The clutch point not in this thread yet is that you should try to live somewhere near the Market Basket in Union Square Somerville. Groceries are crazy expensive in Mass, and in Cambridge your only other options are Whole Foods and Star Market (which somehow manages to be more expensive than whole foods at times). The exception is Market Basket, which is crazy cheap because they make their money on volume. This is enough to make a real difference in your budget. Can't recommend enough