Do you shop anywhere else when you have access to the commissary?

[Zachty]

We moved from a small base to a huge base and now have a ton of options for drugstores, hardware, groceries etc. However, I find that my commissary is my one stop shop. I will make the effort to drive twenty minutes once a week to get what I need, there. It's rare, if ever, do I go to Walmart or local grocers because I feel their prices just don't compare.

It's also too much work to shop all the flyers, cut all the coupons and count all the rewards. I would must rather just use the commissary and the base for everything.

[Kelipso]

Here in Hawaii, there really isn't much of an option LOL. Well, I take it back... I have the option of going to Safeway and paying almost $10 for a gallon of milk, but I choose not to when I can get it for $5 at the commi ;)

The majority of the time, our commissary has the best rates. The economy is crazy here and things just cost outrageous prices. Thanksgiving is the only time I shop at Safeway over our commi. I can get an 18 lb turkey for $4 at Safeway but its over $20 at the commi! Granted, I have to wrestle the locals who want to buy 10 turkeys at a time so they can resell them for profit at the swap meet, but I'm willing to do it for a deal hahaha!

I do find that Walmart has competitive prices when compared to our NEX though. I do alot of my shopping at Walmart for non-grocery things.

[PMFan]

i never shopped off base until i discovered coupons and drug store rebate programs, etc.

much of the work is done for you (ad previews, coupon matchups) right here by HCW MODs and members. some deals don't even require coupons (drug store rebates, mail in rebates, catalina deals).

yes, it will take effort to find/take advantage of the deals. you have to want to/need to/be able to put in the time. if you currently have a high grocery bill, you can save a lot of money so well worth it IMO. if you do not have a high grocery bill, your savings may not be as evident.

while the shelf price at the comm is lower than most stores, you can do better if you shop only loss leaders or get any free or better than free after rebate deals. rite aid and walgreens rebates are done online so very easy and user friendly. walgreens rebates give 110% of the purchase price back as a walgreens GC. even after 5% tax, that is a 5% return on investment.

there are regularly FREE or MONEY MAKER deals at Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Food Lion, WalMart, Target.

there are a quite often free cheap/free deals at electronic stores - staples, office depot, circuit city. these usually require rebates but again, worth the effort as they make nice gifts for yourself or for giving.

you don't have to shop every store off base. i suggest selecting one or two and focus on the deals there. i doubt anyone has the time or motivation to do all the deals at every store every week.

We moved from a small base to a huge base and now have a ton of options for drugstores, hardware, groceries etc. However, I find that my commissary is my one stop shop. I will make the effort to drive twenty minutes once a week to get what I need, there. It's rare, if ever, do I go to Walmart or local grocers because I feel their prices just don't compare.

It's also too much work to shop all the flyers, cut all the coupons and count all the rewards. I would must rather just use the commissary and the base for everything.

[dinade]

I do both. I shop at the commissary around once a month and the rest of the time I shop the deals that are closer to me. The commissary is about a 45 min drive for me.

[jkjan81]

I shop the commisary 90% of the time. We have Walmart but the things people are finding and reporting in the Walmart Forum are usually not found at my WM, and while we do have Walgreens once they started their hasseling you for using a coupon with a RR promotion it made the fun of going there disappear. I would kill to have a Target near by I love to Clearance shop there, and come next year when we are due to leave here (Fort Polk, LA) I will be going into the other stores more often as there are some great things to find free or almost free when you have access o them.

[Nadia]

Since we are OCONUS, we do most of our shopping at the commissary and buy our produce in town when we can.

When we were in the States, I did most of my shopping at the commissary because 1) I like to support it and 2) it was right down the street! We did Costco for organics and Target for fruit leather/clearance stuff, but that's it.

[pcook67]

We only go to the commissary once every couple of months...its a 30 minute drive. But usually they are close to the same price as the outside stores. So I don most of my shopping at Kroger cause they double coupons. And are right behind my house so there is no gas cost. I also shop Walgreen's, Dollar General, & Walmart. If am leaving my town I can also hit the Commissary, Homeland (also double coupons) and Target. There really isn't much here.

[Kaymadmom]

I do the vast majority of my shopping at the commissary. I only shop in town when I can get something for free or nearly free (maybe 1-2 times a month). The occasional better price in town is not worth the effort for me. I do have a weakness for Costco though....and I don't use coupons there. I limit myself to one Costco trip a month

[hrborn]

I just came from a large area and the commissary was my back-up; most of my purchases were freebies or super cheap stuff from Rite-Aid, Walgreens, and even the promos at Safeway and King Soopers (promos). Now, however, I'm primarily a commissary shopper. I am in a smaller area, no big chains, etc. I do have one lonely CVS in a town 20 minutes from me that I will get to from time-to-time, I'm sure, but that's all. So I think it depends on what you have near you.

[luvbug07]

I do about 85% of my shopping at the Commissary, 10% at places like WM, Target, Wags and then the other 5% is done at farmer's markets for fresher produce than the Commissary has.

I find that I usually save the most at the Commissary, but every now and again WM, K-mart or Target or WAGS will have free/moneymakers that can't be dismissed.