Where the buffalo roam

Recently, my mom and I have been browsing Craig's List for apartments I might want to live in. This morning, just for kicks, my mom searched for apartments in Manhattan (already depressingly out of my meager price range) without specifying an upper limit to the rent.

Our eyes widened. Our jaws dropped. "Dad!" I exclaimed. "Guess how much these apartments cost!"

"$1,000 a month," my dad guessed. I rolled my eyes.

"Think outrageously expensive," I urged. "Guess!"

"$3,000 a month," he said. (Clearly his heart wasn't in the game.)

I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted at his ear: "FORTY THOUSAND A MONTH!!!"

It's true, folks; you can pay per month for an apartment in Manhattan what many people don't even earn in a year.