$8 for frozen individual meal in Anchorage? (Fairbanks, Wasilla: sale, how much, house)

[dietrich2424]

Ok so I have been talking to a guy that works on the ice road up there from Feb through Sep. He just got back home and said the frozen meal he buys for himself costs like $8. That is an individual meal, kind of like a stouffers or boston market frozen dinner. Is he pulling my leg or is that correct? He said it was in fairbanks but anchorage is the same pricess as well, and it was at wal mart. All the research I have been doing does't remotely compare to this. So i have a few questions for Anchorage folks that shop at wal mart or fred meyer, if you dont mind, how much would the following items be?

Milk (1 gal, generic):
White Bread loaf:
Head of Lettuce:
Ragu Spaghetti Sauce, Normal Size:
Box of Spaghetti, Normal:
Toilet paper, Charmin:
Cereal, regualr box, brand name (Cocoa Pebbles?)

Just trying to get a comparison, thank you once again for your time.

[Trance750]

Not a resident so I don't know, but it would seem that they would have to have the food shipped in, and that may be where the high costs lies

[AKStafford]

Prices in Anchorage, the Valley, Fairbanks & the Peninsula are all "fairly" close to each other.... But as soon as you start traveling out from any of these places, the price goes up quickly...

Here in Wasilla, a frozen dinner can be anywhere from $3.50 to $7.00, depending on what you are buying and what's on sale. A gallon of milk is $3.49 for the store brand, or up to $6 for the quality brand. A basic loaf of white bread is $2.50. I buy the higher end multi grain stuff and it's usually about $5.
A bag of chips is regularly priced at $5.50, but it usually on sale for $3.50. Hamburger meat is anywhere from $3 to $4 a pound, depending on the sales.

Another way to see our prices is to go to Fred Meyer's website, or Carr's and use 99501 as the zip code to look up the weekly sale ad.

[dietrich2424]

Excellent information AKStafford, thank you so much for your help.

[Dakster]

FWIW, I found the food prices about on par with what I pay in South Florida when I was in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Seward. And this was at big box type stores (Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer's, and Safeway)

Some stuff was more, some stuff was less... I wasn't there in the winter, so I do not know if prices are adjusted upwards during the winter.

Tok on the other hand was quite a bit higher, but it was also a small. non-big name, grocery store. I was still able to find some frozen meals like stouffers and hungry man for less than $8 though...

[globetraveler]

Originally Posted by dietrich2424

Ok so I have been talking to a guy that works on the ice road up there from Feb through Sep. He just got back home and said the frozen meal he buys for himself costs like $8. That is an individual meal, kind of like a stouffers or boston market frozen dinner. Is he pulling my leg or is that correct? He said it was in fairbanks but anchorage is the same pricess as well, and it was at wal mart. All the research I have been doing does't remotely compare to this. So i have a few questions for Anchorage folks that shop at wal mart or fred meyer, if you dont mind, how much would the following items be?
.

Prices from Carrs/Safeway - Eagle River - September 10, 2012

Milk (1 gal, generic): Lucerne (Safeway Brand) 3.59 a gallon
White Bread loaf: Safeway House Brand $1.99 a loaf. Alaska Pride $2.69 per loaf
Head of Lettuce: Iceberg $1.79 per head
Ragu Spaghetti Sauce, Normal Size: $2.79 for 1lb 8 oz jar
Box of Spaghetti, Normal: $1.79 for 1lb Barilla brand
Toilet paper, Charmin: $3.49 (sale price for Charmin 4-roll pack. $5.39 for Scott 4-roll pack
Cereal, regualr box, brand name (Cocoa Pebbles?): $4.29 for 11oz box of Cocoa Pebbles.

[JasonAndJulie]

Excellent information. I am thrilled to see this post and I hope more people contribute. I called Anchorage Costco a couple moths ago and they told me a 2 gal jug of milk is $6. We pay $3.50 a gal for generic in Houston so Anchorage was cheaper

I was told to expect to see double the prices but I am relieved to see prices are only slightly higher. Is there much variation from store to store or are they all about the same?

[Moose Whisperer]

I don't know about the rest of that stuff, but Lemons cost 2 bucks apiece up here.

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

I don't know about the rest of that stuff, but Lemons cost 2 bucks apiece up here.

Then I guess it wouldn't be financially prudent to walk into an Anchorage bar and order a martini with a twist.

I see you've replaced member with senile member. You and I are the same age so I'd appreciate it if you'd change that to twenty years away from the brink of geezerhood.

[bongo]

Costco has been the ticket for us in Anchorage. And a freezer full of red salmon from the Russian!