Question for military wives: Would it be worth it for me to drive one hour to use the commissary?

[KidsHappen]

Use of the commissary is one of the new benefits my hubby will be eligible for. The nearest one is an hour away. Would I save enough shopping there to make it worth the trip? Or are the prices about the same as Aldi's?

[HomeAgain]

Nope.  Most commissary prices are competitive unless you live in a very high cost of living area.

However, they will often have a selection of German, Italian, and Korean goods if you don't get that at your grocery.

[El...]

I live 20 minutes from mine and only buy certain things there. 

I buy Pace taco sauce, the better soy sauce, stuff like that. 

The one area they are consistently better is in beef. The prices are 15-20% below Aldi on pot roast, flank steak, everything but ground beef. 

[Lecka]

No.

 

But they do often have good prices on meat, and people will drive to stock up on meat.  They will sell insulated bags, but people take coolers also.  I don’t know if that’s necessary for a 1-hour drive, but people do it.

 

Case lot sales are great prices, but impractical for us as far as what we eat and our storage space.  
 

 

I agree about the options for Korean, German, and Italian foods. 

 

Be aware you must tip baggers!!!!!!!  It is a must!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[maize]

Agree with the others that it is not worth it.

Also that if you do go you must tip the baggers, they get paid only in tips.

I'm jealous that you have an Aldi!

Edited July 8, 2023 by maize

[Lecka]

I just googled and the nearest commissary to us now is having a Sidewalk Sale on September 7, 8, and 9.  
 

This is like a Case Lot Sale.  
 

Do you want to buy 20 cans of corn for $0.10 each?  Then you’re in luck.  
 

That’s made-up numbers — but they are really good deals, but when I have been few things work for me.  
 

If you have storage or would split with others — I think it would be worth checking out.

 

Maybe there would be a bit of a zoo atmosphere, it depends?  
 

The other thing is — they often have big discounts on name brand items.  But the same item will still cost more than Great Value brand from Wal-Mart.  I am happy with Great Value brand for most items, and then there are things here and there where I would like the name brand.

 

If you buy name brand, and premium name brand, then you will get better prices at the commissary.  
 

Like — we did try some Wahlburgers frozen hamburgers the last time we went.  But we like hamburger patties from Wal-Mart.  It was fun to try the Wahlburgers but we wouldn’t drive for them.  
 

But I would drive for them if my husband wanted to, it would be fine with me to have that be something we do.  But my husband isn’t interested.  
 

So it could be worth it, but it’s not our preference.  
 

It’s definitely not at the point where we “should” go because it’s such a good deal.  
 

We don’t eat a lot of large cuts of meat, though.  If we did, I think it would be a lot more worthwhile.  
 

Sometimes there are butchers specials or managers specials in the butcher section, too, and I think they can be really good deals, but it’s not what we eat a lot and we don’t have a freezer, etc.  

[maize]

https://www.shopmyexchange.com/

Check out the link above for tax-free shopping for non-food items; can help with larger purchases especially. 

[Lecka]

Furniture is often a good price.  

[Lecka]

If you have PX privileges also and might buy something big from the PX, that changes things.  
 

You can get an idea from online.  
 

My husband is tax-free anyway and  Lowe’s and Home Depot both give him a great discount.  If not we would be thinking differently about things like a washer and drier.  
 

Edit:  okay, sometimes the discounts are limited to a dollar amount per item, but still — they are good discounts.  
 

Edit:  you can definitely compare prices, and ask how much a larger item would be with a military discount etc, and then compare to the online.  There can be floor models and things if you go in person, and they are not necessarily the same selection.  
 

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by Lecka

[Lecka]

Just to be clear — you just take cash or get cash back, to tip.  There is NO option not to tip.  You can’t just decline bagging.  It doesn’t matter if you buy one thing and don’t need any help.  You have to tip.
 

The baggers wait in line to bag, and if they have someone go through on their turn who gets one thing, that’s it, they have to wait in line again.  Sometimes it’s busy with lots of people waiting to bag.  
 

So I do not want to go unless I’m going to have a big cart, and then happy to have great service and help with my bags, and give them $10.  
 

I would say $10 is on the low end.  
 

It is still a savings on the cost, to pay the tip, if you have a full cart — that is not an issue.  
 

But I don’t want to tip if I’m getting a few things, but it screws people over.

 

Oh, I’m just remembering there is self check-out now.  Maybe it’s better now — but the last times I’ve been anywhere, the self check-out is miserable, a much lower quality than Wal-Mart, constant “ding ding ding you didn’t scan the item properly.”  I despise it.  
 

Does my husband mind?  No, not at all.  He doesn’t even know what it is that is bothering me.  
 

Also — I haven’t been in 3 years, it could be that a specific commissary or all commissaries have got much better self check-outs now.  

[Lecka]

Ummm… and then there’s the Class 6.  They have got great prices on alcohol.  It’s totally worth going there.

But we don’t drive there to stock up on alcohol.  

But if you’re on post anyway — it’s worth going!

But it’s like — eh, I don’t know.  I don’t want to be someone who buys a bunch of alcohol, we don’t have a place to put it.  
 

Gas can also be a good deal, but that doesn’t make sense to drive for, either.  But it could be worth it to get gas on post.  

 

[Lecka]

I think commissary privilege is just the commissary, but if you have other privileges including the commissary, there is more stuff to buy 😉

[maize]

If he's 100% disabled he has BX/PX privileges.

[Lecka]

I also have not actually comparison shopped prices on alcohol.  But I think they have good prices.  And, my husband has a tax-free card anyway so there is that, for our own price comparisons.  

[Lecka]

Check your state, my husband is tax-free through the state, for disability.  
 

We also do not pay property taxes on our house.  

[Lecka]

As far as I know, everything besides the commissary is part of the PX, even if it’s a Class 6 or something else with a different name.  
 

Edit:  and some of the names are different if it’s an Army base or an Air Force base, those are the only types of bases I have ever been to, but they do have different names for things sometimes.  

Edited July 8, 2023 by Lecka

[almondbutterandjelly]

I don't have an Aldi, so I can't compare.  I think, if I were you, I would make it a once a month trip, and stock up on things.  Meat is definitely much much cheaper than the grocery store.  Frozen convenience foods are generally much cheaper.  We like certain brands of things, like Bush's beans, and those are cheaper there than the grocery store.  Lunchmeat can be cheaper, so can cheese.  Milk is NOT cheaper at the Commissary.  Siimply Orange juice is.  

If you get a login, you can check the prices for your commissary from your home computer and comparison shop with your local stores.  That's what I do.  Then I can buy the cheapest thing from the cheapest place.  

Sometimes they have amazing deals on soda, or like around Halloween they had spooky cereal for a quarter a box.

[stephanier.1765]

Nope, from me too. I live 20 minutes from one and used to shop there weekly. Then five (or more) years ago the prices really started going up. Now I find there prices comparable with Publix and I only shop at Publix for things I can't find elsewhere. Walmart and Aldi are both much better priced than the commissary.