Considering a move to Fairbanks. (North Pole: winter, drive, wife)

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by akpls

The sales tax has been 4% for several years now. Even though I live in NP, I never buy my gas there. We're in Fairbanks everyday for work, etc. and fill up there. It now costs us around $100 per week/per car for gas! If I had to do it again we would buy a house across the street from where we work.

Living close to work is the best idea. Some of my coworkers ride motorbikes to work when not raining like today It's pouring out there.

By the way, at least last year, buying fuel at Salcha (not too far from Salcha Marine, at the left side of the road on the way to Delta Junction) was cheaper then North Pole. The cost of fuel there was similar to Fairbanks (minus the discounts, of course). I get the discount a Fred Mayer.

[Sgt Saunders]

Originally Posted by jlears

Hello all. My family and I are considering a move to Fairbanks. I am a 15 yr aircraft mechanic and my wife is a jr high teacher. I have had a few phone interviews with some shops in Fairbanks and all looks good. Right now we are trying to decide on an area in or commuting distance to Fairbanks. We would prefer a smaller town than Fairbanks, we live in a small town of 400 in rural Illinois. We have 4 small children all under the age of 6. We will want to rent a house the first year or 2. If anyone could throw some locations for me to check on, I would really appreciate it.

Sorry for the long post. I know I could ask the companies I have interviewd with, but I thought I would try here first.
Thanks

You'll regret it if you don't

[jlears]

Originally Posted by akpls

The sales tax has been 4% for several years now. Even though I live in NP, I never buy my gas there. We're in Fairbanks everyday for work, etc. and fill up there. It now costs us around $100 per week/per car for gas! If I had to do it again we would buy a house across the street from where we work.

100 a week in gas would be a discount. I live in very rural IL and drive 160 miles round trip to work 5-6 days a week.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by jlears

100 a week in gas would be a discount. I live in very rural IL and drive 160 miles round trip to work 5-6 days a week.

How much per gal. are you paying?

[Dakster]

Total fuel cost per week, to go to/from work is dependent on three things round trip distance, fuel mileage, and cost of fuel.

Keeping your roundtrip to 100 miles, which seems possible given this discussion, rather than 160 miles, assuming your fuel mileage will be the same for the moment. You could pay 60% more for a gal of fuel and the amount spent equals out.

Keeping the math simple, if JLEARS could get fuel for $3.00 a gal in IL and JLEARS is driving 60% further to work in IL, (100 miles vs. 160 miles) fuel in AK would have to be $4.80 a gal. to break even. This illustrates that reducing your driving distance 60% still makes up for the higher fuel prices.

Looking at today's gas prices online, IL the cheapest is around $3.45 and Fairbanks I can find several stations in the $4.37 (regular gas)... A long way a way from the $5.50 break even point. ($3.45 x 1.6) Obviously, if jlears chooses to live the same 160 miles away from work it will cost more to drive to and from work. So let's say you do 20% less mileage, then fuel prices in AK would have to be $4.83 to break even.

Just don't have that 100 mile roundtrip drive to work and fill up in Bethel. At $6.13 - $6.52 a gal...

I agree, live close to work, then fuel prices become less of a monetary drain on household finances. Not to mention maintenance and replacement costs of the vehicle itself.

Only reason this works out, is because you already drive far to work... Although I bet I spend more time driving my 33 mile round trip to work then your 160 mile roundtrip.

[jlears]

Well I have no intentions to drive 160 mile round trip to work again.

Thanks for all that helped. I'm comming up in 2 weeks to have a look around.

[RayinAK]

Regular unleaded at Fred Mayer, minus a 3-cent discount, costs $4.349 (almost $4.35) per gallon. That was yesterday's price. But it's a lot more expensive at most other places, although at Sam's Club it should cost about the same.

[Dakster]

jlears - That is best idea... Go there and look for yourself.

Ray - I noticed that fuel prices do not fall with the prices in the rest of the US the same... We used to be about .25 - .40 cents difference and now we are much further apart. (.90/gal now)

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Dakster

jlears - That is best idea... Go there and look for yourself.

Ray - I noticed that fuel prices do not fall with the prices in the rest of the US the same... We used to be about .25 - .40 cents difference and now we are much further apart. (.90/gal now)

The cost of fuel in the interior of Alaska is quite high. It's cheaper in Anchorage, however, but you are correct about the price of fuel not falling like in the rest of the US.

By the way, diesel fuel costs a lot more than gasoline, so the big trucks with diesel motors aren't very popular at the moment. Yes, people are still buying these trucks, but the local used-vehicle dealers have rows of these trucks in their lots.

[Dakster]

Diesel costs more here too. Just got some for $3.85 VS. $3.45 for gas.

But, I get more miles per gallon in my diesel truck then I did in my gas ones. If you do not need or want a truck, then a gas car is the way to go. Although we did have a VW TDI that got 32 city/ 54 HWY. Much better than the 20/25 we get in her gas Wagon. But everything else is more expensive maintenance wise and cold weather affects them more.