Gotta Add $100 to the Grocery Budget!

**Jskell911** · 01-10-2008, 04:28 PM

DH just got off the phone w/ MIL and found out she want to go shopping next week. She only does grocery shopping about once every three months. But.... she shops at the Naval Commissary in Newport. Now anyone who can shop there knows some of the prices are unbelievable great! So we stock up whenever we get the oppurtunity to go there.

MIL is the one w/ the ID, so we are at her mercy as to when we get to go. I had set up a budget of $250 this month, but now I am going to have to up that to $350 because we got the call AFTER we just dropped $102 at the grocery store today.

I had some surgery in November and we have been living off the stockpile since then, so the cupboards were getting kinda bare!

We can afford it, but it just stinks that we just spent so much today. We do need meats and frozen stuff though. At the commissary we can get ground beef for about $1.29/lb and a roast that feeds us for 3 meals for about $6.

Well, I guess it's good that with all I've been learning in here we did have the $$ to be able to take advantage of it.

**YankeeMom** · 01-10-2008, 05:02 PM

Yah!! I know exactly what you mean about the commissary. Thankfully, dh is retired Army so that is where the bulk of my groceries come from.

Check here for some sales:
http://www.commissaries.com/log_in/h...ings_aisle.cfm

http://www.militaryshoppers.com/onsa...week/index.htm

**Jskell911** · 01-10-2008, 05:16 PM

Thanks Yankeemom! I love when we get the chance to go. For the meats alone it's worth it. Gonna check out those sites.

**elphaba** · 01-10-2008, 05:22 PM

My Dh is retired air force and I love the sales at the commissary. Closest one for me is West Point so it's a bit of a drive. Dh has a small base exchange where he works now but it doesn't have anywhere near what the big one carries. We only get there maybe 3-4 times a year. They are the only store around that carries Sanalac dry milk....my favorite!!

Enjoy the savings!!

**FrugalMomof3** · 01-10-2008, 06:39 PM

I think it's a good thing you have the opportunity and going $100 over budget isn't that bad especially if it will stock you up for a month

**coltsmama** · 01-10-2008, 06:42 PM

Well worth the extra money for what it will save you in the long run!

**Jskell911** · 01-10-2008, 07:14 PM

That's what we figured and decided to go for it! After all we saved at least that much by eating off the stockpile for the last 6 weeks.

**C@rol** · 01-10-2008, 07:57 PM

Sounds like a deal that shouldn't be passed up.
Actually you're investing your money and getting
a very good return by getting more groceries.

**HappyMama** · 01-10-2008, 08:00 PM

Yeah! I am so happy for you. Now I know who I can give some expired coupons to. ...LOL If I am not mistaken if you are in the military you can use expired right?

**dianne9106** · 01-10-2008, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by HappyMama

Yeah! I am so happy for you. Now I know who I can give some expired coupons to. ...LOL If I am not mistaken if you are in the military you can use expired right?

You can only used expired at overseas commissary's, not stateside. I save all of mine and sending them to my friends still in the UK. We just moved back to the states from there.

Go for the gold at the commissary! We shop there every week, though there is a 5% surcharge - not tax, we still always come out on top! Make your list, gather your q's, and look for ones there. At our commissary - they have leaflets sitting at the front door, plus people will sometime cut and leave others there too. Also, on the shelves there are coupons there for use only at the commissary. Plus, they also take printables - without making you feel like you stole them!
Have a Happy Trip!
Dianne

**YankeeMom** · 01-10-2008, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by elphaba

They are the only store around that carries Sanalac dry milk....my favorite!!

That's what we get too. Can only find it at the commissary. And you can't beat $5 for powdered milk!! The price hasn't gone up in the 6 years I've been buying it.

**HappyMama** · 01-10-2008, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by dianne9106

You can only used expired at overseas commissary's, not stateside. I save all of mine and sending them to my friends still in the UK. We just moved back to the states from there.

Go for the gold at the commissary! We shop there every week, though there is a 5% surcharge - not tax, we still always come out on top! Make your list, gather your q's, and look for ones there. At our commissary - they have leaflets sitting at the front door, plus people will sometime cut and leave others there too. Also, on the shelves there are coupons there for use only at the commissary. Plus, they also take printables - without making you feel like you stole them!
Have a Happy Trip!
Dianne

Thanks for the information Dianne!!

**Jskell911** · 01-10-2008, 08:36 PM

Oooh, I'm going to have to look for that dry milk! Thanks for that. We buy the Price Chopper brand right now. It's $12 for 20 quarts worth. What size package are you getting for the $5?

**elphaba** · 01-10-2008, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by Jskell911

Oooh, I'm going to have to look for that dry milk! Thanks for that. We buy the Price Chopper brand right now. It's $12 for 20 quarts worth. What size package are you getting for the $5?

This is a 2 lb canister....I think it works out to just under 10 quarts? YankeeMom....do you know if that's right?
Best part is...this is hands down, the best dry milk ever. It's very powdery and it's the only dry milk that I will actually drink. No one here can tell the difference from the skim milk we normally drink. Just wish it was available in more places than the commissary!

Have fun on your shopping trip. I'm sure it will be worthwhile.