Pro's and Con's about relocating to Alaska? (Anchorage, Fairbanks: salons, rent)

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by trb247

In order to move to Alaska and be happy you need 2 things. First, a nice home to live in. This isn't as easy as it sounds up here. The second thing you will want is the financial ability and professional freedom to travel out of State 1-2 times per year at the minimum. Best of luck!

Must politely disagree with this. IMHO if you want to be successful in AK and enjoy what it offers, there are more fundamental things a person needs:

Self-reliance, being able to roll with unexpected punches, and a sense of humor.

Self-reliant in the sense that you're someone who doesn't get defeated and sit around whingeing when things don't go exactly the way you planned. You have the creativity to make backup plans and find another way to get what you need or learn to do without it. Yuo don't expect others to smooth your road, you do it yourself. The sense of humor means you are lighthearted enough to see the ridiculous side in what life up here throws in your face, shrug off what you can't control, and go on anyway. These qualities will help you GET that nice home and the financial stability. When I listen to some AK wannabes it surprises me how meticulous they are in their "must haves". Their list is huge, detailed, and frankly, unrealistic. I'd suggest that is asking for disappointment. Shorten the list and add multiple choice to what's left. As for the professional freedom to go "outside", well, many Alaskans don't hang their sanity on being able to "escape" their chosen state once or twice every year. I know I don't, never have. Are there times when being here is less than pleasant? Sure, but that's true of almost any place. It's probably temporary and somewhat predictable so you knew what the bargain was when you signed up!

[rntim]

Well put Par! I hear folks here saying they were so happy to get "off the rock" in Sitka or whine about the rain. Well, we live in a rain forest and I personally don't want to get off this rock-because I chose to live here. My wife doesn't like anything about going back down to the lower 48 except to visit kids that basically had to move south because of their work-they got transferred by their company.

[RayinAK]

I came to Alaska with the military, moved of a couple of military installations in the lower-48, and returned to Alaska a second time. Retired from the military and stayed in Alaska years ago, worked for the State over 25 years, and retired a second time. Take what I am going top say with a grain of salt, since I am not trying to persuade anybody to move to Alaska or not. If you are planning to move:

a. If you have a family you better be financially stable, or have good jobs lineup, and enough money in reserve in case things don't work for you. As I mentioned before, Alaska has one of the highest cost of living in the US (one of the top most expensive 4 states). Most homes are heated with boilers and furnaces that use heating fuel. Just last month I had a tad over 200 gallons of fuel delivered to my house, and that cost around $1,100. The tank takes 500 gallons, but all I needed was to top it off after the long winter we had. Healthcare is not the best, but still one of the most expensive in the US, so a lot of people have "medivac" insurance in case they have to be transported to hospitals out of state and even to Anchorage.

a. If you suffer from mental issues such as depression, you will have an extremely difficult time dealing with what is called, "SAD" (also called cabin fiver). A lot of families (not all) have some members that either hate or love Alaska, and this manifests somewhere around one or two years of living here. Please read about "SAD" in Alaska.

c. Believe me when I tell you that everything is more expensive now that it was three months ago. Last week my wife noticed that an 8-pack of hotdog buns costs nearly $7.00 at the local supermarkets, and a 6-pack of bagels cost a tad over $7.00. Gasoline has already reached the $6.00 mark, and went up .42 cents from last to this week.

d. Depending on which city you more to, public transportation is "iffy," so most people drive several miles to the supermarkets or shopping centers, hospitals, and so on.

https://movingist.com/cost-of-living-in-alaska/

[RayinAK]

I must add the following to my post above: If you are relatively young, in good health, and don't have a criminal or a bad financial record, adventurous, PLUS unafraid to work hard, Alaska should be about perfect for you.

To retire in Alaska all you need to be is financially stable. If you aren't you still can do it, but being is excellent health would be a plus.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Take what I am going top say with a grain of salt, since I am not trying to persuade anybody to move to Alaska or not. If you are planning to move:

a. If you have a family you better be financially stable, or have good jobs lineup, and enough money in reserve in case things don't work for you. As I mentioned before, Alaska has one of the highest cost of living in the US (one of the top most expensive 4 states). Most homes are heated with boilers and furnaces that use heating fuel. Just last month I had a tad over 200 gallons of fuel delivered to my house, and that cost around $1,100. The tank takes 500 gallons, but all I needed was to top it off after the long winter we had. Healthcare is not the best, but still one of the most expensive in the US, so a lot of people have "medivac" insurance in case they have to be transported to hospitals out of state and even to Anchorage.

a. If you suffer from mental issues such as depression, you will have an extremely difficult time dealing with what is called, "SAD" (also called cabin fiver). A lot of families (not all) have some members that either hate or love Alaska, and this manifests somewhere around one or two years of living here. Please read about "SAD" in Alaska.

c. Believe me when I tell you that everything is more expensive now that it was three months ago. Last week my wife noticed that an 8-pack of hotdog buns costs nearly $7.00 at the local supermarkets, and a 6-pack of bagels cost a tad over $7.00. Gasoline has already reached the $6.00 mark, and went up .42 cents from last to this week.

d. Depending on which city you more to, public transportation is "iffy," so most people drive several miles to the supermarkets or shopping centers, hospitals, and so on.

https://movingist.com/cost-of-living-in-alaska/

ALL of this should be taken with more than a grain of salt...because its true!

Whenever I hear people from the south 48 whine about their cost of living, I just laugh. It can be a lot worse! From utilities to personal services, to those surcharges many retailers tack on to shipping to an AK address for some item you mail order because you won't find it in any brick and mortar store up here, you'll pay more for it.

[Music_Man]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

ALL of this should be taken with more than a grain of salt...because its true!

Whenever I hear people from the south 48 whine about their cost of living, I just laugh. It can be a lot worse! From utilities to personal services, to those surcharges many retailers tack on to shipping to an AK address for some item you mail order because you won't find it in any brick and mortar store up here, you'll pay more for it.

If they will even ship it!!

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by Music_Man

If they will even ship it!!

Yep, there is that. Some retailers seem to think AK=Mars. They can't figure out how to get it to you!

[Metlakatla]

I wouldn't be so quick to blame the retailers for that.

Edit: I recently switched to a fulfillment center in the -48 because it's easier and less expensive to ship our stuff down there en masse and pay them to handle shipping out to individual customers than it is to do it directly from Alaska. It works both ways.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by LadyAlaskanDreams

Sorry I don't reply back as quick but work 60 plus hours a week and looking after 3 teens makes life busy and plus I'm not a whizz at computers and to do the quote reply things so please bare with me on this.

It's not another romanticized view, it's been my dream since my great grandad used to tell me stories of when he lived in Alaska when he was a young lad of his hard times, almost freezing to death when he got lost and also the good times, so I know Alaska is hard

You're 32 and have 3 teenaged kids? Where in AK did you granddad live?

If relocating before kids have graduated HS, I'd recommend scoping out the schools available at your intended destination. A larger town would probably be better for their educational opportunities.

[OneDawg]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

Yep, there is that. Some retailers seem to think AK=Mars. They can't figure out how to get it to you!

That's nothing. Try sending mail to NM without extra postage? The post office still isn't on the same page as the rest of the world