Let's be realistic how many people are buying a $2 000 skirt? I love to design things that people can actually buy. I'm staggered by what a boot costs today.

From cell phones to computers quality is improving and costs are shrinking as companies fight to offer the public the best product at the best price. But this philosophy is sadly missing from our health-care insurance system.

The new information technology... Internet and e-mail... have practically eliminated the physical costs of communications.

Doing all we can to combat climate change comes with numerous benefits from reducing pollution and associated health care costs to strengthening and diversifying the economy by shifting to renewable energy among other measures.

If you or me go to the gas station to fill up our car and it costs us much more than we expected it will zap our discretionary income. We won't have the extra money to buy that washing machine or new winter coat-all big ticket items that are important to economic growth.

You don't have to carry a designer bag that costs more than a car to look cool.

Independent film is almost nonexistent right now because all the distributers that used to love to put out these little art films are all out of business right now because it costs so much to open a movie.

Politicians also have a love affair with the 'small business exemption.' Too much paperwork? Too heavy a burden? Not enough time? Just exempt small businesses from the rule. It sounds so pro-growth. Instead it's an admission that the costs of a regulation just can't be justified.

Competition is the keen cutting edge of business always shaving away at costs.

It's not what you pay a man but what he costs you that counts.