Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

Keeping Supplements Safe for Service Members

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It’s impossible to turn on the television, listen to music or read online publications, without happening upon an ad for some kind of dietary supplement. Even a trip to the exchange or commissary offers supplement options, including full-fledged GNC stores operating on many military installations.

And it’s not like we just have one or two options. There are hundreds if not thousands of supplements to choose from. Some promise help with weight loss, others with building muscle mass. There are supplements for better sleep, better digestion, stress relief, bone and heart health, and even better sex.

Given all the promises that these products have to offer, it is understandable why so many service members would turn to supplements. Long hours, expectations for physical and mental endurance, and competition for promotion and awards pushes many to consider any option for even a small competitive edge.

But how can a service member be sure that the supplements they are taking are safe?

And how can service members ensure that the supplements they are taking don’t contain any one of a number of restricted substances banned by military guidelines and tested for in routine urinalyses?

The common sense answer is, talk to your doctor and do your research before buying and taking any dietary supplement.

Many of us will search of any number of supplement information online before talking with our doctors. Have you searched online for this information? Try it now. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Chance are, any online search produces hundreds and hundreds of pages, most touting the benefits of said supplement. Before and after pictures offer proof of a supplement’s effectiveness and countless endorsements make it appear that you’ve found the miracle pill that will make you run faster, grow stronger or stay sharp for hours on end.

Should you trust these claims? How much is marketing fluff designed to make you spend your money on a magical pill?

You might not know it, but there is a trusted source you can use to find out more about the supplements you are taking and how to use them both effectively and safely. It’s called: Operation Supplement Safety.

After several instances of harmful supplements being sold on military installations, the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs put out a request for the creation of a dedicated resource for members of the DoD community. In 2012 Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) was born.

OPSS was created by the Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP), a Defense Center of Excellence department at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Its mission is to both educate and protect members of the DoD community by providing “evidence-based, up-to-date information on dietary supplements.”

And its efforts to promote awareness and safety are further enhanced by its industry partnerships with agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

As part of OPSS’s ongoing efforts and community partnerships, the supplements sold in commissaries and exchanges must be vetted against a list of supplements and ingredients included on the DoD’s list of banned or prohibited substances.

This means that if you buy on-post or online through the exchange, you can trust the products you are buying.

Additionally, the OPSS website is a treasure trove of information on how to use supplements safely and effectively. For example, want to know how to safely use caffeine to help “boost your mental and physical performance?” Check out this infographic created by OPSS.

Want to check the ingredients of your supplements against the banned ingredient list? Here’s a chart that lists all of these substances and the dangers associated with them.

We still live in a time of buyer beware, but it’s nice to know that when it comes to our health, there is one place we can trust to get the information we need.

Do you buy dietary supplements? Why do you buy and take them?

5 Tips for Shopping at the Commissary During the Holidays

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The holidays are upon us and that means it’s time to shop. Not only do you have gifts to buy, but you also have meals to plan.

It isn’t just retail stores that will be crowded; the commissary will be too. Follow these 5 tips to keep your cool while shopping at the commissary for your holiday needs.

5 Tips for Shopping at the Commissary During the Holidays

Plan Your Meals

Instead of browsing the aisles of the commissary, make a plan. Before heading to the commissary you should make a menu and from there create your grocery list.

Get a head count of how many friends and family members will be at your house for each meal. Make sure to include snacks as well.

Also consider how many holiday parties you will be attending and what you want to make for each one. Don’t forget to include cookie swaps in your planning.

When planning your meals, take into consideration the ingredients you’ll need. Will there be excess product unused? If you only need a cup of chicken stock but you buy a 16-ounce container, you’ll have some left over.

Don’t waste it if you don’t have to. Look at your menu. Is there anything else you can use the leftover item for? You’ll save money at the commissary if you can use a product fully.

Also, consider if there will be leftovers. Will anyone want to eat them at the next meal? If there is a substantial amount leftover, you might not need to plan for the next meal.

Load Your Commissary Rewards Card with Coupons

Have you heard of the commissary rewards card? Do you have one? If you don’t have one, now is the time to get one and if you already have a commissary rewards card, it’s time to load it with great savings.

What is a commissary rewards card and how do you get one? A commissary rewards card is available at the checkout at any commissary.

This card is a money-saving tool. Once you get this free card, you simply register it online and it’s activated.

You won’t need to clip coupons once you have the commissary rewards card. You can look through a list of digital coupons and check the ones you want to use. You can do this on your PC or through the mobile app.

When you check out at the commissary, simply show the barcode to the cashier and with one simple scan your coupons will be applied.

Why spend time searching for coupons through the newspaper or online when you can get them in one spot?

Eat Before You Go to the Commissary

While this sounds mundane, it is important.

You shouldn’t shop on an empty stomach.

If you go grocery shopping while you are hungry, you’ll likely end up buying more than you need. You are also more likely to buy junk food if you are hungry as well.

Have a good meal before heading to the commissary and perhaps bring a snack with you.

Shop Kid Free, if Possible

Are you a parent? You’re probably laughing at this. Taking your children shopping is an adventure.

If you can get someone to watch them, your shopping trip will likely be much faster and hassle-free.

If however, you are unable to secure help with child care, be prepared to shop with the kids. Keep children content with snacks and entertainment so they are not asking for junk food or unneeded items. Make sure they eat a filling meal before heading to the commissary as well.

If you can’t keep them entertained or if you simply want them to participate in the shopping experience, getting kids involved can be helpful. You can have them be in charge of the grocery list, you can give them specific items to go get or you can let them choose some items.

Shop Early

Start your holiday shopping early. Once you have your meals planned and your shopping list made, have a look at what is nonperishable. Purchase those items early to save you the time looking for them when it is closer to the holidays.

The commissary will get crowded as the day goes on as well as near payday and in the days leading up to the holidays.

Look at what time your commissary opens and plan to be there as close to that time as possible. The commissary usually has less people in the mornings. Less people means quicker shopping and speedier checkout.

Make sure you pay attention to the date as well. The commissary is busy on and near payday, which is the 1st and 15th for service members.

Finally, don’t wait until the last minute. Shop as early as you can to avoid stress.

What tips do you have to add to this list?

Are You Worried About DeCA Collecting Your Information?

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A multitude of companies gather data on you daily, so would it concern you if DeCA collected and sold your information as well?

Whether you realize it or not, your personal information is taken constantly. Rewards cards at businesses collect information on your shopping habits so that they can better adjust their marketing to products you would be interested in. The majority of information obtained on individuals is sold to third party companies for market research. DeCA is one such company.

Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Military.com requested the information DeCA collects on military patrons’ use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAPS) and special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC) at commissaries. This request was denied by DeCA’s lawyers.

Specific information of shoppers was not requested. The request was simply for demographics of SNAPS and WIC users that shop at commissaries.

Lawyers however claimed that they didn’t have to share that information because of a law that states if information is sold to a third party then FOIA does not apply. The 2 companies they are referring to are Nielsen Holdings Plc and IRi.

Lawyers from DeCA were quick to say such information is not collected on shoppers anyway. They say that only product movement and sales information is collected when military IDs are scanned at the register. DeCA says they do not sell patrons’ personal information. They only collect demographic information. WIC and SNAP use therefore is not collected.

DeCA is giving contradictory information. They say they don’t collect personal information, only demographic information. The information they collect when military ID cards are scanned at the checkout include information from DEERS such as: ID number, rank, military status, branch, age, household size and the ZIP code of the service member’s home as well as their duty station. All of this is stated on a commissary fact sheet. This sounds pretty personal, especially recording your ID number.

What frustrates some people is that there is no way to opt out of sharing this information when you shop at the commissary.

Transparency is also a concern. Why is DeCA trying to prevent sharing this information? Is it because they actually do collect personal information?

If they do not collect this information, how are they reporting the military use of SNAP and WIC? The Department of Agriculture publishes data about where food stamp benefits are used each year. Commissary usage is included in that information.

In 2014 more than $84 million of SNAP benefits were spent at military commissaries according to a report filed by the Department of Agriculture. They estimated that between 1% and 2% of active duty used food stamps in 2012, the most recent data.

In the same year, the USDA estimated that more than 1.5 million veterans used SNAP. That’s about 7% of veterans. If DeCA doesn’t collect information on SNAP use, then how does the USDA have this information?

Does it bother you that DeCA collects your information, whether personal or simply demographic?

Remember you cannot opt out of having your military ID card scanned at the commissary.

Does it bother you more so that DeCA isn’t being transparent with providing this information to the public or that you cannot opt out of sharing it? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

How do you feel about this complicated situation with DeCA?

Readers Split Over Veteran Shopping Privileges

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Just this past weekend as we were browsing the aisles at the commissary an announcement was made over the store intercom alerting shoppers to the fact that military Exchanges’ online shopping will soon be available to all veterans. It’s a newly added benefit that has seen a tremendously positive response.

But what about commissary privileges?

A MilitaryShoppers article looked at who is authorized to shop at the commissary and opened up discussion about whether commissary privileges should be extended to all veterans.

Cathy B suggested that commissary privileges “should be granted to all those veterans rated under 100% on a limited basis of 12 shopping trips a year plus a bonus trip during November in honor of Veterans Day.”

Carl felt differently. “Someone who did 4yrs should not get the same privileges as someone who did 20 or 30 yrs,” he wrote.

Reading through the comments, it’s easy to see that this is a hot topic for our readers and rightfully so. Shopping at the commissary does offer considerable savings on most products. Let’s address a few of the most common points of contention and some misconceptions.

Disabled Veteran Benefits

While it’s true that veterans with a 100% disability rating from the VA can shop at the commissary, veterans who receive at least a 30% disability rating from the military, are considered medically retired and do retain commissary benefits.

The 2 disability ratings are different. One is given by the VA and one by the military service itself. So many disabled veterans, especially those whose employment options are limited due to any service-connected injuries or conditions, are already granted privileges.

All Veterans Should Get to Shop

This is an idea express by many readers, but there are some logistical and economic factors that make a blanket open door policy difficult.

As some of our readers mentioned, how do we grant access to those who do not retain ID card privileges?

While the Exchange opened shopping to all veterans, that benefit was only extended online. And the Exchange is a self-sufficient, profit-positive business model that benefits from an increase in the size of its customer base. The more buyers you have, the greater your power to leverage those buyers when negotiating prices with manufacturers and suppliers.

The commissary is a taxpayer subsidized model. The bigger the customer base, the greater the subsidy required to continue to stock shelves and pay employees.

And where would we draw the line? Technically, if you’ve served a day, you are a veteran.

Does one day of service entitle you to benefits?

What if you’ve never been deployed?

Who would make that determination?

Are There Other Ways to Make it Work?

Some readers suggested that a special ID card could be issued or “benefit cards” like what the National Guard and Reserves use for their “once a month” shopping privileges prior to 9/11. This might be a viable option, but there would be additional costs associated with creating and maintaining the records necessary to make a program like this work.

Another suggestion made was to charge a fee, much like the national warehouse stores. This fee might prove an additional revenue stream to help close commissary budget shortfalls.

But it is important to consider what a huge influx of potential customers would do to the shopping experience. More shoppers creates additional strain on gate security and road resources. Parking, while usually ample, is limited, as are shelf space and checkout lanes.

An influx of customers could potentially see frequent outages of staple products and longer checkout lines. Which in turn, devalues the benefit being offered to those who are currently entitled to receive it.

I wholeheartedly understand why so many want to share the commissary benefit with all veterans. It is a sentiment born out of loyalty and a sense of community.

Should we see a revamped profit-earning business model like the Exchange emerge opening up commissaries to all veterans would make sense.

However, when you consider the financial and logistical impact, it becomes clear that opening the commissary doors to all veterans is just not a feasible option at present.

Want to have commissary specials and military discounts delivered to your inbox? Sign up for MilitaryShoppers newsletter today.

Commissaries Stock Shelves with Local Products in Hawaii and Beyond

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For customers of Hawaii’s commissaries, buying local is getting easier and easier. Commissaries around the Hawaiian Islands and beyond are stocking the shelves with local products.

At the annual American Logistics Agency (ALA) Hawaii  Expo, local businesses have the opportunity to showcase their unique products to military buyers. In the two decades of expos, many Hawaiian foods and products have already made their way to military consumers.

Military buyers are looking for unique items at these shows.

“I’m not looking for what I already have,” said Brad McMinn, director of the Schofield Barracks Commissary.

Local Companies, Big Opportunities

Diamond Head Seafoods, owned by Hawaiian local and military veteran Mike Irish, has been working with the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) for 20 years. From a small start with just a few products, Irish has progressed to running the seafood counters around Hawaii.

“I thought they didn’t like my products,” he admitted. “But I just kept trying. The second year they took five products, the third year nine or 10. As they got to know who I was and learned that I was committed to the commissaries, they grew more committed to my products and company.”

Currently, military shoppers can also find Irish’s sauces and condiments in commissaries on the mainland.

Thomas Kerwin of Aloha Gourmet also hopes to expand his product line in Hawaiian commissaries. This year, he brought cookies, coconut shreds and dried mangoes dipped in chocolate.

“We come to this show every year to showcase our items and meet with the buyers,” he said in this news article. “We may not get all of the products we show onto shelves, but even if it’s just one or two, that’s enough.”

Other companies are looking to break into the military market.

“We believe, given the opportunity, the military community will support us and this product,” Mike Choy, co-owner of  Ilio Products, commented. “They’re part of the community and they care about Hawaii and environmental issues. A part of our proceeds goes to organizations that support our coastlines.”

Choy brought an all natural, human grade line of venison dog treats, Go Go Pet’s Stressless Venison Premium Treats, to the expo. The dog treats are made from local deer on Maui, Molokai and Lanai. Deer live on these islands without any natural predators, leading to overpopulation. Culling the deer helps keep the populations in check. Turning the meat into dog treats avoids waste.

“Our goal is to get our message out about how different and special (this product) is,” Choy said. “We’ve already thought about maybe having demos at (military exchanges and commissaries) or having an informational video run next to the product display.”

Possibility to Expand Beyond Hawaii

Choy and other vendors have a good chance of having products picked up by commissaries and exchanges on O’ahu. According to a report by Hawaii News Now, over 350 products were selected at the 2016 expo. Of these, 27 products were from companies that have not previously worked with DeCA. Fifteen new companies and 200 new items were added to the combined military exchanges.

Over the last two decades, almost 3,000 local products have made their way to military consumers at the commissaries and exchanges.

The ALA works with DeCA and the exchange systems throughout the military to help place and promote their members’ businesses and products. Given this large network, products have the possibility of expanding to stores worldwide.

“(T)housands of products have been marketed at the Hawaii show. Many of them are sold throughout the commissary network worldwide,” said U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono.

If you are looking for local products at your commissary or exchange, ask an associate. Often they can help direct you to these products. Many commissaries and exchanges also have a section featuring local products. Take the time to browse this section the next time you are at the commissary.

Which local products are featured in your commissary? Share your favorites in the comments section.

Tips for Teaching Your Kids While Shopping at the Commissary

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After school, the race is on! Will you be able to get everything in and get your groceries before bedtime?

When you follow a few pro tips at the commissary, you can build a little bit of learning into your shopping trip. Best of all? You can work on skills for all ages and stages!

How to Make Grocery Shopping at Your Commissary a Fun and Educational Experience for Your Child

When Your Child Is a Toddler

Children at this age are learning so much about their world. Everything is new, fun and exciting.

Color hunt: Challenge your child to find certain colors in each aisle, sort of like I Spy. Say: “I’m looking for something yellow.” Then, work together to find it.

The produce aisle is a great place to play this game. Let your child pick their favorite color, then find fruit and veggies to match. Select a few colors to build a produce rainbow that’s 100% good enough to eat.

Old MacDonald: There are many cartoon characters and pictures all over the grocery store. Work together to build a farm or zoo, full of fun animals. Challenge your child to make the sound of each animal you find.

Fruity shapes: In the produce aisle, use the time to teach your child shapes. Look for circles (oranges, tomatoes, blueberries), triangles (carrots), ovals (lemons, avocados, potatoes), squares (boxes of salad greens) and any other shape you can think of.

When Your Child Is in Preschool

At this age, children are learning numbers, patterns, letters and may even be starting to understand early reading skills.

Commissary navigators: Have your child sing out the aisle number and then tell you what is located there. For example: “Aisle 5 has cereal and breakfast things.” Challenge your child to remember what was in other aisles, the order you went in or which aisle you started in. This helps build number sequencing, memory skills and navigational techniques.

Little chef: Let your child pick a dish to make and help her find a recipe at home. Something simple, like salads, sandwiches or tacos, works well.

Together, make a visual list of the items she needs. Then let your child choose the ingredients at the commissary. As she goes through the store, have her write down which aisle she found each item in.

At home, work together to assemble her dish. This builds healthy eating habits, sequencing skills, memory and early reading abilities.

On the prowl: Play the alphabet game! As you walk through the store, ask your child to find things. For older children, you could ask them to actually get items you need off the shelves. All preschoolers can be on the look out for shapes, colors, letters and numbers.

To up the ante, make an erasable checklist with all the letters of the alphabet, the core (rainbow) colors, basic shapes and number 0-9. As your child finds each thing, he can mark it. If he can find everything, reward him with a healthy treat.

When Your Child Is in the Primary Grades (K-2)

Children in these grades are learning sight words and basic addition and subtraction.

Let’s make 10: Adding to 10 is a core skill in the early grades. This game works well with individual produce, like apples, or anything you buy multiples of, like yogurt.

Say:

“Let’s make 10! I put 4 in the cart. How many more do we need to get to 10?”

Then help your child (carefully) add the item to the cart, counting until you reach 10 (or any other target number). This builds numeracy skills and helps to move math out of the classroom.

Word search: Bring your child’s sight word list to the store. Slip it into a protector sheet so that he can mark off words and letters.

As you go through the aisles, have him look for the letters in each word, one word at a time. As he gets better at reading, have him try to find whole words on packaging and signs. This boosts all literacy skills.

Meal prep: Work with your child to plan a whole meal. Something simple, like a picnic lunch or pasta with sauce, would be perfect. Write a list with all the ingredients. Use a quick picture for any new words. Then work together to find all the items. This builds literacy, sequencing and organizational skills.

Which is less: Pick 2 similar items with different prices. A good example would be a box of cereal that costs $2.50 and one that costs $3.50. Point to the dollar amount ($2 and $3). Ask your child: “Which is less?” If she needs help, hold up your fingers or ask her to hold up hers. You could also ask: “Would you rather have 2 cookies or 3 cookies?” This activity boosts number skills, like comparing and sequencing, as well as logical thinking.

When Your Child Is an Upper Elementary (3-6) Student

Students in these grades have mastered essential reading and math skills. They can move on to bigger things!

Pound for pound: In the produce section, have your child use the scale to weigh your produce for the week. After weighing, ask your child to estimate or actually calculate how much each type of produce will cost.

This activity reinforces weights and measures, as well as building addition, estimation and multiplication skills.

How much left: Give your child a lunch or snack “budget.” Tell them that this amount has to see her through the whole week for lunches at school or snacks everywhere.

For the first few weeks, assist them in making smart choices. Show her how to deduct purchased items from her starting budget.

Then, let her fly free! This gives children the opportunity to make smart food choices and feel more in control of their environment. Plus, she is learning good budgeting techniques and how to balance accounts.

If you feel extra generous, let her know that any “extra” can go into a savings account or be used for a special purchase.

Read the store: Hand your child the list. Walking together, he should read the list to you, then locate the item on the shelf and read you the label. For items that are similar, he should read the whole label to check that it’s what you want. Once you have confirmed the selection, it goes into the cart. This builds skills with unfamiliar words, teaches teamwork and boosts organizational skills.

When Your Child Is a Middle and High School Student

These children can read independently and are moving on to harder math concepts. High school students will soon be spreading their wings in the real world! Now is the time to reinforce smart shopping habits and budgeting skills.

Solo act: Give your child a budget and a list that covers several meals throughout the week. You could make her responsible for finding all the ingredients for dinners, for example, and she has to keep costs at or under $45. Then let her go. You continue shopping with your list as usual. Then meet up right before the registers to confirm final purchases. Let your child check out on her own too. This builds independence, problem-solving, math and budgeting skills.

Meal planner: As children get older, they also need to boost their life skills. Cooking is essential to surviving in the real world, and now is a great age to teach it.

Make your child responsible for meal planning. Start with one meal per week and increase the load from there. Give him a budget. Invite him to use coupons, get a shopping club card and use your cookbooks.

Then he needs to shop for the ingredients while staying under budget. Finally, he should cook and serve the meal. Doing this will give him a better understanding of food prices, budgeting, cooking for a crowd and reading recipes.

How do you build teachable moments into your commissary trips? Tell us your best strategies in the comments!

DeCA’s Private Label Program Off to Good Start

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Name your favorite commercial grocery retailer. Be it Walmart, Giant, Target or Wegmans, they’ve each got their own line of private label products. And if you’re anything like me, you’re more than happy to add a store brand item to your cart if it means a few dollars off your bill.

And now, DeCA, has expanded its arsenal in the fight to keep our commissaries open by launching a series of new products under its own store brand. Commissary shoppers rejoice! Even more savings? I’ll take it.

While the plan to add commissary private label products to the shelves has been in the works for over a year, the private label program’s 2 easily recognizable and aptly-named brands — Freedom’s Choice and Homebase — were officially announced in February.

Freedom’s Choice branded food products will be sourced from leading manufacturers and undergo a rigorous testing and selection process. Homebase products will be non-food items including things like plastic bags. As a weekly commissary shopper, I for one, can hardly wait to see these new products hit the shelves.

A Year of Creative Initiatives

It’s hard not to be impressed by the series of creative initiatives DeCA has rolled out in the last year in an attempt to revitalize local commissaries and help shrink the nearly billion-dollar taxpayer-funded subsidy required to keep commissaries open. These initiatives have included everything from variable pricing structures to curbside pick-up.

Private labeling seems to be one of the most promising efforts. In fact, according to the DeCA website, nearly 60% of its patrons expressed an openness to buying a private label product.

“Our customers have been asking for private label for a long time,” said DeCA’s director and CEO Joseph H. Jeu.

If commissary shoppers hold true to their word, the planned product line seems destined for success. In fact, if all goes according to plan, the new private label product line could help reduce commissary costs by half a billion dollars in the next 10 years.

The new program promises that nearly 1,000 private label products will be on commissary shelves by the end of 2017, but shoppers will only see a few initial products. The first products were due to hit shelves in May, and a recent visit to the Fort Meade commissary confirmed that the program is indeed underway.

My First Private Label Purchase

I expected to see the products presented with a greater fanfare, but I was able to locate 2 products, bottled water under the Freedom’s Choice label and kitchen garbage bags under the Homebase brand. Both were attractively packaged and both were offered at a substantial savings over the next cheapest brand.

The case of water offered a $0.40 savings over our usual brand. Calculated out, a 40-cent savings on each of 2 cases of water per week would save our family just over $40 per year!  I am also happy to report, that as far as taste is concerned, the water was met with the approval of our entire family – including one kid who happens to be very particular about her bottled water!

I will be keeping my eyes open for additional private labels items. My hope is we will see products like pasta, gluten-free items, vitamins and juices. It might also be nice to see it in the freezer section on items like frozen vegetables, ice cream and even pizza.

My hope is that in sourcing items for this product line, DeCA will keep the dietary needs of military families in mind. It would be great to see items offered at a low cost that also make eating healthy a little bit easier.

Have you seen the commissary store brands, Freedom’s Choice and Homebase at your commissary?

Should Shoppers Use Their Military Star Card at the Commissary?

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As part of the Defense Commissary Agency‘s continuing efforts to increase value and convenience at military commissaries across the world, military shoppers at more than 200 commissaries  will have the option to use their Military Star card to pay for groceries starting in October. The additional credit card payment method is being incorporated into the point-of-sale payment overhaul already scheduled for the fall.

There are many reasons to be excited about this new option and a few concerns you may want to consider before using your Military Star card at the commissary.

The Benefits of Using Your Military Star Card at the Commissary

Many shoppers are already using credit cards to pay for groceries. Using the Military Star card has some distinct advantages:

Low Interest Rate

In addition to the low interest rate and fair credit lines offered even to those with little or bad credit , the Star card offers no late or over limit fees and the interest rate is reduced and payments waived during deployments. For junior service members and their spouses, the Military Star card can be a great way to build good credit.

Reap the Rewards

In addition to the Commissary Rewards program, shoppers using their Star card can earn extra rewards. Just like many other retail rewards cards, Military Star card users earn 10% back on all of their purchases. These rewards come in the form of a certificate or payment cards that are eligible for redemption at exchanges, shoppettes and on-post food vendors.

Our fingers are crossed that the rewards will also be eligible for use at the commissary. Every reward earned offers shoppers the potential to save some of their hard-earned cash.

Using the Star Card Supports MWR Programs

A considerable amount of the monies earned through interest on Military Star cards is used to fund MWR events and programs. Using your Star card helps keep our military dollars within our community.

Provides Options to Military Families

In her article, Star Card At The Commissary: Good or Bad? , Kate Horrell mentions one important benefit of this payment option:

“Service members who have run out of money will be able to purchase affordable, real food on credit instead of buying expensive junk food at the exchanges or minimarts/shoppettes.”

We know an unhealthy diet is usually a cheap diet, so having the Star card as an option for those months where a paycheck runs a little thin could be a value for some military families.

DeCA Gets to Save

Adding the Military Star card to the list of credit cards currently accepted at commissaries offers a direct benefit to DeCA. For every credit card purchase processed, DeCA must pay a small transaction fee to the credit card processor. Military Star card transactions, in comparison, cost less than say the fees paid to Visa or Mastercard.

The Concerns Associated with Using Your Military Star Card at the Commissary

So we’ve covered the benefits, but what should service members and their families think about before swiping their Star card?  Two words – debt management.

Using the card to earn rewards can be a great way to stretch your budget, but that only works to your advantage if you pay off your credit card balance each month.

Credit for Consumables

Many financial advisors warn against using credit to purchase consumable goods. While it is easy and convenient to charge that $200 grocery bill to a credit card, if you only pay the minimum payment, by the time you pay off the balance, you’ll have paid an additional $15 or more in interest. And if you make a habit of it for every weekly grocery run, your annual grocery shopping bill could be more than $700 over what it would have been if you’d just paid cash.

Option for Garnishment

Plus, if you use your Star Card and don’t make a payment, you may soon find your military wages garnished to pay the bill. Regular credit cards don’t have that option.

If you are going to use your Military Star card at the commissary, reap the benefits, but take care to treat it just like any other credit card purchase and shop responsibly.

Do you have a Military Star card? Will you use it at the commissary this fall?

Halo Top Ice Cream Comes to Commissaries

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Halo Top Creamery. All opinions are 100% mine.

The timing could not be better for ice cream.

Halo Top ice cream, a low-calorie, high-protein and low-sugar ice cream, is available at commissaries at military bases throughout the country – perfect for the summer. Halo Top is made using only the best, all-natural ingredients so that it tastes like regular ice cream. Unlike regular ice cream, you can eat an entire pint and not feel guilty.

Hold up…did you say healthy ice cream?

Everything we know about ice cream up until this point tells us that the words “healthy” and “ice cream” don’t go together. But it’s time to change your ice cream assumptions.

Halo Top prides itself on producing a healthy ice cream that tastes creamy and delicious like the real deal without all the sugar, calories and carbs. It’s a healthy ice cream that actually tastes like ice cream.

Sound too good to be true? Don’t take my word for it.

Stop by your commissary to pick up a pint of Halo Top ice cream.* Or two. Or three. With 17 flavors, including Red Velvet, Peanut Butter Cup and Birthday Cake, there’s a favorite flavor for everyone in your family.

Halo Top Ice Cream Golden Seal Sweepstakes

And while you’re sampling all 17 flavors of Halo Top ice cream, you may find yourself leaving your commissary with more than ice cream during the month of June.

To celebrate their 5-year anniversary, 5 lucky pints of Halo Top ice cream were sealed in gold. Not real gold, of course, but the prizes associated with these 5 pints is like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The Golden Seal, which can be found underneath the pint seal, has a prize list that includes: a 4-day vacation for 2 to Maui, $5,000 gift card for groceries and a Make-A-Wish sponsorship which will allow winners to grant wishes for children in their local communities.

Not a winner? Halo Top reminds ice cream lovers that there’s a silver lining, or in this case, a gold lining, in their Golden Seal Sweepstakes. Anyone with a losing seal can be entered to win a VIP package of all Halo Top pints by simply snapping a selfie with the seal. Don’t forget to use #HaloTopGoldenSeal when sharing your selfie to be entered to win.

Five additional grand prize winners showcasing their selfies could potentially win a year’s supply of Halo Top and a Halo Top branded mini freezer. Yes, a year’s supply of Halo Top ice cream!

Visit your commissary and dig into a pint of Halo Top ice cream today!

*No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Visit halotop.com/goldenseal for complete rules.

Shoppers Call New Fort Belvoir Commissary ‘Amazing’

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I was one of many commissary shoppers excited to be part of the opening day festivities at the new $38 million commissary at Fort Belvoir.

New Fort Belvoir Commissary

The Fort Belvoir commissary certainly has something for everyone.

Located just south of Washington, D.C., Fort Belvoir has one of the busiest commissaries. The former commissary was built in 1981.  It was time for an update and this update was an amazing one.

The new commissary at Fort Belvoir has a sales area of 82,600 square feet. This is a huge increase from the 57,000-square-foot commissary it replaced. I’m sure I was not the only patron to walk through the doors and be awestruck at the sheer size of the complex.

If you have the opportunity to go, the new commissary at Fort Belvoir is worth the drive.

The selection of products is vast, with more than 21,000 items on the shelves. The fresh produce area is extremely spacious and has a huge selection including organic and locally grown items.

New Commissary at Fort Belvoir

Are you a health conscious person? The Living Well Corner is for you.

There is a sushi bar where trained professionals make sushi right there while you watch. You can get sushi custom made. It is located right by the international delicatessen, which has a huge selection of meats and cheeses. Make sure you check out the freshly made meals and side items while you are there. When your spouse is on deployment, picking up some of these delicious items will make dinners quick and easy.

The Fort Belvoir commissary certainly has something for everyone.

Are you a health conscious person? The Living Well Corner is for you. There are over 1,500 organic, gluten-free, natural and non-GMO items. You’ll find them dry, fresh, refrigerated and frozen.

While shopping at the Fort Belvoir commissary, you’ll be sure to notice how wide the aisles are. They were actually designed to be 3 carts wide to enable shoppers to move through the aisles with ease. Have you ever been stuck while someone stood and looked for the item they wanted? That will be a problem of the past here. With more space, customers will be able to navigate easily through the aisles without a problem.

New Fort Belvoir Commissary

The new commissary, with all of its impressive features is sure to draw an even larger crowd now.

When it comes to checkout time, Fort Belvoir makes it is a breeze with 30 checkouts. This includes 8 self-checkouts. You won’t be waiting in line for long here. Even on opening day, with thousands of shoppers, the line moved quickly.

The Fort Belvoir commissary has an impressive bakery that you shouldn’t miss. Pick up some tasty treats to bring home for the family. Stop by the meat department after that for a nice steak. The meat selection is very good and the prices won’t be beat. The seafood department is just as impressive. If you don’t feel like cooking, pick up a rotisserie chicken.

New Fort Belvoir Commissary

You won’t be waiting in line for long at the new commissary at Fort Belvoir.

The Fort Belvoir commissary was already one of DeCA’s busiest commissaries. It is a leader in annual sales, doing about $97 million annually. The new commissary, with all of its impressive features is sure to draw an even larger crowd now. Many military families feel that commissary shopping is one of the most important benefits. You’ll find plenty of reasons to visit this beautiful new commissary at Fort Belvoir, with its vast selection of items at great prices.

The Fort Belvoir commissary cost $38 million. Not only is it much larger than the one it replaced, but it is also more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The funding for it came from the 5 percent surcharge that is added when customers check out at commissaries. Your patronage at local commissaries helped make this new commissary possible.

Did you know that the 5 percent surcharge on your commissary bill pays for new facilities like this commissary at Fort Belvoir? Learn more about the surcharge by clicking here.