This is how much 15,811,000 US single men spend on average according to the government in 2006.   Also I include stats for 2,923,000 san francisco 'consumer units' and the 118,843,000 US consumer units.  I think I'll do a chart of this data after I make sense of it.  I'm thinking one chart will say why SF is a spend-a-lot area versus the US average and the other chart will compare something and US single men.  I don't know what the something is yet - maybe over time?  don't know. 

 

Food away from home includes all meals (breakfast and brunch, lunch, dinner and snacks and nonalcoholic beverages) including tips at fast food, take-out, delivery, concession stands, buffet and cafeteria, at full-service restaurants, and at vending machines and mobile vendors. Also included are board (including at school), meals as pay, special catered affairs, such as weddings, bar mitzvahs, and confirmations, school lunches, and meals away from home on trips.

1 man avg: 1,880

US avg: 2,694

SF: 3,769

Alcoholic beverages includes beer and ale, wine, whiskey, gin, vodka, rum, and other alcoholic beverages.

1 man avg: 552

US avg: 497

SF: 757

Entertainment (total)

1 man avg: 1626

US avg: 2,376

SF: 3,080

Entertainment Fees and admissions includes fees for participant sports; admissions to sporting events, movies, concerts, and plays; health, swimming, tennis and country club memberships; fees for other social, recreational, and fraternal organizations; recreational lessons or instruction; rental of movies, and recreation expenses on trips.

1 man avg:417

US avg: 606

Entertainment Other entertainment equipment and services includes indoor exercise equipment, athletic shoes, bicycles, trailers, purchase and rental of motorized campers and other recreational vehicles, camping equipment, hunting and fishing equipment, sports equipment (winter, water, and other), boats, boat motors and boat trailers, rental of boats, landing and docking fees, rental and repair of sports equipment, photographic equipment and supplies (film and film processing), photographer fees, repair and rental of photo equipment, fireworks, and pinball and electronic video games.

1 man avg: 339

US avg: 451

Housing-Household operations (total)

1 man avg: 339

US avg: 948

SF: 1,574

Housing-Household operations 

Other household expenses includes housekeeping services, gardening and lawn care services, coin-operated laundry and dry-cleaning (non-clothing), termite and pest control products and services, home security systems service fees, moving, storage, and freight expenses, repair of household appliances and other household equipment, repair of computer systems for home use, computer information services, reupholstering and furniture repair, rental and repair of lawn and gardening tools, and rental of other household equipment.

1 man avg:303

US avg: 555

Housing-Household operations 

Personal services includes baby-sitting; day care, nursery school, and preschool tuition; care of the elderly, invalids and handicapped; adult day care; and domestic and other duties.

1 man avg

:37

US avg:393

Housing-

Household furnishings and equipment (total)

1 man avg: 972

US avg: 1,708

SF: 2,414

Housing-

Household furnishings and equipment 

Miscellaneous household equipment includes typewriters, luggage, lamps and light fixtures, window coverings, clocks, lawnmowers and gardening equipment, other hand and power tools, telephone answering devices, telephones and accessories, computers and computer hardware for home use, computer software and accessories for home use, calculators, business equipment for home use, floral arrangements and house plants, rental of furniture, closet and storage items, other household decorative items, infants' equipment, outdoor equipment, smoke alarms, other household appliances, and other small miscellaneous furnishings.

1 man avg: 460

US avg: 693

Personal care products and services includes products for the hair, oral hygiene products, shaving needs, cosmetics and bath products, electric personal care appliances, other personal care products, and personal care services for males and females.

1 man avg

: 193

US avg: 585

SF: 734

by age http://www.bls.gov/cex/2006/CrossTabs/singlesbyage/malesage.PDF

by income http://www.bls.gov/cex/2006/CrossTabs/singlesbyinc/malesinc.PDF

high income survey 

http://www.bls.gov/cex/2006/Standard/higherincome.pdf

SF & other big western cities 

http://www.bls.gov/cex/2006/msas/west.pdf

Kynthia's buttermilk buscuit recipe

Kynthia's buttermilk buscuit recipe:
makes 10-12 biscuits, depending on how big you cut them

preheat oven to 450.
combine in a good-sized mixing bowl:
scant 2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder (4 tsp. if you’re at a high altitude)
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (it makes them fluffier)
1/2 tsp. salt
cut in, with pastry blender, knives, fork, whatever’s your pleasure, until uniformly crumbly with butter the size of small peas or thereabouts:
1/2 c. butter, cold
make a well in the center and add:
about 2/3 c. cold milk (better less than more)
mix just until it starts to stick together, then use your hands to form a ball and turn it onto a floured surface, kneading a very few times so as to help with the butter distribution but not encourage it in melting.
roll (or pat, i usually just pat) out to about 3/4″ thick, and cut with a biscuit cutter or top of a glass.
place on ungreased baking sheet and bake in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
you may have to add more flour or milk in the balling/kneading phase, depending on how scant your original 2 c. were and such, so adapt as needed.
the keys to a perfect batch (which even i do not always attain), are first to not let the butter get too warm, and then to get the right balance of flour and
milk and not overknead.
the original recipe, which i haven’t had in years, called for a full 2 c. of flour but i often found myself thinking that was too much, so i would add more milk or whatever, but then they would be moist but not flaky, so i started cutting the flour at the beginning and then only adding more if i needed it, and trying
to keep the milk level low enough that i didn’t need to add flour other than to dust the counter and pat it out…it’s kinda just something i feel as i go, which is the main principle of my cooking, so i hope this isn’t all very unhelpful… :)