Commissaries Reopen

WoW!! I sure feel sorry for you knowing that you’re so wrong in what you said about the commissary. I myself have been shopping at the commissary for over 45 years and still say that over all you can't beat it any way you look at it. I will admit that there is some places like Produce and some can goods that are very close to the same price as some of the stores on the outside. Tell me this "can you go to Wal-Mart and ask for a crown roast and get it?” I already know that answer) = (N0). You can even go in and ask for a roast cut in to stakes and the meat personnel will smile then they will compete your request. There are many different orders or different cuts you can request and if they have the item you request they will cut it to your liking. Let me ask you another question. Have you ever priced items in the HBC Isle? I find that Wal-mark can't touch these items either. That is to include Vitamins, shampoo, Olav-lay creams, aspirins, cold meds you name it and you will find it cheaper at the commissary.
When you say you can go on the outside and do better you really lose me because the only way you see prices lower is if it is a store sale and used to draw you in the store and once you’re in the store you will end up getting other items that is marked up to make up for the loss of the item you got on sale. Now if you plan on going from store to store and only buying the sale items then you lose because of the gas you burn to go to each store.
One thing a lot of people don’t realize and that is, “the commissary only sells manly name brand items”. If you go down and by an off brand of the same item I am sure it will be cheaper but you will not get the same quality plus if it is green beans can produce you will find more water in the can and less product. Now if you can accept a lower grade of produce at a lower price and less then please don’t let me stand in your way. That is why we live in America; we have the right to choose.
OH by the way, you really didn’t make me mad at all only feel sorry for your chain of thought but it is yours. Saying that Let me go and I wish you only the best to come your way each day. Please take care Friend.

Yes the prices at the commissary have gone up as we read they would several months ago. It was announced the 30% overall savings would now be 10% and you definitely can buy for the same price or less at other stores now. We shopped at MacDill a few weeks ago and store workers said yes prices have gone up and it is not done yet as only some of the products have increased in price. When an Aldi is in an area we are travelling in we go there as prices are some of the lowest of any store we go into. Quality is excellent and many German items available for less than the commissary. Maybe not all of them have increased yet so as we all travel around we will find some have increased and some have not. For us folks who live in Florida the 5% surcharge at the commissary does increase the item price as other grocery stores in Florida do not have a tax on food so prices really are getting very close to each other between commissary and other stores.

We will still use a commissary, when we're near one. But won't go out of our way to shop at one. The savings (overall) isn't worth a special trip anymore. We chuckle at the Exchange. Where else do you see a stack of $300+ purses just sitting in the aisle. Although the Exchange sells high quality items, we can't afford them. Walmart is still friendlier on our budget, even if it isn't always name brand items.

Larry, your chuckle comment made me chuckle as we ask ourselves why the Exchange carries such expensive items. I would venture to guess the active duty wives who certainly cannot afford them are the buyers and then they complain they cannot make ends meet. MacDill really is over the top with their designer labels for men and women but as we travel around many of the exchanges do carry reasonably priced items. Agree it is not worth it to go out of your way anymore to a base to shop.

We shop at the commissary here in Fallon as prices for MOST stuff is much lower than Safeway or Wallyworld (according to the wife). As for exchange prices, we always used to say that if the exchange sold cars, you could get a cadillac or a lincoln at a good price but you couldn't buy a chevvy or a ford.

we shop at DMAFB comm mainly for the meats as they are much better than the stuff at safeway or fry's (kroger) and albertsons. They generally are about a few pennies less but again a higher quality for what you pay for. The fruits we get there also are generally much better and at a lower cost. We have some low buck places here but they generally sell the culls but often they are good. The comm just seems to have the bigger and better for a good price. Toiletries are somewhat better, but like anything IF you watch the ads and selectively shop you can get some good deals. We got $1 crest tooth past at albertsons and their deoderant was also a $1. Beat the comm all tho hell! The px is a toss up, it does tend to have higher prices than on the economy, but they generally sell a higher end item for pretty much the same as the ones down town. Plus no sales taxes (10% here).

We did not that some comms are fairly high when we compare to here, examples are at ft cartoon in colorado, ft sill was close to here will see maybe at ft hood this summer?

its 8 miles to the comm from the house, have a new costco and a wally world within 1 mile, but they are higher than some of the other chain markets although wally world claims it will price match haven't tried to do it yet. If the costs go up well they always did, as I said once before we would get a 1.5-2% raise and prices went up 5-10%