapskates? One recent article says so. According to kiplinger.com, St. Louis is the number one city for cheapskates in the country, beating out New York and Washington by a whopping factor of 25 in the categories of public museums and libraries per capita.
The article notes free admission to top attractions, including the St. Louis Zoo and Citygarden, and the fact that even though St. Louis residents earn about the same amount as the average American, our living costs are about 9 percent below national average, as reasons for the ranking. It also states that St. Louis has 59 Dollar Generals within a 30-mile radius.
Other cities on the list include El Paso, Texas; Springfield, Ill.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; Spokane, Wash.; San Antonio, Texas; Eau Claire, Wisc.; South Bend, Ind.; Jonesboro, Ark.; and Wichita, Kan.
To be clear, kiplinger.com does start off the article explaining that it doesn't mean cheapskate as a derogatory term. In fact, it explains that with the current economy, being a cheapskate is just good common sense, so, apparently living in St. Louis today is just good common sense!
What do you think about the ranking? Sound off in the comments!
