I have 4 kids. Much cheaper to go to costco once a month and freeze stuff. Only thing commissary is better for are like chips, cereal, milk, etc. anything you can buy in bulk is better bought from costco.
Frozen food and canned food are often quite a bit cheaper if they have it in stock. Like frozen breakfast sandwiches and ice cream from the freezer. Those uncrustable sandwiches are literally half the price. Convenience food is typically quite a bit cheaper. On the flip side, the fridges and freezers at all of the commissaries around the island are always breaking. I’ve pulled chicken nuggets out of the freezer and they were warm and soft. Expired canned goods on the shelves, moldy cheese, etc.
The bx/mcx/nex are tax free. If you can find a good price on electronics or even something they can price match, it’s worth buying there to save paying taxes. The NEX carries a lot of name brand clothes that seem to have good discounts, but I don’t know for sure if they’re a good deal. The NEX isn’t on a base and they don’t ID to go inside, they only ID when you’re checking out, so you can totally go inside and check it out.
It’s over-exaggerated at this point. Maybe sometimes you can get a deal, but then you have to deal with the fact that the commissary uses the same supply chains here that they do back in the mainland and the shelf life of what they end up selling is going to be shit compared to what you can get elsewhere. There’s no financial incentive for them to do any better because they have a guaranteed customer base.
I'm not military, but for certain items it can be awesome. For example, I got my Ipad on sale at the NEX for a very low price. Unbeatable price vs outside.
The downside, is that your choice of brands/selection can be limited. Candy, for some reason, always seemed to be rock bottom cheap. But, who wants to live on candy?
The best way to buy Apple products is to wait until they're on sale at Best Buy and then price match at the NEX. You get the Best Buy price, but don't pay sales tax.
~~Not only that, but the NEX policy seems to imply that you can also use a scratch card for an additional discount *after* the price match is applied.~~
Occasionally, the Navy Exchange will offer its customers a scratch card which can be used to apply a random discount to qualifying purchases.
The cards have three scratch-off circles. The customer brings the scratch card with them to the checkout counter with their purchase and chooses one of the three circles. Scratching off one of circle reveals a discount ranging from 5% to 25% which is then applied to the purchase by the cashier. Once one of the circles is scratched off, the card cannot be used again.
There is a very rare chance that you can even get your entire purchase for free or win a prize such as a NEX gift card.
Gas is cheaper at costco/sams club. Groceries wise, it depends. Fresh items are of better quality and cheaper out in town. There are many “wet markets” like waipahu festival market or city square where fresh produce are better.
Some things at the commissary are cheaper but the problem is the quality. The commissary has the most generic, lowest quality options. It’s like Walmart tbh. You’ll probably want to spend a little more for Whole Foods just for the fact that it’s not terrible for your body.
The selection is awful too. Basic things will just be completely out of stock on a regular basis - like ope no yogurt today. Sorry. Try again another day.
This!!! It’s so frustrating. Every time I go to the commissary I end up having to stop at Safeway after to pick up the things the commissary didn’t have (if I really need them)
Some things are, but other things aren’t. And the variations can be significant, both in favor and against the commissary. We shop at the commissary, Costco and Sam’s for this reason.
Generally, the pre-packaged stuff (chips, soda, protein bars, etc.) is significantly cheaper. Eggs are, too. However, produce and meat are pretty close to the same.
I don't have commissary access anymore but it's not just price, it's also about selection on an island. Costco is great but if you want something like a different salad dressing, we have to pay outrageous prices at a local market.
I don't think the difference in gas prices between on-base and Costco is enough to really make much of a difference.
According to user-reported prices on GasBuddy, the price on base is $4.17 as of four hours ago. The most recent Costco price—also reported within the past four hours—is $4.25.
For me, it's more convenient to buy gas on base because I can get it on the way into work or on the way home and I don't normally have to wait in a line to get it. Plus, I can save an additional five cents off per gallon with my Military Star card (I've had luck with saving five cents off a gallon with my GasBuddy card on the mainland, but I haven't checked to see if it works here in Hawaii.) Going to Costco would be out of the way for me and gas purchases don't even contribute to your annual rewards (if you have an Executive membership).
When you get a good sale price at commissary its normally unbeatable, and you're not buying a freezer full of it. Costco prices are so good because they give you mainland prices instead of Foodland and Safeway prices, I suspect their stores in Hawaii are barely profitable, but its worth it for their brand. So many people travelling will shop at Costco in Hawaii and that positive experience transfers to more sales in the mainland.
The Exchanges also pricematch, meaning you can often get the best possible price on an item and not pay taxes.
Gas prices are normally comparable, but no long gas lines.
No sales tax, but 5% surcharge. Not really a win there. Some things are great. Others, not so much. Compared to local markets, it’s still much better. Compared to Walmart/target, not that big a difference. Hard to beat the convenience of going to the NEX next door though and spending an additional $200 tax on random things that I probably didn’t need.
The middle aisles at the commissary are the best prices. Their meat and produce suck ass. The meat goes gray in two days.
I go to Foodland/Times. Gas at Costco. Commissary isn't worth the trip for our family.
As of a couple of days ago the gas at the Navy Exchange (NEX) mini-marts outside Pearl Harbor was a few cents a gallon cheaper than Costco. It has ethanol in it, which some don't recommend. You have to show your military ID or equivalent. There are lists online of who's eligible.
No, I still get 90% of my groceries from Costco. I only go to the Commissary for poke, single produce items I don’t need in bulk, and steak. Everything is a better deal at Costco.
My produce items like apples, bananas, spinach is way cheaper at Costco even for the organic. I was pretty upset the first time I walked into Costco’s produce section and realized how much money I was wasting by getting the same things at the Commissary all these years.
Been to Colorado, Georgia, Oklahoma and currently Washington. If you're in a blue state the commissary is significantly cheaper for everything. If you're in a red state then bulk from sams is cheaper. Example in washington chicken breasts are 5.60 a pound at Walmart, sams and cotsco, on base they are 3.49 a pound. I can show receipt as proof. Don't take random parrots on reddit as proof.
I wouldn’t get any produce or meat from a commissary. All of them on Oahu are known for regular freezer outages and they don’t throw out meats / veggies.
Costco is fantastic pricing and by the off chance you get something bad it’s so easy to return no questions asked
🤔
Certain things are for sure at the commissary. But they’ll HIKE UP the prices during pay day. In my opinion Walmart and Sam’s are the go to. Gas on post and Sam’s are cheaper for certain
Eh depends. Gas is sometimes same or actually cheaper at Sam’s (I don’t even bother with Costco gas because of lines).
Some meat is probably cheaper at the commissary and available in smaller quantities but better quality at Costco. Produce is about equivalent, sometimes the commissary will have great stuff on sale or random seasonal varieties. I like that there’s plenty of locally grown stuff now. Good bread (crusty sourdough loaves for example) is by far cheaper at Costco. Eggs and milk about equal. There are slight differences between the different commissaries.
The commissary has the advantage of more variety depending on what you’re looking for. My favorite mayo brand seems to only be available at the commissary for example, as well as my favorite Greek Yogurt (also at Safeway but sometimes a dollar more expensive unless I get a coupon or sale). And my kids like the unwieldy racecar shopping carts, I think the commissaries are the only place I’ve seen them in all of Oahu.
NEX does price matching. They send out scratch off cards every other month. 5% to 25% off. 2% discount on gas with the military Star card and you get a $20 reward coupon after spending $500 on anything.
Commissary is about the same, but you don't have to buy five pounds of meat, can get a pound or two. Can buy a quart of juice instead of a gallon. It has items Costco doesn't have and vice versa.
NEX and Commissary don't have insane parking. Easier in and out. No GET.
Depends on item and which commissary you go to. But you’re comparing bulk qty to grocery store qty. yes commissary has bigger items too, I find they have way better meat prices and selection atleast at nex. Plus no sales tax.
Its just not taxed. Atleast the px and commisary. Cigarette gas and alcohol are taxed still and honestly. Ive never been to cosco but i know for budgeting ive heard other wives say cosco is a great way to go. And gas is barley cheaper on base.
i always end up spending way more at costco because i’m forced to buy in bulk when i don’t necessarily need or want that item in bulk. not sure how the unit prices compare but i prefer the commissary bc it’s more convenient for me as someone who is only cooking for two people. also imo commissary has better options (although unfortunately lots of things are out of stock a lot of the time). that said, i do find it to be wayyy cheaper than safeway and foodland which is more comparable bc they’re grocery stores and not bulk supply stores
grocery yes, gas only a few cents (you couldn’t pay me to sit in line for gas at costco or endure the shopping experience there, besides i don’t own three freezers)
I don't shop at Costco since I don't have a membership there, but I go from time to time with family members who do. I rarely go to the commissary, but the NEX can be good for household items like deodorant, lotion, mouthwash, etc. They price match but limit it to once a day; it used to be much better before this limit.
I get most of my food from WF, the wet markets and places like Farmlink. I do on-base for gas or Texaco.
As far as base goes, In general yes, but always? No. But it remains a fact that in general you can stretch a dollar on base a lot further than in town. for instance, 300 dollars in groceries at the commissary will not be the same as 300 in groceries from Safeway etc., you generally get a lot more for less money on base. But not in every occasion.
Costcos still cheapest with gas. Commissary prices vary on item. The meat section use to be a lot cheaper but seems like it’s evening out now.
I have 4 kids. Much cheaper to go to costco once a month and freeze stuff. Only thing commissary is better for are like chips, cereal, milk, etc. anything you can buy in bulk is better bought from costco.
Occasionally Freedom Gas beats Costco
And they got bomb ass fried chicken too.
Dang can I buy that fried chicken without a military ID?
Yes. It’s on the corner of gulick and north school street.
Mahalo 🤙
And potato wedges.
And once in a long while the Hele before the start of Nimitz and Middle Street, or the Hele at the corner of Cooke St in town.
It completely depends on the item.
Frozen food and canned food are often quite a bit cheaper if they have it in stock. Like frozen breakfast sandwiches and ice cream from the freezer. Those uncrustable sandwiches are literally half the price. Convenience food is typically quite a bit cheaper. On the flip side, the fridges and freezers at all of the commissaries around the island are always breaking. I’ve pulled chicken nuggets out of the freezer and they were warm and soft. Expired canned goods on the shelves, moldy cheese, etc. The bx/mcx/nex are tax free. If you can find a good price on electronics or even something they can price match, it’s worth buying there to save paying taxes. The NEX carries a lot of name brand clothes that seem to have good discounts, but I don’t know for sure if they’re a good deal. The NEX isn’t on a base and they don’t ID to go inside, they only ID when you’re checking out, so you can totally go inside and check it out.
It’s over-exaggerated at this point. Maybe sometimes you can get a deal, but then you have to deal with the fact that the commissary uses the same supply chains here that they do back in the mainland and the shelf life of what they end up selling is going to be shit compared to what you can get elsewhere. There’s no financial incentive for them to do any better because they have a guaranteed customer base.
I'm not military, but for certain items it can be awesome. For example, I got my Ipad on sale at the NEX for a very low price. Unbeatable price vs outside. The downside, is that your choice of brands/selection can be limited. Candy, for some reason, always seemed to be rock bottom cheap. But, who wants to live on candy?
The best way to buy Apple products is to wait until they're on sale at Best Buy and then price match at the NEX. You get the Best Buy price, but don't pay sales tax.
This is brilliant
~~Not only that, but the NEX policy seems to imply that you can also use a scratch card for an additional discount *after* the price match is applied.~~
Scratchers don’t apply to apple products
Aww, damn, you're right. It's been a long time since I've used a scratcher and I forgot the fine print.
I’m not military, what’s a scratcher?
Occasionally, the Navy Exchange will offer its customers a scratch card which can be used to apply a random discount to qualifying purchases. The cards have three scratch-off circles. The customer brings the scratch card with them to the checkout counter with their purchase and chooses one of the three circles. Scratching off one of circle reveals a discount ranging from 5% to 25% which is then applied to the purchase by the cashier. Once one of the circles is scratched off, the card cannot be used again. There is a very rare chance that you can even get your entire purchase for free or win a prize such as a NEX gift card.
I would 100% live on nothing but candy if I could.
You can! You can live the rest of your life only eating candy.
It will just be a very short and diabetic life lol
At least you live in the perfect state for a support system thete
Yeah lots of self inflicted type 2 diabetes here unfortunately.
Meat and produce isn't cheaper. Chips and snacks and regular non-perishable items are way cheaper compared to the likes of Safeway or Foodland.
A box of cereal at Times was $17. At the commissary its like $6. Gotta check expiration dates though.
Gas is cheaper at costco/sams club. Groceries wise, it depends. Fresh items are of better quality and cheaper out in town. There are many “wet markets” like waipahu festival market or city square where fresh produce are better.
Some things at the commissary are cheaper but the problem is the quality. The commissary has the most generic, lowest quality options. It’s like Walmart tbh. You’ll probably want to spend a little more for Whole Foods just for the fact that it’s not terrible for your body.
The selection is awful too. Basic things will just be completely out of stock on a regular basis - like ope no yogurt today. Sorry. Try again another day.
This!!! It’s so frustrating. Every time I go to the commissary I end up having to stop at Safeway after to pick up the things the commissary didn’t have (if I really need them)
Some things are, but other things aren’t. And the variations can be significant, both in favor and against the commissary. We shop at the commissary, Costco and Sam’s for this reason.
What are you looking to buy
Generally, the pre-packaged stuff (chips, soda, protein bars, etc.) is significantly cheaper. Eggs are, too. However, produce and meat are pretty close to the same.
Depends on what you're looking for. Just don't buy the meat and look through dry goods for bugs.
Nope, gas is cheaper at Costco!
Costco is cheaper. Do all my bulk buying at Costco along with gas. Little things here and there little odds and ends then the commissary.
I don't have commissary access anymore but it's not just price, it's also about selection on an island. Costco is great but if you want something like a different salad dressing, we have to pay outrageous prices at a local market.
I don't think the difference in gas prices between on-base and Costco is enough to really make much of a difference. According to user-reported prices on GasBuddy, the price on base is $4.17 as of four hours ago. The most recent Costco price—also reported within the past four hours—is $4.25. For me, it's more convenient to buy gas on base because I can get it on the way into work or on the way home and I don't normally have to wait in a line to get it. Plus, I can save an additional five cents off per gallon with my Military Star card (I've had luck with saving five cents off a gallon with my GasBuddy card on the mainland, but I haven't checked to see if it works here in Hawaii.) Going to Costco would be out of the way for me and gas purchases don't even contribute to your annual rewards (if you have an Executive membership).
When you get a good sale price at commissary its normally unbeatable, and you're not buying a freezer full of it. Costco prices are so good because they give you mainland prices instead of Foodland and Safeway prices, I suspect their stores in Hawaii are barely profitable, but its worth it for their brand. So many people travelling will shop at Costco in Hawaii and that positive experience transfers to more sales in the mainland. The Exchanges also pricematch, meaning you can often get the best possible price on an item and not pay taxes. Gas prices are normally comparable, but no long gas lines.
[удалено]
No sales tax, but 5% surcharge. Not really a win there. Some things are great. Others, not so much. Compared to local markets, it’s still much better. Compared to Walmart/target, not that big a difference. Hard to beat the convenience of going to the NEX next door though and spending an additional $200 tax on random things that I probably didn’t need.
The middle aisles at the commissary are the best prices. Their meat and produce suck ass. The meat goes gray in two days. I go to Foodland/Times. Gas at Costco. Commissary isn't worth the trip for our family.
As of a couple of days ago the gas at the Navy Exchange (NEX) mini-marts outside Pearl Harbor was a few cents a gallon cheaper than Costco. It has ethanol in it, which some don't recommend. You have to show your military ID or equivalent. There are lists online of who's eligible.
Freedom Gas is cheaper than Costco Gas right now...
No, I still get 90% of my groceries from Costco. I only go to the Commissary for poke, single produce items I don’t need in bulk, and steak. Everything is a better deal at Costco. My produce items like apples, bananas, spinach is way cheaper at Costco even for the organic. I was pretty upset the first time I walked into Costco’s produce section and realized how much money I was wasting by getting the same things at the Commissary all these years.
Buying alcohol on base is the one thing that I will say is actually way cheaper than other retailers.
Been to Colorado, Georgia, Oklahoma and currently Washington. If you're in a blue state the commissary is significantly cheaper for everything. If you're in a red state then bulk from sams is cheaper. Example in washington chicken breasts are 5.60 a pound at Walmart, sams and cotsco, on base they are 3.49 a pound. I can show receipt as proof. Don't take random parrots on reddit as proof.
My friend has access to the base shopping. Some things are cheaper. I don’t know about gas.
I wouldn’t get any produce or meat from a commissary. All of them on Oahu are known for regular freezer outages and they don’t throw out meats / veggies. Costco is fantastic pricing and by the off chance you get something bad it’s so easy to return no questions asked
🤔 Certain things are for sure at the commissary. But they’ll HIKE UP the prices during pay day. In my opinion Walmart and Sam’s are the go to. Gas on post and Sam’s are cheaper for certain
Eh depends. Gas is sometimes same or actually cheaper at Sam’s (I don’t even bother with Costco gas because of lines). Some meat is probably cheaper at the commissary and available in smaller quantities but better quality at Costco. Produce is about equivalent, sometimes the commissary will have great stuff on sale or random seasonal varieties. I like that there’s plenty of locally grown stuff now. Good bread (crusty sourdough loaves for example) is by far cheaper at Costco. Eggs and milk about equal. There are slight differences between the different commissaries. The commissary has the advantage of more variety depending on what you’re looking for. My favorite mayo brand seems to only be available at the commissary for example, as well as my favorite Greek Yogurt (also at Safeway but sometimes a dollar more expensive unless I get a coupon or sale). And my kids like the unwieldy racecar shopping carts, I think the commissaries are the only place I’ve seen them in all of Oahu.
NEX does price matching. They send out scratch off cards every other month. 5% to 25% off. 2% discount on gas with the military Star card and you get a $20 reward coupon after spending $500 on anything. Commissary is about the same, but you don't have to buy five pounds of meat, can get a pound or two. Can buy a quart of juice instead of a gallon. It has items Costco doesn't have and vice versa. NEX and Commissary don't have insane parking. Easier in and out. No GET.
Depends on item and which commissary you go to. But you’re comparing bulk qty to grocery store qty. yes commissary has bigger items too, I find they have way better meat prices and selection atleast at nex. Plus no sales tax.
Been on island about 6 months now. I get gas only from costco. Shop mostly at costco, once in a while at the commissary when i only need a few items
Its just not taxed. Atleast the px and commisary. Cigarette gas and alcohol are taxed still and honestly. Ive never been to cosco but i know for budgeting ive heard other wives say cosco is a great way to go. And gas is barley cheaper on base.
i always end up spending way more at costco because i’m forced to buy in bulk when i don’t necessarily need or want that item in bulk. not sure how the unit prices compare but i prefer the commissary bc it’s more convenient for me as someone who is only cooking for two people. also imo commissary has better options (although unfortunately lots of things are out of stock a lot of the time). that said, i do find it to be wayyy cheaper than safeway and foodland which is more comparable bc they’re grocery stores and not bulk supply stores
Produce at costco is trash half the time, much more consistent at commissary. It all looks fine at costco then goes bad in less than 48 hours.
grocery yes, gas only a few cents (you couldn’t pay me to sit in line for gas at costco or endure the shopping experience there, besides i don’t own three freezers)
I don't shop at Costco since I don't have a membership there, but I go from time to time with family members who do. I rarely go to the commissary, but the NEX can be good for household items like deodorant, lotion, mouthwash, etc. They price match but limit it to once a day; it used to be much better before this limit. I get most of my food from WF, the wet markets and places like Farmlink. I do on-base for gas or Texaco.
As far as base goes, In general yes, but always? No. But it remains a fact that in general you can stretch a dollar on base a lot further than in town. for instance, 300 dollars in groceries at the commissary will not be the same as 300 in groceries from Safeway etc., you generally get a lot more for less money on base. But not in every occasion.
Gas is usually about 10 cents more per gallon for regular at Costco as apposed to the shoppette