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Shop your commissary for Thanksgiving – it really is worth the trip!

  • Published
  • By Kay Blakley
  • DeCA home economist
FORT LEE, Va. --  If you've ever wondered whether shopping the commissary really saves you money, wonder no more - the answer is a resounding yes! And, the best part is, it's backed up by cold hard facts. Each year the American Farm Bureau Federation, an independent, nongovernmental organization representing agricultural producers at all levels, performs an annual survey of the cost of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table.
The shopping list includes turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to feed a family of 10. A total of 179 volunteer shoppers conducted the survey in retail grocery stores throughout 38 states. The retail price tag for this year's shopping basket was $44.61. 

Using the same shopping list and instructions given to the volunteer shoppers, the same survey was conducted in commissaries located in Vogelweh, Germany; Fort Lee, Va.; Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; and San Diego, Calif., and resulted in an average cost of only $35.11. That's a difference of almost $10, which is high priority on my list any day of the week. If you're still not convinced, consider this - the last time the AFBF survey cost was in the $35 range was in 2001. 

So what's the bottom line? Shop your commissary - it really is worth the trip!

About the Defense Commissary Agency: DeCA operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. Shoppers save an average of more than 30 percent on their purchases compared to commercial prices - savings worth about $3,000 annually for a family of four. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America's military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.