Higher Gas Prices Jack Up Food Costs

Like many Alaskans feeding families, when the price of food and gas increase, something has got to give.

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By Heather VacLav

Story Created: Mar 7, 2011 at 7:40 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Mar 7, 2011 at 9:09 PM AKDT

If you’ve filled up recently you probably noticed gas prices are going back up, and that means it will cost more to eat.

Alaskans already pay the second highest prices for food in the country. As gas continues to spike as a result of protests in the Middle East, the cost of food is starting to affect how local restaurants put out meals for diners.

“We find creative ways to thin down the expensive edge with less expensive edge and so that’s the idea there,” Mike Dodge, owner and head chef at Hott Stixx restaurant, said.

Hott Stixx is only one of many small restaurants in Anchorage who are starting to feel the heat from the rise in food. Now Hott Stixx has to find other ways to make up for more expensive ingredients like lettuce and beef.

“We try to reuse every piece of vegetable so the scraps go into the stock that we use for the sauces so it all rotates, you try to save and use everything you can possibly get out of each vegetable,” Dodge said.

While restaurants may have to adjust their menu prices, families trying to put dinner on the table don’t have the same luxury.

Anchorage resident Steven Dristy is struggling to support a family of four on his income alone.

“The more I have to pull for my food bill the less I've got to spend on anything else, hockey games...we didn't do any of that this winter,” he said.

“Food fuel, those are the major things.”

Dristy’s family is spending about $75.00 more a week in food.

“Ten cents here, ten cents there, fuel thirty cents here, twenty cents there… eventually it’s going to get to the breaking point, and the question is when, and you know, whether my fiancé can find a job before that happens,” Dristy said.

Like so many Alaskans trying to feed their families, when the price of food and gas goes up, something else is going to go down.

“I have to keep track of more or less, I won't say every penny, but pretty darn close, definitely every nickel,” he said.

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David Starr said on Monday, Mar 7 at 11:39 PM

There is an outfit called EatFree. They work with Walmart to get a substantial discount on gas. I joined it last December and love it. The process to get started was real easy. All I did was call a number (352-234-3523) with a recorded message for easy to follow directions. It took a little bit of time and effort, but now I enjoy Walmart gas. There is an upper limit that you can get on your Walmart card, I think it is $200 or something like that -- but believe me an extra couple of hundred bucks a month gives my family our weekly trip to the movies again... or you can always buy more gas.. LOL.

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