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Back to School Sidewalk Sales Coming to Our Commissaries

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Sadly, our summer vacation is coming to an end.

We will soon swap our lazy mornings for a fast-paced up and out the door routine. I guarantee there will be tears and resistance, and my kids aren’t too excited about the change either!

We can choose to spend our last days of summer sulking and wondering where the time went or we can head to our commissary and stock up on all the back to school essentials.

The Defense Commissary Agency announced the Back to School Sidewalk Sales beginning mid-August and running through September will take the place of the annual case lot sales. Don’t fret over the loss of the case lot sales, the Back to School sale offers savings on healthy family breakfasts, fresh-packed school lunches, after-school snacks, club pack items, cases of breakfast cereals, bottled water and much more.

Here is the list of Back to School Sidewalk Sale dates:

August Back to School Sidewalk Sale Dates

July 26-29

Patrick AFB

August 1-4

  • Key West NAS
  • Kingsville NAS
  • Schofield Barracks

August 1-3

Fort Rucker

August 1-5

Tyndall AFB

August 2-3

Air Force Academy

August 2-4

Charleston AFB

August 2-5

  • Fort Leavenworth
  • Kaneohe Bay MCBH
  • Quantico MCB

August 3-4

Fort Knox

August 10-11

  • Tobyhanna

August 13-16

  • Jacksonville NAS

August 14-16

  • Laughlin AFB

August 15-18

  • New River MCAS
  • Portsmouth NSY

August 15-19

  • Fort Hood – Clear Creek

August 16-18

  • Albany MCLB
  • Buckley AFB
  • Camp Merrill
  • Carlisle Barracks
  • Gunter AFB
  • New London

August 16-19

  • Anchorage Area
  • Barksdale AFB
  • Fort Belvoir
  • Fort Bragg North
  • Fort Myer
  • Imperial Beach
  • MacDill AFB
  • Smokey Point

August 17

  • Rota

August 17-18

  • Barstow MCLB
  • Bremerton NBK
  • Cairo
  • Chievres AB
  • Fort Gordon
  • Fort Hunter Liggett
  • Rock Island Arsenal
  • Shaw AFB
  • Sheppard AFB
  • Sigonella
  • Vogelweh

August 17-19

  • Annapolis NSA
  • Camp Casey
  • Cannon AFB
  • Charleston NWS
  • Edwards AFB
  • Eielson AFB
  • Forest Glen
  • Great Lakes NS
  • Hario Village
  • Kodiak
  • Lemoore NAS
  • McConnell AFB
  • Ord Community
  • Patch Barracks
  • Schinnen
  • Scott AFB
  • Selfridge ANGB
  • Vance AFB
  • White Sands
  • Yokota AB

August 17-20

  • Fort Riley

August 18

  • Ansbach
  • Lajes Field

August 18-19

  • Wiesbaden

August 18-20

  • Camp Zama

August 20-21

  • Dugway PG

August 21-22

  • Hohenfels

Aug. 23-25

  • Corpus Christi NAS
  • Crane NSA
  • Lakehurst NAES
  • Meridian NAS

August 23-26

  • Alconbury
  • JB Andrews AFB
  • Robins AFB

August 24

  • Mildenhall

August 24-25

  • Lakenheath

August 24-26

  • Aviano AB
  • Little Rock AFB
  • New Orleans NSA
  • Randolph AFB
  • Tinker AFB
  • Vicenza

August 24-27

  • K-16 Airfield Commissary

August 27-31

  • Hickam AFB

August 28-31

  • Beale AFB
  • Bolling AFB
  • Seymour Johnson AFB

August 28 – September 1

  • Fort Eustis
  • Parris Island MCRD

August 29 – September 1

  • Bridgeport MCMWTC
  • Fallon NAS
  • Fort Stewart
  • Offutt AFB

August 30-31

  • Pensacola NAS
  • Picatinny Arsenal

August 30 – September 1

  • Aberdeen PG
  • Arnold AFB
  • Baumholder
  • China Lake NAWS
  • Croughton
  • Fort Drum
  • Fort Greely
  • Fort Jackson
  • Fort Polk
  • Garmisch
  • Goodfellow AFB
  • Holloman AFB
  • Little Creek Navphibase
  • Maxwell AFB
  • McGuire AFB
  • Memphis NSA
  • Mitchel Field
  • Newport NS
  • Pittsburgh Area
  • Redstone Arsenal
  • Saratoga Springs
  • Whiting Field NAS

August 30 – September 2

  • Camp Lejeune MCB
  • Fort Lewis
  • Fort Sam Houston
  • Gulfport NCBC
  • Kirtland AFB
  • Kings Bay NSB
  • Keesler AFB
  • Lackland AFB
  • Luke AFB
  • Mayport NS
  • Richards-Gebaur
  • San Diego NB
  • Spangdahlem Air Base
  • Whidbey Island NAS

August 31 – September 1

  • Fort Lee
  • Peterson AFB
  • Sasebo
  • Yokosuka NFA

August 31 – September 2

  • Andersen AFB
  • Camp Foster MCB
  • Camp Kinser MCB
  • Camp Pendleton MCB
  • Chinhae
  • Daegu
  • Davis-Monthan AFB
  • Fort Campbell
  • Hill AFB
  • Harrison Village
  • Kadena AB
  • Los Angeles AFB
  • Moffett Field
  • Moody AFB
  • Norfolk NAVSTA
  • Osan AB
  • Portsmouth NNSY
  • Sagamihara
  • Vandenberg AFB

August 31 – September 3

  • Camp Carroll
  • Iwakuni MCAS

August 31 – September 4

  • March ARB

September Back to School Sidewalk Sales Dates

September 1-2

  • Dover AFB

September 3-6

  • Menwith Hill

September 4-7

  • Panzer Kaserne

September 5-6

  • Izmir

September 6-9

  • Bangor ANGB

September 7-8

  • Bangor NBK
  • Fort McCoy
  • Incirlik AB
  • Riyadh

September 7-9

  • Camp Humphreys
  • Fort Worth

September 8-9

  • Ankara
  • F. E. Warren AFB

Sept. 12-16

  • Columbus AFB

September 13

  • Kelley Barracks

September 13-15

  • Dahlgren NSF
  • Eglin AFB
  • Fort Benning
  • Fort Bragg South
  • Fort Sill
  • Malmstrom AFB
  • Wright-Patterson AFB

September 13-16

  • Dyess AFB
  • Ellsworth AFB
  • Fairchild AFB
  • Fort Bliss
  • McChord AFB
  • Miramar MCAS
  • Nellis AFB
  • North Island NAS
  • Travis AFB

September 14

  • Livorno
  • Rota

September 14-15

  • Patuxent River NAS
  • Vilseck
  • Whiteman AFB

September 14-16

  • Altus AFB
  • Atsugi NAF
  • Cherry Point MCAS
  • Fort Carson
  • Fort Hamilton
  • Fort Huachuca
  • Fort Leonard Wood
  • Fort Wainwright
  • Hanscom AFB
  • Kunsan AB
  • Minot AFB
  • Misawa AB
  • Naples NSA
  • Oceana NAS
  • Orote
  • Robinson Barracks
  • San Onofre
  • West Point
  • Yongsan

September 15-16

  • Camp Courtney MCB
  • Ramstein AB

September 20-23 

  • Fort Detrick

September 21-22

  • Grafenwoehr

September 24-27

  • Fort Irwin

September 27-29

  • Langley AFB
  • McClellan
  • Port Hueneme

September 27-30

  • Fort Hood – Warrior Way
  • Hurlburt Field

September 28-30

  • Fort Meade
  • Grand Forks AFB
  • Mountain Home AFB
  • Pearl Harbor

October 13-15

  • Twentynine Palms MCAGCC

October 12-13

  • Yuma PG

October 12-14

  • El Centro NAF

October 26-28

  • Yuma MCAS

In addition to the savings the Back to School Sidewalk Sales, participating commissaries will also be hosting sale events throughout August and some of these are pretty cool!

The first event is the Back to School Sweepstakes. Patrons can enter to win a $100 commissary or exchange gift cards or a $50 entertainment/restaurant gift card that can be used at AAFES theatres or exchange food malls. For full details and instructions on how to enter this sweepstakes, ask your local commissary manager.

The next event is the Box Tops for Education event taking place from August 6-19 at participating stores.

Cutting out box tops can be a pain, but schools can earn up to $20,000 a year from Box Tops.

What could your school do with an extra $20,000?

This promotion includes double box top value on several General Mills products, high-value coupons, in-store product demonstrations and decorative displays.

“Make this School Year a Success Story” is another event taking place August 6 to 19. This event sponsored by Kellogg’s and Scholastics offers discounted prices on Kellogg’s brand items and free Scholastic books. These free books would make a great addition to your child’s classroom library. For full details visit your local commissary.

This promotion doesn’t only save money but will provide a fun family outing. Back-to-school free movie ticket allows customers to earn a free movie ticket when they purchase seven name brand products in one transaction at participating commissaries between August 5 and September 5.

Brands include Gatorade, Entenmann’s, Oreo, Nabisco, Frito Lay, Planters, Capri Sun, Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Hillshire Farm, (these are all lunch box staples) Aveeno, Neutrogena, Tylenol, Listerine, Centrum, Tums, Sensodyne, Aquafresh, Biotene, (great opportunity to stock up on personal hygiene products) Scott towels and Kleenex (these are a must-have for any classroom). For complete rules for the back-to-school free movie ticket, check out your local commissary.

The AXE “Back to School” Sweepstakes is perfect for parents of middle school and high school boys.

Visit the AXE shower gel, deodorant and hair care product displays in your local commissary from now through September 15 to enter to win a variety of prizes including commissary gift cards, Apple MacBooks, iPads, iPods and Apple gift cards. There will more than 90 prizes awarded.

Cheese is a great way for kids to get much-needed protein and dairy wrapped up in a healthy snack.  The Say “Cheese Please!” promotion offers savings on Freedom’s Choice cheese products. Stock up on all things cheese August 20 through September 9 at your local commissary.

If these great promotions and sales aren’t enough to soften the blow of the preparation for a new school year, DeCA’s industry partners will be offering additional discounts and themed items with low pricing. Be sure to check the end of the aisle for these discounted products.

Most of these promotions are offered worldwide however some overseas stores may have substitute events for certain promotional programs. Customers are encouraged to check with their store manager to confirm dates and promotions.

The start of a new school year is often met with a little anxiety, especially for our military children who experience the first day in a new school far too often.

By stocking up on school supplies, breakfasts must-haves, lunch box necessities and healthy afternoon snacks we can all step into the new school year prepared and ready for success.

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4 Tips for Becoming the School Lunch Master

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The dog days of summer are nearly complete which means that back to school is just around the corner. What’s our first challenge as we prepare for parent-teacher conferences and report cards? School supplies. We’ll claw through mounds of 3-ring binders and pocket folders.

But while you’re checking off the annual school supply list and double checking the bus route schedule, don’t forget to spend a few minutes thinking about lunch.

No, not your lunch, the amazing, delicious and healthy school lunches you’ll pack for your entire brood each and every day. What? What’s that?

You don’t have time to pack your child’s lunch?

Just the thought of packing your child’s lunch stresses you out?

Getting your kid to eat a healthy school lunch is like trying to lick your elbow? Hold up, don’t worry. You can do this. Here’s how:

4 Tips for Becoming the School Lunch Master

Packing healthy and delicious school lunches doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are 4 tips to make it easier.

If You Pack It, They Will Eat It: 4 Tips for Becoming the School Lunch Master

Gather School Lunch Ideas Before the First of School

I have a hard enough time just figuring out what shoes to wear every day and I don’t exactly have hours to brainstorm school lunch ideas. If only there was a tool that allowed people with this uber-secret super power to share their wonderful, magical lists of amazing school lunches with the world. But, wait! There is!

A quick Pinterest search for school lunch ideas will give you more ideas than you can shake a stick at.

Worst-case scenario, Google “school lunch ideas,” but whatever you do, don’t feel like you have to reinvent the wheel. Learn from those who have already mastered the art of the school lunch.

Quick Tip: If your kids are old enough, let them help you find ideas for lunch. Recent research shows kids involved in food prep often eat better. Plus it’s a great opportunity to talk about what’s healthy and why eating right is so important.

Get the Right Tool for the Job

Now that you’ve pinned enough school lunch ideas to feed your kid until he’s 21, it’s time to gather all of the nifty tools that make packing all of those lunches a breeze. Keep things like sandwich and snack-size food storage bags on hand at all times. Better yet, your budget and the environment will thank you for the purchase of reusable compartment containers.

Check your local Exchange and if you can, invest in several reusable compartment containers so you can pack more than one lunch at a time. Search for containers that are easy to open, easy to clean, and are dishwasher/microwave safe. Oh, and don’t forget the cold packs.

Quick Tip: Want to buy those reusable containers, but have a kid who is notorious for losing them? Try a reward system. A small daily or weekly reward (could be a quarter, could be a peanut butter cup in their lunch at the end of the week) can help remind them to bring their lunch containers home. Plus it’s a great opportunity to talk about being responsible for their things.

Prep Instead of Panic

Nothing can send me into a panic like waking up late on a school day. The easiest thing to fall by the wayside in a moment of fight or miss the school bus? Yep, lunch.

Eliminate the stress and strain (and the temptation to toss a handful of pretzels and an over-brown banana in her lunch box) by prepping school lunches the night before.

Quick Tip: Carve out an hour or so each weekend to prep things for lunches during the week. Boil a few eggs, cut carrots and celery into easy-to-pack sticks, pre-load small containers with peanut butter, hummus or ranch dressing for easy packing.

Don’t forget to get the kids involved. If your children are older, let them chop veggies. Younger kids can help wash fruit or put stuff in storage bags.

Think Beyond the Sandwich When Thinking About School Lunch

Remember all of those amazing lunch recipes you pinned? I’d wager to say that most of them didn’t involve slapping a little PB&J between 2 pieces of white bread.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good PB&J, especially with a few sour cream and onion potato chips squished flat in the middle (I know it’s strange, don’t judge!), but a lot of kids get bored with the same thing day after day after day.

The key to making things perfect for school lunches is keeping everything bite-sized. No kid wants to bust out with a fork and knife, trust me. Try skipping the bread all together. Substitute cucumber slices, tortilla wedges or even mini waffles to mix things up.

Quick Tip: Prepare an extra dinner serving each night. Pan roasted sausage slices with a little barbecue sauce, meatballs with marinara, caprese salad, and sticky rice balls all make great sandwich-free lunch options.

What tips do you have for packing a healthy school lunch? Share your ideas in the comments section.

10 Ways to Spend Less on School Supplies

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10 Ways to Save Money When Buying School Supplies

The cost of school supplies can be shocking for military families, especially if they are buying for more than 1 child.

It’s August and school is due to start again. With a new school year brings the need to buy new school supplies. A lot of schools will provide the school supply list ahead of time. The supplies are based on grade level to make it easy for you to know what you need to buy for your student. The cost of school supplies can be shocking for military families, especially if they are buying for more than 1 child.

Here are 10 ways to save money when shopping for school supplies:

  1. Compare prices. This might seem obvious but make sure you check and see which stores have the best prices. It might be worth your time to find the best deal.
  2. Use coupons. Look and see if you can find any coupons for school supplies. This will save you a little bit of cash.
  3. Tax free weekend. Some states will do this right before school starts. You can save money on taxes by shopping during this time.
  4. Stock up year-round. If you can know what the school supplies are ahead of time, shop year-round for them when you spot a deal. Even if you don’t find a deal you will be able to spread what you need to spend over months instead of having to spend it all on a single shopping trip.
  5. Check the dollar store. You should be able to get some of your supplies for a lot cheaper there.
  6. Shop your home. You probably have at least some scissors, Kleenex and maybe even crayons sitting around your house that you can use for the following  school year. When it comes to backpacks, don’t buy a new one unless it needs to be replaced.
  7. Wait until school starts. This is a hard one for me. I want to be prepared but year after year the teacher requests something a little different from the general list that the school gives out. By doing this you will only buy what is needed and won’t waste money on something that isn’t required by the teacher.
  8. Don’t go for the fancy stuff. While we were shopping I noticed a big difference in price from a regular blue notebook and one with a character on it. To save money it is best to stay away from trademarked items.
  9. Register for contests. There will be school supply giveaways either locally or online. Enter as many as you can. You never know, you might just be the winner and won’t have to pay for anything this year.
  10. Buy in bulk and split them up. Most likely some of your kids are going to require buying the same items. Check and see if buying a 6-pack of highlighters is cheaper and 2- or 3-packs. We have also done this with pencils and glue sticks.
10 Ways to Save Money When Shopping for Back to School

Buy school supply staples, like pencils and crayons, year-round to save money.

School supply shopping can be hard on your budget but hopefully this list will give you a few ideas to make it a little easier for you and your budget.

What are your tips for saving money when shopping for school supplies?