Sunday, May 15, 2011

Your Local Commissary

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If you haven't yet latched on to the idea of the tax free grocery bill, you must be rich and have actually uttered the phrase, "Oh, I don't know how to check my account balance online/on my phone/at all." Your local commissary not only has tax free groceries, toiletries, makeup and many other items readily available, but they've also got some of the best prices in town. If you're a Krazy Coupon Lady, like myself, this just became your second home. I've done my research, made spreadsheets, lied about actually spending my free time to make said spreadsheets, and let me tell you, even with most of the weekly sales other grocery stores do, buying it at the commissary is still cheaper. They even distribute their own military store coupons, although they are not updated very often. Combine the sales that the commissary has, with their own store coupons, and a manufacturer coupon, and you can get tons of stuff for pennies! Imagine getting a $100 worth of groceries for under $20! There are even ladies, more dedicated and with more free time than I, who get their groceries for free, or get PAID to take them out of the store. If that sounds good to you, then the commissary is where you should start. Even if you don't use coupons (for shame), numbers don't lie. The average family of four saves almost $4,500 a year just by shopping there! You can find a commissary near you by goinLinkg here.

There are a few rules. You must have a valid military ID to purchase items there. Watch out military girlfriends, I was in your shoes for the first 2 years of my husbands career, and even if a Military wife gets you in, only SHE can pay at the checkout line. There are a lot of military base amenities that will bend the rules for you, or allow your married friend to 'sponsor' you (movie theater, gym), but the commissaries are usually pretty strict. Also, the hours are usually not late. Most close at 7pm, with the bigger ones open until 8pm. The bigger commissaries, of which there is usually one in every military town, with 3 or 4 smaller ones in other areas, for larger cities, have way more items than the smaller ones. So, if you're planning on a big run, go the extra mile and find the biggest one you can. Happy Hunting!

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