Shopping in bush Alaska is tricky. There are no Wal-Marts, no Sheetz, and no Verizon stores. There is only one small local convenience store, and you're lucky if they much in stock during the week.
This means that most, (really, all) shopping needs to be done in bulk. The day I arrived in Anchorage, I met 2 of my fellow teachers and we went back to our rental house to drop off my suitcases, and then off to Fred Meyer we went!
Thankfully, I had prepared a shopping list ahead of time, but still, it doesn't quite prepare you for how much STUFF you will need for 4 months in the bush. I had 2 lists prepared, but I still walked through the whole store about 4 times! Whew! A few hours later I had everything I was pretty sure I need, plus a bit extra. Next, we had to drive to a few other stores because that particular Fred Meyer was out of totes. (I learned that the best totes to use for shipping are the Rubbermaid Roughneck totes, they're about $9 each). After going back to the rental house, and packing some items, I crashed into bed.
The next day we went to Costco. I've never been to a Costco before so I was pretty excited. I decided to sign up for a membership, and paid a little extra for the Executive member card (Executive members can also add another member for no cost, and you can earn up to 2% rewards on your purchases!)
It was a pretty exciting shopping trip though I was a bit disappointed in a few of their selections. They only had 2 options for pasta- organic spaghetti, or an organic 3 pack medley. Their spaghetti sauce selection was limited as well, so I ended up going back to Fred Meyer for that. Other than that, my experience was pretty good and I got a lot of bulk items like crackers, yeast, snacks, almond milk, and meats.
Here's the truck after our Costco trip!
This means that most, (really, all) shopping needs to be done in bulk. The day I arrived in Anchorage, I met 2 of my fellow teachers and we went back to our rental house to drop off my suitcases, and then off to Fred Meyer we went!
Thankfully, I had prepared a shopping list ahead of time, but still, it doesn't quite prepare you for how much STUFF you will need for 4 months in the bush. I had 2 lists prepared, but I still walked through the whole store about 4 times! Whew! A few hours later I had everything I was pretty sure I need, plus a bit extra. Next, we had to drive to a few other stores because that particular Fred Meyer was out of totes. (I learned that the best totes to use for shipping are the Rubbermaid Roughneck totes, they're about $9 each). After going back to the rental house, and packing some items, I crashed into bed.
The next day we went to Costco. I've never been to a Costco before so I was pretty excited. I decided to sign up for a membership, and paid a little extra for the Executive member card (Executive members can also add another member for no cost, and you can earn up to 2% rewards on your purchases!)
It was a pretty exciting shopping trip though I was a bit disappointed in a few of their selections. They only had 2 options for pasta- organic spaghetti, or an organic 3 pack medley. Their spaghetti sauce selection was limited as well, so I ended up going back to Fred Meyer for that. Other than that, my experience was pretty good and I got a lot of bulk items like crackers, yeast, snacks, almond milk, and meats.
Here's the truck after our Costco trip!
Pretty crazy! We packed it full. For fun, I've also included a picture of my receipts. I can't find my first one from Fred Meyer, but it was right under $400.
The next thing to do is pack everything into totes, and then ship them to the villages. Each tote has to be under 70lbs, and costs about $25 to ship.
I also wanted to mention, that there is a general store in the village, but most things are pretty expensive. I paid $6.50 for a frozen rib sandwich and soda, and eggs run about $8 a dozen. It was totally worth it though!
The next thing to do is pack everything into totes, and then ship them to the villages. Each tote has to be under 70lbs, and costs about $25 to ship.
I also wanted to mention, that there is a general store in the village, but most things are pretty expensive. I paid $6.50 for a frozen rib sandwich and soda, and eggs run about $8 a dozen. It was totally worth it though!