Rations...

So I've been in the North for nearly two years, and Deon has been here for over two years. Before we moved North, we each took advantage of the fact that our employers would ship our belongings north, up to a certain dollar amount in freight charges. Knowing that the cost of provisions in the North is unreasonably high (and it seems like this is especially the case for items "essential" to survival), we each stocked up on items that we knew would last a while, and would be difficult or expensive to acquire in the North.

Before each of us left, we spent weeks (well... in my case I only had 2 weeks to prepare for the move!) scanning the flyers to find the cheapest deals on toilet paper, kleenex, laundry soap, Brita filters, canned and packaged goods, and other non-perishables. Our families also helped out in their respective areas of expertise- my mom and grandma prepared a thorough sewing kit (including my graduation gift of a sewing machine) and kitchen essentials, my gramps prepared all of the pharmaceutical and drug store items, and Deon's mom did a heck of a lot of grocery shopping.

At any rate, before I ramble on much further, the purpose of this blog post is to say that we have officially used up our first (that's right, first) package of toilet paper that we shipped to Tuk. To those who don't know our situation, this might sound just disgusting... 1 pack of toilet paper in 2 years?? However, the simple explanation is that we both travel a lot for our jobs, and during our travels are able to collect the "extra" rolls that are left in hotel rooms. So until about a month ago, we were living on collected TP from across the Arctic, Edmonton and beyond. Our travels have slowed as of late, and we're having to dig into our rations. No need to be alarmed however, by my last count, we have fifteen or more 24-packs so we should be okay at least for a few more months!

Looking at our cupboards, we have finally almost exhausted much of the food that we sent up, while there are also some items that we have an excess of. Just for the interest of those who helped us pack up to come North, here is an account of what is left after 2 years:

-Laundry detergent (2 big jugs, 3 small ones) ~$6 down south... $30 up here
-Dishwasher detergent (3 boxes)
-Diana Sauce (3 jars... we just don't have that many ribs up here!)
-Instant mashed potatoes (we still have half a cupboard shelf full of them)
-Hand and Body Lotion (a large variety)
-Toilet Paper $3 down south (we get them on sale at Shopper's)... $30 up here
-Paper Towel (2 8-packs) ~$3 down south... $30 up here
-Saran Wrap (lots!)
-Garlic Powder (how did we end up with so much!!)
-Rice (again... how did we end up with so much!!)
-Canned vegetables

Things that we're out of or almost out of that does/will burn when having to buy them at the store:
-Kleenex (almost out, don't want to even think about how much it will cost when we have to start buying it)
-Cooking spray
-Ziplocs
-Pasta 99 cents down south on sale... $5 here
-Pasta Sauce 99 cents down south on sale... $4.50 here
-Canned tomatoes 69 cents down south on sale... $4 here
-Canned soups and chilis... $4 here

Looking back, almost two years after moving to the North, my advice to those considering their own moves would be to stock up on large, bulky items, and ship them North if your employer is going to pay for it. People tell you that the prices are higher up here, but you really don't realize it until you do some calculations. Take for example, our toilet paper. The 15 packs have approximately a $45 value down south, when purchased on sale, while up here they have a $450 value. INSANE!

For those Northerner's who haven't discovered it yet, Well.ca is a great online store based in Guelph that will ship most items for free, and there are a lot of (healthy) foods available. They also have cleaning supplies, which sure beats paying Northern prices. In general I find the prices to be a bit more expensive than in grocery stores down south, but still by far cheaper than up here, so it's still some savings. You can order crackers, snacks, and lots of drug store type items (shampoo, etc) which is a great relief from the selection and prices at the Northern store.