I moved (drove) to Anchorage from Southern California, solo (Hope: apartment, lease)

[DagnyT63]

Originally Posted by Dakster

Unless it is in Amazon prime, don't expect to do much online shopping from out of state vendors. They either will not ship or it will cost more than the item to ship it to you.

Pick who you like to shop with and stick with them for the most part. As in Carrs or FredMeyer - that way you can take advantage of their gas rewards points. Fuel here is high, not the highest in the nation, but close. (Hawaii is typically always higher). Example is that regular is $3.77 a gal here - cheapest place I could find. ALTHOUGH, there are some things that are better to get at Costco or Wal-Mart.

No sales tax in Anchorage, tends to help with the fact everything here is more money than in the lower 48... I came from a 7% sales tax area.

As far as shopping, most big box stores are in Anchorage... So I have gone back to going out and getting it, versus, clicking the mouse and ordering it.

I did find a butcher... Something I haven't had before. Their prices are decent too.

What else do you want to know?

This will be an adjustment. I have AmPrime now and I buy just about everything over the net because I hate people. I mean, I hate dealing with shopping crowds. LOL

Is Carrs one of the cheaper or more expensive stores? Recently my husband walked through a Carrs while I walked through a local store and we compared prices but I think someone later told him Carrs was usually pricier?

[Dakster]

I find Wal-Mart is cheaper than both for most things I buy - and the Wal-Mart by me is a super center so there is a grocery store in it. It is also closer, which means I burn less fuel to get to it. For the last decade I have not been a big Wal-Mart fan, although that is changing, only because of its close proximity.

Carrs seemed a little pricier than Fred Meyers. But it also depends. Each of them have things on sale and things on sale are typically a good deal. I especially like the buy one, get one free stuff. I typically stock up a little on those items.

Unfortunately, you really have to shop smart up here or you'll get killed on the prices. I didn't have to shop as smart back in Florida.... I know people that know exactly what to get at Costco, Wal Mart, Carrs, Fred Meyers, and local butcher shops. Stock up trips planned accordingly and sometimes involves going to multiple places on one big shopping trip. I am not that good at it, yet.

On Edit: Yes this has been a huge adjustment for me as well. Plus the fact that a lot of specialty type stores just are not here, at all... I am having trouble getting Weather Tech/Husky Liner floor mats for my truck without having to order and pay big bucks in shipping costs.

[DagnyT63]

Thanks! That's strange about the liners, I'd have thought there would be a big market for them up there.

[Dakster]

One would think. I can find the generic fits all stuff... Probably just are not enough of a demand for the custom fit. I haven't finished looking around at places though.

[ry1n]

Originally Posted by Farmboy89

Amazing post! Very helpful and insightful! I am looking to move in the next year or so to the Anchorage area. It has always been my dream since a little kid. Colorado is amazing, but I want to follow my dreams.

Any information on the prices of groceries, shopping, etc...!

Groceries and shopping are about the same, maybe slightly higher than were I came from. Its funny because the first thing I did when I got here was sms a picture of the milk prices to my friend back in California, showing her the price is the same. Everyone thinks Anchorage prices are like those of the more remote places, but its not true.

Gas here is the same or cheaper than So Cal.

I order things online from time to time. Shipping is a little more, but the real pain is my mailbox is too small so I have to go to the post office and pick up everything. I mostly pick things up from the store in person up here.

The lack of sales tax offsets the slightly higher prices in my opinion.

[ry1n]

Originally Posted by DagnyT63

Thanks! That's strange about the liners, I'd have thought there would be a big market for them up there.

A lot of dealers sell them. They range from 89.00 to 179.00 for the full set (depending on what you want). My buddy works for Dodge and they keep many in stock, and order the ones they do not have.

[ry1n]

Originally Posted by rhiannon67

Fantastic. I can't wait to someday make a similar post!

I hope you do! It took me a very long time to make it here. There comes a point when you start over thinking it and then give up because it sounds out of reach. I am by no means rich and made it up here, and if I can, anyone can.

Thats really what motivated me to make this post, to hopefully show people they can do it too.

[DagnyT63]

Originally Posted by ry1n

A lot of dealers sell them. They range from 89.00 to 179.00 for the full set (depending on what you want). My buddy works for Dodge and they keep many in stock, and order the ones they do not have.

That's where I got mine, and they had to order them. It was $350 for my Expedition including the cargo area.

[rhiannon67]

Originally Posted by ry1n

I hope you do! It took me a very long time to make it here. There comes a point when you start over thinking it and then give up because it sounds out of reach. I am by no means rich and made it up here, and if I can, anyone can.

Thats really what motivated me to make this post, to hopefully show people they can do it too.

Our move will take more planning because it involves my family, one of which is only in second grade. It's looking like we're slated to make it up to Anchorage by the end of this coming Spring. By then I will have my Alaska nursing license and be freed up for looking for work up there. For my husband it's just a matter of transferring his pilot base to Anchorage from Seattle. Then there's the matter of either selling or renting out our house....of which right now needs work done on it before it really can be put on the market.

We plan to get rid of most things and start fresh....but still, there will be associated shipping costs for the things we do bring.

How late in the season is it feasible to make the drive up the Alcan highway?

[riceme]

Originally Posted by rhiannon67

Our move will take more planning because it involves my family, one of which is only in second grade. It's looking like we're slated to make it up to Anchorage by the end of this coming Spring. By then I will have my Alaska nursing license and be freed up for looking for work up there. For my husband it's just a matter of transferring his pilot base to Anchorage from Seattle. Then there's the matter of either selling or renting out our house....of which right now needs work done on it before it really can be put on the market.

We plan to get rid of most things and start fresh....but still, there will be associated shipping costs for the things we do bring.

How late in the season is it feasible to make the drive up the Alcan highway?

I sold everything I owned that did not fit into the back of my pickup (except firearms, which I shipped) and drove up. Arrived in NP on the 16th of October. That was later than I wanted to arrive and I honestly would not recommend planning to drive up that late unless you had to. I was by myself (no children) and I was delayed a full day at my sister's in the lower 48 with what could have been a major problem with my pickup but was not.

I was lucky and had great weather aside from a downpour through all of Oregon and Washington. But trust me, I was prepared for bad weather and sparse fuel stations.

A word to the wise: Canada takes their speed limit pretty seriously. I made really good time, but I got a couple of speeding tickets. If you get ticketed exceeding a certain amount over their limit they will impound your vehicle for ten days. I was warned. Both times. :/

Oh, another couple things I had issues with: I have a small old GOA (Gun Owners of America) sticker on my back window. I didn't even realize that most people could recognize it for what it was, but the Canadian border agent did, and it upset him. Any NRA, GOA, or anything of the like, I might consider removing or covering prior to driving through. The other thing that jammed me up is that years ago I'd pulled out the stock 60/40 seats in my pickup and replaced them with leather lumbar seats out of a Sequoia. Well, the console from the Sequoia wouldn't fit so I made an ammo can into my console. Canadian border agent hated that.

Basically, anything that smells like guns or ammo, I would consider sterilizing before driving through Canada.