[timr]

"Initially buying spices ($4 each)..."

Let me recommend Penzey's:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html

You'll get vastly better spices and herbs than you would at the store, for half the price (less if you buy in larger quantities). Every year, I shop the retail store in my hometown, and walk away with all the spices I need for a year (20 or 30 different kinds) for about $60. It's slightly more if you have to get them shipped, but still way cheaper than the megamart.

[silentbicycle]

Penzey's is nice as a nationally available place, but I've had better luck getting spices locally. There's an Indian market that carries several spices for shockingly cheap, and they're quite fresh. You can get tons of other great stuff at ethnic grocery stores, too: http://ask.metafilter.com/117514/Interesting-foods-in-ethnic...

One of the local health food stores bags their own spices, and they have pretty good turnover. That might be more hit or miss, but worth a try.