$42??????? You must be some wealthy yuppie!

I wish I were a wealthy yuppie. If I were, I wouldn't be sitting here
asking whether I can save money by using primer instead of paint. Or,
come to think of it, I wouldn't even be painting the walls myself - I
would've just hired painters to do the work for me.

Since you seem familiar with the area, I'm sure you know that a lot of
basic things can be uncomfortably expensive in Manhattan, especially
for newer residents who haven't sifted through the vast amount of
retail for the places that offer decent prices.

Oh, yeah, and if you're using a roller you obviously don't care about the finish.

I'm confused; every how-to guide I've come across on-line recommends a
roller. Are you referring to spraying the paint on as a better option?

I also mentioned earlier that I'm not expecting to do a perfect job
(especially since this is my first time painting). But you're probably
right; I just want to live with a color less jarring than the ones on
my wall right now, and I probably wouldn't care if other methods
resulted in a better finish.

I will check out those other paint stores, though. And thanks to
everyone for all the invaluable advice.