Yep, $5.00 - $6.00 dollars a pound when I started, and even got a few pounds on sale one time (a long time ago) for $4.50 a pound. Times are a changing that's for sure.
Bulk buying is about the only way to go these days. Heck, if you're going to use it you might as well keep as much as you can on hand. Like Roger said, it don't spoil.