commissary couponing - i am new and need help bad!

[my3littlextras]

Hi armywife83...when we were overseas we had the same problems. Trying to figure out how to save at the commissary. So many good suggestions on here!!


But since you are in the states here some things to think about trying:
Find a mailing buddy in CA that you can get coupons quickly from. Join coupon trains or swaps. Sometimes other states get great coupons with longer expiration dates. Also with the prices changing so quickly at commissary sometimes it's hard to catch good sales...that happens here too. I go to commissary on Mon and by Weds it's a different price. Check the insert section on here and stock up on Q's for stuff you know you always get and if the exp date is good hold onto them until a too die for sale is on and stock up.


If CA is part of the NBPR or your family does drink beer, start doing mail in rebates to help out with the meat, eggs, milk, cheese and so on purchases. Most mail in rebates are from $2 to $15 so if you start a little nest egg of rebates, when you get to a certain amount cash them all in(or put them in an account you seldom use) to use for your non coupon purchases.


Another thing when you try a new product let the manufacturer know. Sometimes they send you cents off coupons on that product and others they make. Usually longer exp date than insert coupons.


Facebook, facebook, facebook!! Always coupons and deals on there.


Also enter the military contests. You might win GCs for commissary.


Do you live on a block or cauldesac? Try starting a grocery club. When you find a good deal that makes the item pennies or free stock up and use these items as trades for other goods. When they had that awesome Similac coupon I traded milk for meat with a guy I know who is a cook. I also gave some to a friend who has taken care of my DD for me several times without having to pay her...not that she would ask, she loves DD!! But she wanted it for her teenage DD's classmate who just had a baby and is having a rough time cause her mom has cancer and lost her job.


Another thing is talk to the butcher and find out when the meat gets discounted and plan to shop then. Maybe they could even give you a call or you could call to find out what type of meat they've discounted. I've gotten great deals at commsy towards the end of the month when they put lots of meat on sale. Stock up and freeze, freeze, freeze.


Check the smashed, squashed, slightly damaged shelf...discount food can still use coupon on them. I've seen HBA, paper towel, dog food, can goods, rice, cereal, soda, water and more on these shelves.


Make yourself a sale price book for items you buy all the time. Don't buy unless they are within say $.50 or less of that price when you apply a coupon. And then have a stock up amount. Try to figure out how many boxes or cans of an item you will need til the next cycle of sales. For example if Life cereal is $.50 a box when you apply coupon and you know your kids eat 1 box a month buy 6 boxes that will last you until the next cycle of sales on cereal(sometimes every 4 months) and then you will only have to buy 4 boxes to put you at your 1 box a month goal and so on.


Pay attention to cycles. Usually cereal & milk deals when kids go back to school, when kids are on Christmas break, spring break and summer break.
Usually meat deals when holidays like july 4th, labor day, Christmas(turkey/ham)
Usually soda, water deals around beginning of summer
Egg deals at Easter (though none this year)
And lots of baking good deals in Nov & Dec
Also check commsy for deals after major holidays


Oh and if you see the coupon people putting out coupons make friends with them!!

[Simberify]

I just joined this site and saw your post. I know that my reply is a little late. I'm also in Fort Irwin and have been couponing for a little while now. There is a Facebook page called Couponing Military Mom Style which is run by someone who lives here on post. She also has a web site and there are occasional coupon swaps. I've learned quite a bit about couponing from the site. Maybe this will help you.

[jenniferjackson1688]

as far as the commissary taking 2 coupons on one item, it
$2/ 2 and a BOGO free, its totally up to your commissary. the one at bragg would let me use coupons like that for example, i got mens body wash i uses 2 $2/1 coupons and a bogo which made it all free
good luck and please feel free to message me anytime

[jennmm87]

If you go to commissaries.com you can go under the shopping tab, then go to Savings aisle and login, then find your post or base and pick what sales you want to see :) It tells you when they run till and everything! Goodluck!

[Miki808]

as far as the commissary taking 2 coupons on one item, it
$2/ 2 and a BOGO free, its totally up to your commissary. the one at bragg would let me use coupons like that for example, i got mens body wash i uses 2 $2/1 coupons and a bogo which made it all free
good luck and please feel free to message me anytime

DECA's policy states that you are not allowed to use more than one coupon per item. so you can't use a military coupon with a MF coupon. you also can't use 2 BOGOs to get both items free or use a $/2 and a bogo combined. all commissaries have the same policy and none suppose to deviate from it.

[jennmm87]

DECA's policy states that you are not allowed to use more than one coupon per item. so you can't use a military coupon with a MF coupon. you also can't use 2 BOGOs to get both items free or use a $/2 and a bogo combined. all commissaries have the same policy and none suppose to deviate from it.

Yup! That's why you usually find some better deals off base. And you don't have to pay tax but you have to pay a surcharge so sometimes it's not worth it. And I don't know about your commissary but mine the produce sucks! I noticed that the fruit and veggies from the regular grocery stores around here are fresher and last much longer.

[Simberify]

Yes, extreme couponing only works if you buy a LOT of one item that is marked down and can double coupons etc. But who needs 500 toothbrushes unless you donate them?