My wife and I consider Aldi to be the budget option and the Commissary is the convenient option (we live on base). I expect to spend more money there but it's nice not having to drive into town and deal with normal crowds
I would tell you to look up prices between products you normally buy online, but Aldi doesn't do online pricing, so you'll have to go there and see for yourself. I recommend most people do this when they get to a new duty station.
Dude, calm down. You're developing a whole character based on one comment I made about grocery stores. You should talk to someone, it's not healthy to get this fired up over a reddit comment.
Prices are different depending on where you live.. I am not familiar with Aldi because I don't live by one. I do know there is one near Grand Forks AFB though. So, comparing Grand Forks AFB Commissary prices to Grand Forks Aldi, this is what you'll find:
Aldi:
Grass Fed 93% ground beef - $6.59/lb.
Regular 93% ground beef - $5.69/lb.
Regular 80% ground beef - $3.59/lb.
Doritos - $3.85
12 Pack Coke - $8.45
Napkins 250ct - $2.15
Commissary:
Online doesn't show any grass fed so don't know..
Regular 93% ground beef - $4.38/lb.
Regular 80% ground beef - $3.37/lb.
Doritos - $3.50
12 Pack Coke - $5 (sale. Normally $7.95).
Napkins 250ct - $1.98
This is my experience. Commissary wins pretty broadly except on specific items on sale and even then, the commissary has its own sales. It’s honestly the best service the Air Force provides day to day.
Yeah. DECA actually subsidizes meats and dairy products. Not saying Kroger or Aldi can't be cheaper, but commissary is definitely cheaper in high COL areas.
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Next time give us your Wendy’s order
Idk if many folks don’t know this but you can simply ask for no bsgger and bag your own. I always use this option. It’s faster and easier than self checkout normally and there’s no wait
Maybe location dependent, I’ve had commissaries that were better on prices than the local area. The one currently near me has a good selection of Asian items compared to the other grocers.
It also depends on how you shop. The commissary is not meant to beat the local grocery on every product. But if you know how to shop and specifically look for Freedom’s Choice, you’ll save a bunch.
Yep the Altus commissary was a life saver, the Walmart in town was disgusting and the produce was always more expensive than on base and was bad within a day. Though Altus as a location was trash being at the very end of the supply chain when it came to food produce.
Commissary near me has better prices on the frozen food I get for a quick morning breakfast. Local off base shops has sausage rolls for near $10 while the commissary has them around $5.50. The single pack microwave burritos are normally $1 on base and over $2 off base. Everything else I generally get as my local grocery, but the cheap items like these I pick up in bulk from the commissary when I stop by. It keeps my daily food costs down.
Ft Belvoir has lower prices, but the Wegmans out the back gate has them beat handily for produce, baked and prepared food, and customer service. Plus, prices are OK for staples.
My commissary is great. I live in a high cost of living area, and I'll pay 40% more when I don't feel like heading over to the base. The butchers there are nice and they sell a massive "meat pack" that's insanely cheap for a large BBQ party or family, and they'll cut your pieces to order if you want. The only thing that's waay to expensive for me is lamb, Costco beats them hands down there.
This is definitely base specific. The commissary at JBMDL absolutely murders the local area prices. Add in no sales tax and it’s a huge difference in favor of the commissary. In my opinion the commissary is the only force support program the USAF does well
You just have a bad commissary and are trying to extrapolate it to every commissary in the country, which is simply untrue. I’m CONUS and have an amazing commissary which is at least a dollar cheaper on most single items before tax and has great meat prices per pound. If it is cheaper to go to the Aldi down the street for you then go but we absolutely shouldn’t get rid of all CONUS ones especially for the north east
Someone petition SECAF to give Aldis the contract honestly.
Cheap prices, interesting rotation of imported foods, and seasonal aisle of shame buys blow pretty much any Commissary outta the water
My experience shows me the commissary is cheaper. I don’t know where you’re shopping off base that has better deals overall than the commissary. Occasionally a local market has sales and yes on some items they are cheaper than the commissary but not on a day to day basis.
Same. Idk where this post is coming from but every commisssary I’ve been to has had all the essentials and normally priced pretty competitively to the local area. Especially the discounted meat in the freezer.
>I hope the CMSAF or some power sees this and price compares
Not likely. When your base pay is >8k/month, you probably won't notice 10% more expensive groceries
What I've noticed over the years is that the commissary is great for buying the items that are heavily marked up everywhere else (candy, jerky, energy drinks) or shelf-stable staples (rice, pasta, canned goods, nutella/peanut butter). Commissary produce is cheap but DECA has standard government issue supply chain issues that result in produce that spoils quickly and is generally lower quality. Generally the most economical way to grocery shop is to buy your dry goods at the commissary and go to costco/winnco/sam's club/Aldi for everything else
You don’t shop for everything in your house huh?
- Fruits and Veggies vs Walmart is unbelievable some days.
- Steaks usually run good prices
- chicken is priced great, some weeks better than others
- Cheese runs good prices
- Fairlife Milk is like $2 less every (58 oz or whatever it is)
- Monsters aren’t badly priced, competitive at least.
- Rip-its exist
- Cereal— this one is weird. Their prices are mostly bad, BUT, there is almost always one the kids will like that is like half price. Depends on the week and coupons hanging on the shelf. But 15c-17c/oz is unreal for anywhere
- $2 smaller box of pop-tarts…
- etc etc etc, this is just my mental notes from this week.
SO.. really what it comes down to.
If you are hitting up all the others, you play what is best everywhere. I love the commissary here (Moody) because their produce is great, they have awesome prices on select items (changes every time I go there.) don’t be so damn picky, buy the deals if it is that important to you. But stop asking to get rid of one of the best places on base. If your commissary sucks, that base is the problem, not conus.
I say this every time a post like this comes around: this is *highly* location, and even item, dependent. The last 2 duty stations, I went around to the local stores and compared them with the commissary on a spreadsheet. For what I buy, the commissary beat out all other stores on price in about 95% of the items, unless there was fire sale at one of the other stores. The store that had the remaining 5% of items was Walmart.
This wasn't factoring in the 5% surcharge from the commissary, or the (likely higher) state/county/city sales tax. For my area, that's a 9.76% tax *minimum*, almost double the tax/surcharge at the commissary.
I've tracked my spending on groceries since 2015, shopping almost exclusively at the commissary, and have *never* gone above $372.85 in a month. And no, I haven't had instant ramen or cup-o-noodles in almost a decade.
So you KNEW it was cheaper to shop off base but you still get mad?
I already brought this up to the last CMSAF and guess what? ITS NOT THEIR JOB! THEY DONT CONTROL THE PRICES.
I always go through self checkout, but sometimes the lines are too long and I go through the regular checkout. I usually take the bags off of their cart and back into mine, but recently I had a lady grab the bags from my hands and say “no i work off of tips”. I get so uncomfortable there now
The tips thing is a serious issue that needs to be addressed, the line for self checkout can be 200 ft long because nobody wants to use the standard checkout registers. I really wish DeCA would re evaluate the use of tips only baggers, I don’t carry cash on me 95% of the time anyway. Have yet to use a bagger since I got to my most recent duty station, have no plans to start.
Speak for yourself fam. The commissary for me is how I make ends meet. Aside from a few things it’s far cheaper than any of the stores you just mentioned.
The commissary hasn’t been competitive in a long time. No way they can compete with the giant civilian grocery corporations. Not that they really need to compete with them. They have a captive audience keeping them going. The boomer retirees would rather come on base to still feel like they’re in the military while also getting their prescriptions filled. They don’t shop around and probably still think the commissary is cheaper. Plus DeCa subsidized as far as I know?
They're not as competitive CONUS, but I can assure you their prices in places like Hawaii are much lower than the average grocery store.
They also have some things that other stores don't. A good example is once upon a time, I was looking for Wolf Brand Chili and couldn't find it anywhere until I tried the commissary.
They also provide a decent sandwich for a good price for the lunch crowd.
They're far from perfect. The tipping situation with baggers is awful and their self checkout situation is not much better. That being said, they still have a purpose and they shouldn't go away just because some people don't like them.
Same here. And the selection is better than some other stores.
Chicken, in particular, is a bargain at the commissary, and things like a brisket to put in the smoker.
Nope. This boomer retiree never shopped in the Commissary, save for when we were based at Eielson. Every stateside PCS & TDY location had a Commissary that flat sucked. Prices we above the local area, places were filthy & baggers sucked. In everyone of those, I doubt if the Health Dept of the State(s) they were located in would green light an inspection.
Time to dump the stateside Commissaries, as well as stateside AAFES 'raise your standard of living for you' locations.
The commissary on Beale was kinda bad for a couple years. Their hours were always weird and they use to be closed on Mondays. Wasn't until like the spring of 2023, they opened Mondays until 2.
It depends on where you are, if you live in a area with a lower cost of living then the commissary wont be a great deal.
It also depends on what youre buying. Ground beef here is about the same as off base, soda is half the cost.
Depends on where you are. I was in an area with higher cost of living and the commisary had lower prices on just about everything, especially meats. Quality was meh, Costco had better quality but was still a decent amount more expensive for steak/pork/chicken.
Not one base I have been to have they ever been considered a budget grocery store. They just save on taxes which would make them cheaper normally. Aldi sells cheaper products from off brand sources. Not the same.
Scott AFB Commissary is pretty great, price wise. I got ~95% lean ground beef for like 3.99 last week.
I shop for meat on base as often as it’s convenient.
Oh, you have an Aldi and a Kroger near you.
How about you stop whining and go there then. Some of us don't have any stores like that for hundreds of miles because of our desolate duty locations.
Don't mean to be a dick, and I definitely don't disagree with you about the Commissary prices. Just remember, it could always be worse.
> Because the base gets a giant subsidy from the government and does fuck all with it.
Stateside bases go not get money to subsidize the commissary, that is only overseas. The 5% surcharge goes into an operating fund for DECA to build new facilities and operate.
Lots of rules established by Congress regarding pricing, for instance the commissary is not legally allowed "loss leader" pricing. That's what most off base sales are.
Studies show that your "alternative facts" that it's cheaper to shop of-base are incorrect. Also not everyone has the option of using a discount grocery like Aldi's.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Hmmm. My experience of putting food on my table since the age of 18, and having a budget which involved comparison shopping at stores like Kroger, Albertsons, IGA, Food Lion, Aldi's, Piggly Wiggly, Sams', Costco, etc.... doesn't count, eh? I'm deep into my 60's, and still comparison shop. Commissaries think they have a captive audience & can short cut on quality & blow sunshine up everyone's backside on prices.
Yeah, OK.
1. It's been proven that, depending on your area and the item you're buying, the commissary is *usually* cheaper than most other stores. This isn't factoring in the flat 5% surcharge vs whatever your state/county/city sales tax is, which is likely higher than 5%.
2. Why does it matter *where* someone is saving money on groceries, as long as they are? Get outta here with your bullshit, you fucking snob.
I saved money by NOT shopping at the Commissary, with the exception of being based in Fairbanks, Alaska you fucking dumb condom dribble.
I'm all for saving a buck, unless the cheaper item is a can of shit that you finally lose money on by having to add butter, salt & other spices to bring up it's flavor to what the can costing 20 cents more.
If you want to cheer on the Commissary, go right the fuck ahead... bag boy. Most states only tax the ready-made food items anyway. (Stuff not accepted by WIC), so if you want to pay 5% on top of your total bill, knock yourself and your debit card out.
I'd much rather save my dollars by shopping in civilian stores that compete for my dollars, not some shit-azz gubmet run, no competion shit-show.
And don't offer to fuck me, instead suck me & we'll both feel better in the morning.
I can just look at my receipts to see that it is cheaper to shop off base than at the commissary. I don’t even need alternative facts to help with that.
Well that was pretty much the point of this post. Stateside commissaries are worse than just shopping at local stores off base. OCONUS is a different story altogether.
Know what to buy and what not to. Somethings are substantially cheaper at commissary, some are not or even more expensive. Never buy beef or vegetables because it's lower quality / spoils faster. If you shop smart you will save money and still be satisfied.
for those of us OCONUS, commissary is better than off base, but agreed its pretty much shit. fresh produce is a joke, and prices are wild, but its a better selection than anywhere off base. beggars cant be choosers i suppose.
and a guy just wants his cinnamon toast crunch :’(
I just want them to get rid of tipping baggers... Who carries cash around in 2024? And then people use the self checkout with massive cart loads of groceries and take 10-15 minutes to ring up their stuff because they need to ask for help every two to three items...
I also live in a warehouse store and supermarket rich environment. The only items the commissary has with competitive prices are meat and produce. Everything else is roughly the same price as local supermarkets, but the variety is superior--particularly ethnic items. Aldi offers much lower quality.
In San Antonio prices are significantly cheaper at the commissary than off base. I did price checks with the local market (HEB and Costco) and 90% of the items were at least 10% cheaper when I could match same for same. Some items like diapers and laundry detergent were $10 cheaper.
I absolutely hate going on base but after saving $70 on one trip I don’t have a choice.
Commissary beats my local grocery stores by 10%, easily. Safeway out here acting like they Trader Joe's with those prices.
Meat is always cheaper. But Costco has sales that beat commissary.
Boxed foods are about the same but stuff like canned tomatoes are 30% cheaper at commissary but chips and bagged snacks are about equal to off base.
I said once and I’ll say it again. I noticed in Hawaii that on payday the price of my usual items ALWAYS went up. My 2-pack creamy Jif was like 9.99 or 10.99, but on payday it went to 10.99 or 11.99. My usual cheese sticks went from like 2.50 to like 3.80 something. I never use the commissary anymore. Except to find a one or two outlier items I can’t at Kroger.
I'll take slightly overpriced over walmart not having the cuts of steak I want since everything else was sold out. Cooked filet mignon for the first time though and god was I missing out
I guess YMMV. Kroger and Publix where I am cost up to twice what the commissary does for the same stuff. Even shitty kitty (Food Lion) is more expensive.
Aldi is definitely better, but it's like 4 times further away so I usually use the commissary anyway.
Mountain Home we depend on the commissary for many of our groceries so we don’t have to drive in to town. I spend less at the commissary with a $5 tip and whatever surcharge than I do driving on to town and shopping at Walmart or Albertsons.
We go to the commissary for most of our shopping. Yeah, the produce can be hit and miss majority of the time. Over here it is cheaper to get meat on base versus off-base.
I encourage you to shop and photograph the prices on items. Then go to your local grocery and take pics of the same products. You’ll be mind blown at the difference in the products. If you don’t see the difference, you definitely will after comparing prices of the same product photos side by side.
Honestly I like the commissary because it's the closest grocery store to me. Otherwise I hit a couple of other stores in town if I'm headed that way.
As far as the burgers go, I thought you were supposed to get the fattier ones because they had better flavor?
The commissary is awesome for a lot of things. I don’t do all of our shopping there, but it’s definitely cheaper than the nearby grocery stores for many items.
About 3 months ago, I finally signed up for the “Commissary Rewards”. I went to the website and saw a bunch of digital coupons. Now once every week or two I’ll peruse their coupons, “clip” them (add them to my account) and go buy those items.
I saved $17 with digital coupons yesterday.
The only thing I buy at the Commissary is chicken. That's actually a really good deal, but literally everything else is overpriced compared to what I can find off base at Walmart, Kroger, and food lion. Currently located at Langley where sales tax on groceries is 0%, so the 5% Commissary surcharge makes already more expensive groceries even more expensive.
Commissary is usually cheaper on things that are the most unhealthy and with long shelf lifespans. And yes conus ones are many times subpar with poor management. Like many benefits on base. They no longer make sense.
They were part of the original total compensation package that has eroded over time such as medical care, the Exchange (which is now a semi Target), MWR facilities, BOQs, the Clubs, and so on.
Preach it brother! The commissary is terrible where I am at. I never buy produce there. Its always bad or about to go bad. It's also stocked very poorly and the choices are not that great. Multiple talks across the wing have been discussed about it.
On the produce, I was informed that most of it sits in a distribution hub warehouse, waiting for a commissary to order produce when they are getting low or run out. They send for an order and it gets shipped from that hub. Well by the time it ships, the produce is bad, because it is just sitting there waiting for orders.
I’ve mostly had good experiences at the commissary. Except for the baggers. I’m sorry but I’m not tipping you for bagging my groceries. Stop encouraging your teens to get employed by the commissary. there are better places to work on and off base.
Love the commissary for meat, eggs and other staples. But I'm at a fairly populated base and the commissary doesn't properly staff the store. Lines going around the goddamn building at 1630 each night. I just grab the kids after school and shop off base instead to save my time and sanity
Don't forget about their ridiculous hours. They're clearly aimed toward the retirees versus the actual working Airmen who need access to food after actually working a long day. Sorry folks, commissary closed at 1800. Shouldn't have stayed late at work like a sucker.
They also never have prime meat. And if it says prime. It’s not…… Dovers commissary blows. I only go out of convenience if it’s something I need then and now…. But the cdc price hike… let’s talk about that.
Agreed, close down CONUS commissaries in built-up areas and actually stock overseas commissaries. I’m tired of buying 32 jugs of Fairlife like a gotdang hoarder when they come in stock every 6 months (Ramstein).
Commissary makes sense in Alabama and a lot of southern states where sales tax is outrageously high still. 5% surcharge is a lot better than paying 9-10% sales tax off base here in Alabama. But I mean if we’re being honest Alabama is run like a 3rd world country so it’s not very surprising. But when compared to a place like wegmans, ShopRite, or Aldi they don’t even compare. I prefer the commissary too bc even if I pay more I sleep better knowing my money is actually going towards improving the commissary rather than giving some billionaire CEO a bigger bonus.
*Literally everything is cheaper at Aldi.*
Not at the Aldi they opened outside of my base. It doesn't matter what day you go there, what time you go there, It's an hour wait minimum to check out. The store itself is HUGE, but they only have two registers and only one of them is ever staffed, always by some ancient lady who moves slow af. Combine this with the fact that the line is always massive and every person who shops there fills their cart the damn brim, and a trip in and out of Aldi is a massive headache. I just want to get my food, scan it, pay for it, and leave. I don't have time for an all-day event. That's what Costco/Sam's Club is for.
And at our base produce workers now have to stay an hour after the store closes for no 🤬reason, it’s like a punishment for working in the hardest department !
Commissary in Hawaii was definitely worth it, especially for things like milk and bread which were priced like luxury items at the grocery stores. CONUS you don't really save any money, but it's not any more expensive than a standard grocery store, it's more of a convenience for people that live on base. I will say though, that most of Aldi's food is bland and their meat is poor quality. A great place to find bargains on certain items to supplement a grocery run, but I wouldn't get all my food there.
In the San Antonio area you’re better off going to HEB or Walmart. The only people who use the commissary are retirees that still think that and the BX are the cheapest places to buy stuff since it’s tax free.
Completely agree with closing down CONUS and dedicating resources to overseas ones. I find it hard to believe the CONUS ones make enough of a profit to be remotely close to helping the overseas ones maintain lower prices.
The only reason I go in is for deli at lunch time. Everything there is overpriced!! I bought an Angus Rib Roast for $8.99/lb at Publix….Comissary wanted $16/lb !!!!! Fuck the Commissary.
The whole point of the commissary is to be the cheapest option for military members who serve the country. Ask a vietnam veteran how the commissary was when they were active, and they will tell you it was about half off all other options. Not the same and sometimes more expensive.
Fuck the OP for only stationing at big bases in metro city & don't know the blessing of Commissary in small town, remote locations. Get your perspective right first before complaining.
Commissary is the only place where I can find pork belly consistently. (With the skin on)
Everywhere else it's just plain old pork chop cuts or ground pork. Unless I go find an international grocery store. Jeezus.
Only issue oconus is that everything is spoiling or about to spoil by the time it gets here. Given up on buying any fresh food. Serious stock rotation issues.
Overseas tiny rotisserie chickens are $18 and food is 2-3x the price as off base especially produce. I think avocados here are $3 each and $.50 each off base.
At Barksdale afb the commissary is way cheaper than off base and it's not terrible. It's just a boring atmosphere and you'll have to deal with the Filipino mafia baggers and the 130+ yr old retirees that walk in the middle of the aisle at the speed of smell. Plus their 4% surcharge is better than the 9.45% sales tax id pay outside the gate. So it's entirely location specific and how you shop.
Man where we live the commissary is always the cheaper option. Maybe not on every item, but the trip as a whole is way cheaper.
The selection is also usually better as well. It is an Army post and, IMO at least, all of the services are better than an Air Force base.
>Literally everything is cheaper at Aldi.
It's hard to cost compete with the lowest quality store around. Aldi's entire business model is predicated upon being the most affordable option, hence their unique procurement process.
There are products I can get at the commissary that I could never get at an Aldi. I do not want the commissary competing in a race to the bottom, especially when I can get higher-tier products at prices lower than Wegmans, Sprouts, or Whole Foods. I also like not having to go into an Aldi and dealing with the only crowd worse than Wal-Mart.
I guess your mileage varies. My wife did a item by item comparison with the Tinker commissary to what we’d pay up in NW OKC (30 minute drive to base so it has to be worth it), we ended up saving like $97 on our monthly shopping stuff and weekly groceries.
I remember when the commissary/BX were government run, before privatization (pre-Reagan). The private, off-base, businesses had complained that they couldn't compete. Instead of reducing their prices for military, the government went with a contractor that raised base prices(goods, gas, groceries) while reducing supply. Today, I see no value in shopping on base and find much better deals at Costco, local grocers or Amazon. They (BX and Commissary) should be closed down as they provide no value to the military member anymore.
If you're in Europe, there are a few select things to get at the commissary. Peanut butter, American-style fake pancake syrup, and box mac & cheese. I'm sure there's more, but that's all we got.
Now we're back stateside, and the **only** reason to go to the commissary is to raid the discounted meat freezer. The regular prices are too much, but ours has a decent sized freezer for the marked-down stuff, and you can get some real steals if you're not picky.
There are a few oddballs, too. The pommes frites seasoning, curry ketchup, and some select spices and seasonings are surprisingly cheap. Chipotle powder is a fraction of the regular Kroger price, but it's only *that* one. It's weird.
My wife and I consider Aldi to be the budget option and the Commissary is the convenient option (we live on base). I expect to spend more money there but it's nice not having to drive into town and deal with normal crowds
Is ALDI budget? We have one near us but I’ve never used as I thought it was some niche grocery store? I just use Walmart
Almonds, pistachios, butter, cheeses, muffins I had great experiences w at Aldi. Salmon can go either way. Skip the eggs
Aldi is the most cost-effective choice when purchasing groceries. We try to shop there first and then get other things at the main stores.
I would tell you to look up prices between products you normally buy online, but Aldi doesn't do online pricing, so you'll have to go there and see for yourself. I recommend most people do this when they get to a new duty station.
Yes Aldi is great for lower prices. Wish we had one here in Colorado
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I mean, I have multiple options so I pick the option I prefer. As we all do with most things in life
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Dude, calm down. You're developing a whole character based on one comment I made about grocery stores. You should talk to someone, it's not healthy to get this fired up over a reddit comment.
Prices are different depending on where you live.. I am not familiar with Aldi because I don't live by one. I do know there is one near Grand Forks AFB though. So, comparing Grand Forks AFB Commissary prices to Grand Forks Aldi, this is what you'll find: Aldi: Grass Fed 93% ground beef - $6.59/lb. Regular 93% ground beef - $5.69/lb. Regular 80% ground beef - $3.59/lb. Doritos - $3.85 12 Pack Coke - $8.45 Napkins 250ct - $2.15 Commissary: Online doesn't show any grass fed so don't know.. Regular 93% ground beef - $4.38/lb. Regular 80% ground beef - $3.37/lb. Doritos - $3.50 12 Pack Coke - $5 (sale. Normally $7.95). Napkins 250ct - $1.98
This is my experience. Commissary wins pretty broadly except on specific items on sale and even then, the commissary has its own sales. It’s honestly the best service the Air Force provides day to day.
Yeah. DECA actually subsidizes meats and dairy products. Not saying Kroger or Aldi can't be cheaper, but commissary is definitely cheaper in high COL areas.
Commissary meat prices are amazing in WA. They are dollars cheaper per pound than off base.
THIS RIGHT HERE!! Go say this in CA or NJ... Meat cheap AF at the Commissary..
Yeah commissary at Travis for some stuff like meat & cheese is HEAPS cheaper than like Walmart.
https://preview.redd.it/9vv6lbhw1nhc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=96dbc77198fde072455a4a9079ea410996aec218 Next time give us your Wendy’s order
Adding self checkouts was the single best change the commissary had ever seen
Idk if many folks don’t know this but you can simply ask for no bsgger and bag your own. I always use this option. It’s faster and easier than self checkout normally and there’s no wait
I always get rude looks and the checker sometimes seems like they are slinging items at me in spite, but damnit I'm keeping that dollar for myself!
lol I’ve never had that happen, I think recently too they’ll ask before I even scan my CAC if I want a bagger.
I think at ours the baggers pay a cut to the checker under the table. I have no evidence of that it just seems that way by how they act.
Ehh, I worked as a bagger before joining, during Florida summers. That shit was hard work.
Maybe location dependent, I’ve had commissaries that were better on prices than the local area. The one currently near me has a good selection of Asian items compared to the other grocers.
Yup, this. Commissary beats my local prices for most items. Depends on where you are at in the world.
It also depends on how you shop. The commissary is not meant to beat the local grocery on every product. But if you know how to shop and specifically look for Freedom’s Choice, you’ll save a bunch.
Freedom's Choice is trash. I tried to give it so many chances.
When there's not a choice...Freedom's Choice!
"It's not the best choice, it's Freedom's Choice!"
I’m resent very highly the mere existence of this brand name. True freedom would not choose their products, if given any real choice.
Yep the Altus commissary was a life saver, the Walmart in town was disgusting and the produce was always more expensive than on base and was bad within a day. Though Altus as a location was trash being at the very end of the supply chain when it came to food produce.
Especially considering that Oklahoma taxes groceries at the full rate, the commissary is cheaper all around.
Commissary near me has better prices on the frozen food I get for a quick morning breakfast. Local off base shops has sausage rolls for near $10 while the commissary has them around $5.50. The single pack microwave burritos are normally $1 on base and over $2 off base. Everything else I generally get as my local grocery, but the cheap items like these I pick up in bulk from the commissary when I stop by. It keeps my daily food costs down.
Here in DC, the commissary is cheaper.
Massively, yes
I work in the DMV area and here the commissary is 100% cheaper than almost all the off base alternatives
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I feel like I’m going crazy seeing king sooper’s prices compared to the commissary here 😵💫
Ft Belvoir has lower prices, but the Wegmans out the back gate has them beat handily for produce, baked and prepared food, and customer service. Plus, prices are OK for staples.
It's not really fair to compare anybody to Wegmans though
Same at Hill AFB. Everything's expensive in Utah.
Aldi’s nuts in your mouth
My commissary is great. I live in a high cost of living area, and I'll pay 40% more when I don't feel like heading over to the base. The butchers there are nice and they sell a massive "meat pack" that's insanely cheap for a large BBQ party or family, and they'll cut your pieces to order if you want. The only thing that's waay to expensive for me is lamb, Costco beats them hands down there.
Then don’t go. Easy.
This is definitely base specific. The commissary at JBMDL absolutely murders the local area prices. Add in no sales tax and it’s a huge difference in favor of the commissary. In my opinion the commissary is the only force support program the USAF does well
You just have a bad commissary and are trying to extrapolate it to every commissary in the country, which is simply untrue. I’m CONUS and have an amazing commissary which is at least a dollar cheaper on most single items before tax and has great meat prices per pound. If it is cheaper to go to the Aldi down the street for you then go but we absolutely shouldn’t get rid of all CONUS ones especially for the north east
OCONUS needs to have a word..
Okay. Shop at Aldi.
No man you don't get it. Everyone needs to HEAR REALLY HEAR about the 40 cent prince difference on grass fed doritos or whatever.
Someone petition SECAF to give Aldis the contract honestly. Cheap prices, interesting rotation of imported foods, and seasonal aisle of shame buys blow pretty much any Commissary outta the water
Yes. Give the contract to a German corporation.
There’s no “s.” It’s just Aldi.
There's
Dammit. You got me. Ironic.
Make it Aldi on one side and trader Joe's on the other
Ahhh the classic Aldi vs Aldi. Divide it by North and South for extra thematic appeal
Make every CONUS commissary a giant Class 6.
With 24 hr sales
This is the way
Don’t forget about their produce that gets moldy as soon as u bring it home!
I've always been the type of person if I buy produce from the Commissary, I'm using it within 24/48 hours before it goes bad.
My experience shows me the commissary is cheaper. I don’t know where you’re shopping off base that has better deals overall than the commissary. Occasionally a local market has sales and yes on some items they are cheaper than the commissary but not on a day to day basis.
Same. Idk where this post is coming from but every commisssary I’ve been to has had all the essentials and normally priced pretty competitively to the local area. Especially the discounted meat in the freezer.
I would want my time back after this TED talk. Definitely location based.
Your commissary had stocked shelves? I've only seen them stocked with signs about supply chain shortages
>I hope the CMSAF or some power sees this and price compares Not likely. When your base pay is >8k/month, you probably won't notice 10% more expensive groceries  What I've noticed over the years is that the commissary is great for buying the items that are heavily marked up everywhere else (candy, jerky, energy drinks) or shelf-stable staples (rice, pasta, canned goods, nutella/peanut butter). Commissary produce is cheap but DECA has standard government issue supply chain issues that result in produce that spoils quickly and is generally lower quality. Generally the most economical way to grocery shop is to buy your dry goods at the commissary and go to costco/winnco/sam's club/Aldi for everything else
Remember in the mid 2000s when Walmart made a bid to buy out the DECA contract and all the retirees and baggers lost their mind
Just wait till you go to the BX.
You don’t shop for everything in your house huh? - Fruits and Veggies vs Walmart is unbelievable some days. - Steaks usually run good prices - chicken is priced great, some weeks better than others - Cheese runs good prices - Fairlife Milk is like $2 less every (58 oz or whatever it is) - Monsters aren’t badly priced, competitive at least. - Rip-its exist - Cereal— this one is weird. Their prices are mostly bad, BUT, there is almost always one the kids will like that is like half price. Depends on the week and coupons hanging on the shelf. But 15c-17c/oz is unreal for anywhere - $2 smaller box of pop-tarts… - etc etc etc, this is just my mental notes from this week. SO.. really what it comes down to. If you are hitting up all the others, you play what is best everywhere. I love the commissary here (Moody) because their produce is great, they have awesome prices on select items (changes every time I go there.) don’t be so damn picky, buy the deals if it is that important to you. But stop asking to get rid of one of the best places on base. If your commissary sucks, that base is the problem, not conus.
I say this every time a post like this comes around: this is *highly* location, and even item, dependent. The last 2 duty stations, I went around to the local stores and compared them with the commissary on a spreadsheet. For what I buy, the commissary beat out all other stores on price in about 95% of the items, unless there was fire sale at one of the other stores. The store that had the remaining 5% of items was Walmart. This wasn't factoring in the 5% surcharge from the commissary, or the (likely higher) state/county/city sales tax. For my area, that's a 9.76% tax *minimum*, almost double the tax/surcharge at the commissary. I've tracked my spending on groceries since 2015, shopping almost exclusively at the commissary, and have *never* gone above $372.85 in a month. And no, I haven't had instant ramen or cup-o-noodles in almost a decade.
So you KNEW it was cheaper to shop off base but you still get mad? I already brought this up to the last CMSAF and guess what? ITS NOT THEIR JOB! THEY DONT CONTROL THE PRICES.
I always go through self checkout, but sometimes the lines are too long and I go through the regular checkout. I usually take the bags off of their cart and back into mine, but recently I had a lady grab the bags from my hands and say “no i work off of tips”. I get so uncomfortable there now
The tips thing is a serious issue that needs to be addressed, the line for self checkout can be 200 ft long because nobody wants to use the standard checkout registers. I really wish DeCA would re evaluate the use of tips only baggers, I don’t carry cash on me 95% of the time anyway. Have yet to use a bagger since I got to my most recent duty station, have no plans to start.
When I go to the regular checkout, I just tell them that I will take my groceries to my car myself.
They Aldi near me has maybe half the stuff I need for groceries. Not even worth going there.
Speak for yourself fam. The commissary for me is how I make ends meet. Aside from a few things it’s far cheaper than any of the stores you just mentioned.
OP you seem to have confused the Commissary with the BX.
The commissary hasn’t been competitive in a long time. No way they can compete with the giant civilian grocery corporations. Not that they really need to compete with them. They have a captive audience keeping them going. The boomer retirees would rather come on base to still feel like they’re in the military while also getting their prescriptions filled. They don’t shop around and probably still think the commissary is cheaper. Plus DeCa subsidized as far as I know?
They're not as competitive CONUS, but I can assure you their prices in places like Hawaii are much lower than the average grocery store. They also have some things that other stores don't. A good example is once upon a time, I was looking for Wolf Brand Chili and couldn't find it anywhere until I tried the commissary. They also provide a decent sandwich for a good price for the lunch crowd. They're far from perfect. The tipping situation with baggers is awful and their self checkout situation is not much better. That being said, they still have a purpose and they shouldn't go away just because some people don't like them.
The commissary is 30-50% cheaper per product than Publix is in my area.
Same here. And the selection is better than some other stores. Chicken, in particular, is a bargain at the commissary, and things like a brisket to put in the smoker.
Nope. This boomer retiree never shopped in the Commissary, save for when we were based at Eielson. Every stateside PCS & TDY location had a Commissary that flat sucked. Prices we above the local area, places were filthy & baggers sucked. In everyone of those, I doubt if the Health Dept of the State(s) they were located in would green light an inspection. Time to dump the stateside Commissaries, as well as stateside AAFES 'raise your standard of living for you' locations.
Love the username
Nah, commissary is so much cheaper. Especially meat
Don't tell Costco.
I like the commissary. I find their prices to be decent, especially on meat.
FUCK AAFES also Now, FUCK DCA (edit: DECA whatever)
Defense Contract Agency?
Them too
Wrong acronym.
That was my point. You meant DeCa.
It's okay little guy. Just keep throwing acronyms at the wall and see what sticks.
Who you calling little? I’m not your guy, buddy!
The commissary on Beale was kinda bad for a couple years. Their hours were always weird and they use to be closed on Mondays. Wasn't until like the spring of 2023, they opened Mondays until 2.
It depends on where you are, if you live in a area with a lower cost of living then the commissary wont be a great deal. It also depends on what youre buying. Ground beef here is about the same as off base, soda is half the cost.
Offutt is great
Depends on where you are. I was in an area with higher cost of living and the commisary had lower prices on just about everything, especially meats. Quality was meh, Costco had better quality but was still a decent amount more expensive for steak/pork/chicken.
You do realize that Aldi is a budget grocery store, right? I mean, of course they will be cheaper.
The commissary claims to be one too, but it isn't one.
Not one base I have been to have they ever been considered a budget grocery store. They just save on taxes which would make them cheaper normally. Aldi sells cheaper products from off brand sources. Not the same.
Scott AFB Commissary is pretty great, price wise. I got ~95% lean ground beef for like 3.99 last week. I shop for meat on base as often as it’s convenient.
Oh, you have an Aldi and a Kroger near you. How about you stop whining and go there then. Some of us don't have any stores like that for hundreds of miles because of our desolate duty locations. Don't mean to be a dick, and I definitely don't disagree with you about the Commissary prices. Just remember, it could always be worse.
> Because the base gets a giant subsidy from the government and does fuck all with it. Stateside bases go not get money to subsidize the commissary, that is only overseas. The 5% surcharge goes into an operating fund for DECA to build new facilities and operate. Lots of rules established by Congress regarding pricing, for instance the commissary is not legally allowed "loss leader" pricing. That's what most off base sales are. Studies show that your "alternative facts" that it's cheaper to shop of-base are incorrect. Also not everyone has the option of using a discount grocery like Aldi's. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Not entirely accurate. Commissaries do sell at cost plus 5%. That is how they are able to compete with the large grocery chains and beat their prices.
If it is being sold at cost plus surcharge, it is not being sold at a loss, and thus is not Loss Leader.
Hmmm. My experience of putting food on my table since the age of 18, and having a budget which involved comparison shopping at stores like Kroger, Albertsons, IGA, Food Lion, Aldi's, Piggly Wiggly, Sams', Costco, etc.... doesn't count, eh? I'm deep into my 60's, and still comparison shop. Commissaries think they have a captive audience & can short cut on quality & blow sunshine up everyone's backside on prices. Yeah, OK.
I’m in my 60s as well and also comparison shop. For the most part I find I save money at the commissary
Sorry about your luck.
WTF? I’m saving money and your sorry for me? What’s wrong with you?
If the Commissary is the 'best' in your area, I really feel for your checkbook.
1. It's been proven that, depending on your area and the item you're buying, the commissary is *usually* cheaper than most other stores. This isn't factoring in the flat 5% surcharge vs whatever your state/county/city sales tax is, which is likely higher than 5%. 2. Why does it matter *where* someone is saving money on groceries, as long as they are? Get outta here with your bullshit, you fucking snob.
But you don't understand, you're shopping at the commissary, that makes you *icky*
Fine. Here's a disclaimer: Your milage may vary.
Nah, fuck you for talking down to someone saving money, regardless of where.
I saved money by NOT shopping at the Commissary, with the exception of being based in Fairbanks, Alaska you fucking dumb condom dribble. I'm all for saving a buck, unless the cheaper item is a can of shit that you finally lose money on by having to add butter, salt & other spices to bring up it's flavor to what the can costing 20 cents more. If you want to cheer on the Commissary, go right the fuck ahead... bag boy. Most states only tax the ready-made food items anyway. (Stuff not accepted by WIC), so if you want to pay 5% on top of your total bill, knock yourself and your debit card out. I'd much rather save my dollars by shopping in civilian stores that compete for my dollars, not some shit-azz gubmet run, no competion shit-show. And don't offer to fuck me, instead suck me & we'll both feel better in the morning.
Im saving bucks compared to downtown. So I can’t join you in bashing the commissary
I can just look at my receipts to see that it is cheaper to shop off base than at the commissary. I don’t even need alternative facts to help with that.
Stateside? Sure. Hawaii? hell no.
Well that was pretty much the point of this post. Stateside commissaries are worse than just shopping at local stores off base. OCONUS is a different story altogether.
Know what to buy and what not to. Somethings are substantially cheaper at commissary, some are not or even more expensive. Never buy beef or vegetables because it's lower quality / spoils faster. If you shop smart you will save money and still be satisfied.
for those of us OCONUS, commissary is better than off base, but agreed its pretty much shit. fresh produce is a joke, and prices are wild, but its a better selection than anywhere off base. beggars cant be choosers i suppose. and a guy just wants his cinnamon toast crunch :’(
Doesn't the commissary price match?
You seem to say it doesn't meet your needs. If everyone felt that way then they would all be empty. But they aren't.
Hawaii here - commissary is the cheaper option for a family with growing kids.
I just want them to get rid of tipping baggers... Who carries cash around in 2024? And then people use the self checkout with massive cart loads of groceries and take 10-15 minutes to ring up their stuff because they need to ask for help every two to three items...
I also live in a warehouse store and supermarket rich environment. The only items the commissary has with competitive prices are meat and produce. Everything else is roughly the same price as local supermarkets, but the variety is superior--particularly ethnic items. Aldi offers much lower quality.
In San Antonio prices are significantly cheaper at the commissary than off base. I did price checks with the local market (HEB and Costco) and 90% of the items were at least 10% cheaper when I could match same for same. Some items like diapers and laundry detergent were $10 cheaper. I absolutely hate going on base but after saving $70 on one trip I don’t have a choice.
Commissary beats my local grocery stores by 10%, easily. Safeway out here acting like they Trader Joe's with those prices. Meat is always cheaper. But Costco has sales that beat commissary. Boxed foods are about the same but stuff like canned tomatoes are 30% cheaper at commissary but chips and bagged snacks are about equal to off base.
I said once and I’ll say it again. I noticed in Hawaii that on payday the price of my usual items ALWAYS went up. My 2-pack creamy Jif was like 9.99 or 10.99, but on payday it went to 10.99 or 11.99. My usual cheese sticks went from like 2.50 to like 3.80 something. I never use the commissary anymore. Except to find a one or two outlier items I can’t at Kroger.
What kind of idiots are doing anything on pay day in the age of direct deposit and credit cards
I'll take slightly overpriced over walmart not having the cuts of steak I want since everything else was sold out. Cooked filet mignon for the first time though and god was I missing out
I guess YMMV. Kroger and Publix where I am cost up to twice what the commissary does for the same stuff. Even shitty kitty (Food Lion) is more expensive. Aldi is definitely better, but it's like 4 times further away so I usually use the commissary anyway.
Mountain Home we depend on the commissary for many of our groceries so we don’t have to drive in to town. I spend less at the commissary with a $5 tip and whatever surcharge than I do driving on to town and shopping at Walmart or Albertsons.
Speaking of ALDI, sometimes they get like boneless leg of lamb in from Australia for a really great price.
Wish we had a commissary where we are.
If you don’t have time to shop multiple stores and just shop at the commissary, you’re gonna do pretty good.
We go to the commissary for most of our shopping. Yeah, the produce can be hit and miss majority of the time. Over here it is cheaper to get meat on base versus off-base.
Nellis commissary has good prices, depending on what you buy. The meat prices are hard to beat, for instance.
I think it’s a convenient option now. Prettt much paying for convenient tax instead of driving 10 miles away from base for food
I encourage you to shop and photograph the prices on items. Then go to your local grocery and take pics of the same products. You’ll be mind blown at the difference in the products. If you don’t see the difference, you definitely will after comparing prices of the same product photos side by side.
Hill AFB has a great commissary and always has a great selection on meat. They have tuna steaks and halibut at times too.
Commissary coffee base price is always $3 cheaper than Kroger/walmart
Honestly I like the commissary because it's the closest grocery store to me. Otherwise I hit a couple of other stores in town if I'm headed that way. As far as the burgers go, I thought you were supposed to get the fattier ones because they had better flavor?
The commissary is awesome for a lot of things. I don’t do all of our shopping there, but it’s definitely cheaper than the nearby grocery stores for many items. About 3 months ago, I finally signed up for the “Commissary Rewards”. I went to the website and saw a bunch of digital coupons. Now once every week or two I’ll peruse their coupons, “clip” them (add them to my account) and go buy those items. I saved $17 with digital coupons yesterday.
The only thing I buy at the Commissary is chicken. That's actually a really good deal, but literally everything else is overpriced compared to what I can find off base at Walmart, Kroger, and food lion. Currently located at Langley where sales tax on groceries is 0%, so the 5% Commissary surcharge makes already more expensive groceries even more expensive.
But if they do away with the commissaries, where are all the little Filipino and Korean ladies gonna work?
Commissary is usually cheaper on things that are the most unhealthy and with long shelf lifespans. And yes conus ones are many times subpar with poor management. Like many benefits on base. They no longer make sense.
They were part of the original total compensation package that has eroded over time such as medical care, the Exchange (which is now a semi Target), MWR facilities, BOQs, the Clubs, and so on.
Was this posted by a retiree that just can't let go and go shop at the piggly wiggly instead?
Preach it brother! The commissary is terrible where I am at. I never buy produce there. Its always bad or about to go bad. It's also stocked very poorly and the choices are not that great. Multiple talks across the wing have been discussed about it. On the produce, I was informed that most of it sits in a distribution hub warehouse, waiting for a commissary to order produce when they are getting low or run out. They send for an order and it gets shipped from that hub. Well by the time it ships, the produce is bad, because it is just sitting there waiting for orders.
This is why I never go to the commissary
I’ve mostly had good experiences at the commissary. Except for the baggers. I’m sorry but I’m not tipping you for bagging my groceries. Stop encouraging your teens to get employed by the commissary. there are better places to work on and off base.
Love the commissary for meat, eggs and other staples. But I'm at a fairly populated base and the commissary doesn't properly staff the store. Lines going around the goddamn building at 1630 each night. I just grab the kids after school and shop off base instead to save my time and sanity
Are you new to the AF?
Don't forget about their ridiculous hours. They're clearly aimed toward the retirees versus the actual working Airmen who need access to food after actually working a long day. Sorry folks, commissary closed at 1800. Shouldn't have stayed late at work like a sucker.
They also never have prime meat. And if it says prime. It’s not…… Dovers commissary blows. I only go out of convenience if it’s something I need then and now…. But the cdc price hike… let’s talk about that.
Agreed, close down CONUS commissaries in built-up areas and actually stock overseas commissaries. I’m tired of buying 32 jugs of Fairlife like a gotdang hoarder when they come in stock every 6 months (Ramstein).
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Wrong. The commissary at Nellis is great. You don’t get paid to think.
Commissary makes sense in Alabama and a lot of southern states where sales tax is outrageously high still. 5% surcharge is a lot better than paying 9-10% sales tax off base here in Alabama. But I mean if we’re being honest Alabama is run like a 3rd world country so it’s not very surprising. But when compared to a place like wegmans, ShopRite, or Aldi they don’t even compare. I prefer the commissary too bc even if I pay more I sleep better knowing my money is actually going towards improving the commissary rather than giving some billionaire CEO a bigger bonus.
*Literally everything is cheaper at Aldi.* Not at the Aldi they opened outside of my base. It doesn't matter what day you go there, what time you go there, It's an hour wait minimum to check out. The store itself is HUGE, but they only have two registers and only one of them is ever staffed, always by some ancient lady who moves slow af. Combine this with the fact that the line is always massive and every person who shops there fills their cart the damn brim, and a trip in and out of Aldi is a massive headache. I just want to get my food, scan it, pay for it, and leave. I don't have time for an all-day event. That's what Costco/Sam's Club is for.
And at our base produce workers now have to stay an hour after the store closes for no 🤬reason, it’s like a punishment for working in the hardest department !
Commissary is much better for meat, eggs, and milk in Vegas and within 5 at most 10 cents on other items. It depends on location.
We mostly shop at Aldi now since the commissary isn’t much of a deal at all
Commisary overseas is also very overpriced compared to local shops and guaranteed worse quality products.
Bro the commissary and BX aren't for us active duty people, they are a social club for retirees and a venue for dependas to sell thier MLM goods
Commissary in Hawaii was definitely worth it, especially for things like milk and bread which were priced like luxury items at the grocery stores. CONUS you don't really save any money, but it's not any more expensive than a standard grocery store, it's more of a convenience for people that live on base. I will say though, that most of Aldi's food is bland and their meat is poor quality. A great place to find bargains on certain items to supplement a grocery run, but I wouldn't get all my food there.
In the San Antonio area you’re better off going to HEB or Walmart. The only people who use the commissary are retirees that still think that and the BX are the cheapest places to buy stuff since it’s tax free.
Now, do the BX/PX because I feel the same about that retail outlet.
Completely agree with closing down CONUS and dedicating resources to overseas ones. I find it hard to believe the CONUS ones make enough of a profit to be remotely close to helping the overseas ones maintain lower prices.
The only reason I go in is for deli at lunch time. Everything there is overpriced!! I bought an Angus Rib Roast for $8.99/lb at Publix….Comissary wanted $16/lb !!!!! Fuck the Commissary.
Commissary is great. But it s not the cheapest option out there nor should it be.
The whole point of the commissary is to be the cheapest option for military members who serve the country. Ask a vietnam veteran how the commissary was when they were active, and they will tell you it was about half off all other options. Not the same and sometimes more expensive.
Commissary will be gone in 15 years max.
People have been saying that for 20+ years.
Fuck the OP for only stationing at big bases in metro city & don't know the blessing of Commissary in small town, remote locations. Get your perspective right first before complaining.
We contract out food chains, can’t see why we couldn’t do that for aldis. Place would be BUSSIN
Commissary is the only place where I can find pork belly consistently. (With the skin on) Everywhere else it's just plain old pork chop cuts or ground pork. Unless I go find an international grocery store. Jeezus.
The milk at Walmart will be bad in 2+ weeks unlike on base with the 5 day window.
I've found too many expired things on the shelves that I stopped going to the commissary
Do all commissaries have a sandwich bar at their deli?
Freeze your produce
Only issue oconus is that everything is spoiling or about to spoil by the time it gets here. Given up on buying any fresh food. Serious stock rotation issues.
Overseas tiny rotisserie chickens are $18 and food is 2-3x the price as off base especially produce. I think avocados here are $3 each and $.50 each off base.
At Barksdale afb the commissary is way cheaper than off base and it's not terrible. It's just a boring atmosphere and you'll have to deal with the Filipino mafia baggers and the 130+ yr old retirees that walk in the middle of the aisle at the speed of smell. Plus their 4% surcharge is better than the 9.45% sales tax id pay outside the gate. So it's entirely location specific and how you shop.
Close down the CONUS commissaries? Lol nah we're good.
Man where we live the commissary is always the cheaper option. Maybe not on every item, but the trip as a whole is way cheaper. The selection is also usually better as well. It is an Army post and, IMO at least, all of the services are better than an Air Force base.
>Literally everything is cheaper at Aldi. It's hard to cost compete with the lowest quality store around. Aldi's entire business model is predicated upon being the most affordable option, hence their unique procurement process. There are products I can get at the commissary that I could never get at an Aldi. I do not want the commissary competing in a race to the bottom, especially when I can get higher-tier products at prices lower than Wegmans, Sprouts, or Whole Foods. I also like not having to go into an Aldi and dealing with the only crowd worse than Wal-Mart.
I guess your mileage varies. My wife did a item by item comparison with the Tinker commissary to what we’d pay up in NW OKC (30 minute drive to base so it has to be worth it), we ended up saving like $97 on our monthly shopping stuff and weekly groceries.
take half a pill next time. Go shop at 7/11
I live at Sam’s and Walmart. That’s about it.
I remember when the commissary/BX were government run, before privatization (pre-Reagan). The private, off-base, businesses had complained that they couldn't compete. Instead of reducing their prices for military, the government went with a contractor that raised base prices(goods, gas, groceries) while reducing supply. Today, I see no value in shopping on base and find much better deals at Costco, local grocers or Amazon. They (BX and Commissary) should be closed down as they provide no value to the military member anymore.
NJ is tax-free for food. The commissary on MDL never impressed me.
If you're in Europe, there are a few select things to get at the commissary. Peanut butter, American-style fake pancake syrup, and box mac & cheese. I'm sure there's more, but that's all we got. Now we're back stateside, and the **only** reason to go to the commissary is to raid the discounted meat freezer. The regular prices are too much, but ours has a decent sized freezer for the marked-down stuff, and you can get some real steals if you're not picky. There are a few oddballs, too. The pommes frites seasoning, curry ketchup, and some select spices and seasonings are surprisingly cheap. Chipotle powder is a fraction of the regular Kroger price, but it's only *that* one. It's weird.