The only Commissary baggers that bag CAPT ALOHA's lumpia, pancit & baluts are Filipino women ... they will accept nothing less and neither will I ...
P.S. ... they absolutely HATE Trophy Wife ®
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- Thread starter incubus852
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Why's that? Oh, and the Reserved symbol = Awesome.
Thisguy
Pain-in-the-dick
I'm with you there. After years of swinging by the Commissary after work to do my grocery shopping, I'm easily spending twice as much at the Safeway in town on my grad school tour. The funny thing is, when I was an ENS, I had some other ENSs look at me with disgust and say "Ugh...you shop there?" After they found out how much cheaper it was, they dropped the fucking attitude and started shopping there themselves.
Oh, and for anyone who tries to rationalize that the Commissary isn't really that good of a deal because the surcharge offsets the savings...take a look at your receipt the next time and look at the actual surcharge: it's usually only a few bucks.
I'm definitely looking forward to my PCS where I'll have more walking around money after doing my grocery shopping at the Commissary.
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
What?!? The exchange has baggers that work for tips too?!? And here I thought I only had to dodge them at the Commissary...
I loved the commissary at P Cola. It was a good sized place, with good products and it was cheap. Other commissaries, not so much. I won't buy produce from the commissary, since it seems to go bad about 15 minutes after it gets outside the store. I get better quality meat from a butcher for less, so that's out. The only thing I really get there is stuff that won't go bad: cereals, canned food, etc. Their boar's head deli meat is actually more expensive than the grocery stores. One more reason to avoid the commissary.
Child bride was convinced that anything "military" was second class, viewed the commissary with contempt, railed against the surcharge. While shopping at the comissary is not my favorite thing to do, my views of life being now more pragmatic, I did a price comparison, small of course, and found a "basket of vittles" was 32% less in the commissary than our local "super duper". My experince over the years is that quality varies from comissary to commissary. Bride did her own study and found that meats are far better in our local commissary, fresh veggies not near as good as Magruders, and the big red flag, all three local commissaries frequenty sell products are are outdated, in some cases down right stale, dry cereal some boxes a year old, taste the same as cardboard in which they were packaged. Example milk; "Super Duper" milk has about 2 week shelf life, commissary 2 days. My assumption is fresh is more expensive in wholesale markets.
I noted that some folks even capitalized the "C" in commissary, herein. Wow, that is devotion.
Turning to the NEX Incorporated. I think it criminal they way Mother NEX Incorporated cheats patrons. Last years products, factory seconds, high prices and down right bait and switch tactics should not be tolerated. While contribution to the MWR is noted and in garden spots like Diego Garcia the opportunity to buy "back home" products is invaluable, I suspect that is more about Mother Navy rather that Mother NEX Incorporated. In my view it is time to rethink NEX Incorporated.
I noted that some folks even capitalized the "C" in commissary, herein. Wow, that is devotion.
Turning to the NEX Incorporated. I think it criminal they way Mother NEX Incorporated cheats patrons. Last years products, factory seconds, high prices and down right bait and switch tactics should not be tolerated. While contribution to the MWR is noted and in garden spots like Diego Garcia the opportunity to buy "back home" products is invaluable, I suspect that is more about Mother Navy rather that Mother NEX Incorporated. In my view it is time to rethink NEX Incorporated.
Some crusty old retired Master Chief told me once the NEX sold cigarettes and booze with no markup and duty free. Not sales tax free, like duty free airport shopping. Cheap as hell. Any truth to that?
As for the Commissary itself, I get shelf stuff there, but fresh things I like to go out in town for. Annoyances:
-The meat department people wont cut down or resize things for me. If I only need half a pound of chuck roast, but they won't cut down the 2lb roast for me. Publix or Apple Market will. Oh, you only need 2 chicken breasts? Yeah, you need to buy the 5lb economy size.
-No fresh seafood. Joe Patti has you covered for that anyway.
-Surprisingly light in terms of ethnic ingredients. I could get 50 types of ramen/boxed noodle dinners, but not straight up chinese egg noodles for my lo mein? No thai chili garlic paste.
-Produce seems to not keep well. The stuff I get from the farmers market does.
This might seem lame, but Whole Foods being in town is a consideration for my duty station.
As for the Commissary itself, I get shelf stuff there, but fresh things I like to go out in town for. Annoyances:
-The meat department people wont cut down or resize things for me. If I only need half a pound of chuck roast, but they won't cut down the 2lb roast for me. Publix or Apple Market will. Oh, you only need 2 chicken breasts? Yeah, you need to buy the 5lb economy size.
-No fresh seafood. Joe Patti has you covered for that anyway.
-Surprisingly light in terms of ethnic ingredients. I could get 50 types of ramen/boxed noodle dinners, but not straight up chinese egg noodles for my lo mein? No thai chili garlic paste.
-Produce seems to not keep well. The stuff I get from the farmers market does.
This might seem lame, but Whole Foods being in town is a consideration for my duty station.
Whole Foods' produce is well worth the extra cash you'll have to fork over. Being in KS, I try and hit the farmer's market when foods are in season. It's hard not to buy directly from the source.
No idea about cigarettes, but I haven't noticed much of a difference with beer prices. Liquor, on the other hand, seems to be cheaper. I don't have hard evidence to back that up, though.
All you nattering nabobs of negativism crack me up w/ your pseudo-elitism and revulsion when faced w/ the horrific specter of shopping for din-din @ the Navy Commissary.
I shop the Commissary/NEX, have for decades, and I'm not 'too good' to go there. As I'm too good to associate w/ most of you -- why would you young skulls full of cottage cheese think YOU're too good to get down and 'get dirty' w/ the 'little people' ... ??? Shop where some of the ones that work for you shop ???
Some of you guys are really whiners; it's hard to believe you're life-takers & heart-breakers. However, I guess a degree of whining is to be expected, now that Mommy's not buying all your shit for you. You want perfection?? That's only available @ the Navy Commissary in Heaven ...
Reality check: overall, you save @ 30% at the Commissary when compared to the local grocery market(s). Why do you think the 'locals' are the biggest anti-Commissary lobbyists when the question of shutting down the Commissary system occasionally rears it's ugly head in Congress?? 'Cause they HATE the competition and the dent the Commissary puts in their bottom line, that's why ... ESPECIALLY in the 'smaller' burbs where some of the bases are located.
The quality of fresh stuff @ the Commissary varies from day to day (as it does in civie street - I used to work there), but based on PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ... the meats/produce/dairy available on any given day @ NUW and Pearl Commissaries are as good as what's available on the outside -- Kaneohe, not so much, kind of a dark hole. McCord-Ft. Lewis is below average. NKX used to be the west coast standard to measure by ... but now that the Gyrenes have it?? Hickam is a joke ... :sleep_125
Produce?? I used to work produce before I went to work for UNCLE -- I was taught by a little Jap truck farmer -- he was an EXPERT -- thanks to him, I KNOW produce. The Commissary produce @ NUW is on a par w/ what's available locally, and a hell of a lot cheaper, to boot. Same-O for Pearl (and the fresh tropical fruit/veggies have never let me walk away 'unhappy'). The NUW produce section is occasionally O-U-T of something I want mebbe 3-4 times/year (I guess the boat didn't come in?? Is it gut-check time ???), but I've never been 'disappointed' w/ the Pearl produce (I guess the boat DID come in?? Is it happy face time?? ) ... and the vaunted Whole Foods Market(s) ... ??? Harrrumph. I shop a large one near #1 daughter's place when I'm in beautiful-person-yuppie-land, and the produce quality is quite average -- no bettah' than the Navy.
Farmer's markets?? I don't buy produce from hippies. They shit in the fields while pulling weeds. Or was that smoking weeds ... ??? Never could get that straight ...
Meat ??? Generally as much 'choice' as the locals -- and a hell of a lot cheaper, to boot. (Did I already say that ... ???) .. same for fish -- while not the Pike Place Market, both Pearl & NUW have fresh seafood w/ a decent selection and it usually fits my shopping 'list'. I've never asked the Pearl Commissary for 'special' meat-cut service, but its NUW cousin is always ready and willing to make 'special' cuts if you ask them, sometimes even when there's no 'cutter' on duty that day. I've had Commissary steaks/roasts, etc. that when properly prepared would rival any $50 dinner at a restaurant where you have to wear shoes and a T-shirt ... (mebbe THAT's the problem -- some of you are just retarded as galley-chef's ???). No meat market is going to break open a pre-package of chicken to give you 'a couple of breasts', as what are they gonna' do w/ the left-over?? They can't sell it. I just wish the Commissary still offered 'Prime' beef, but that's largely gone away -- and pretty much so in civie-street, too ...
Dairy?? Same quality and brands as the outside sources ... selection's probably not as much, but then most of the stuff is superfulous, I don't use it, and it gets thrown out in civie-street markets anyway. The price is 1/3 more in civie street (is there an echo in here ???). The Commissary milk I have (Darigold) in the refer right NOW has a pull date 3 weeks hence -- so what's your problem?? You DO have a refrigerator, don't you?? 'Cept what the hell ARE they doin' to cows these days to make the milk last so long ... ???
That's it for the 'fresh' stuff. But what about the rest of the stuff?? The stuff in 'death valley'?? (All the aisles containing canned/boxed/processed foods?) ... it's all the same, only cheaper overall @ the Commissary. (there's that echo, again ... ). If you stay out of 'death valley', you'll find you're hardly putting any garbage by the curb on pick-up day, as you consume most of the fresh stuff, but conversely, you throw away a shit-load of the packages/cans in which the processed crap arrives @ your local Navy grocery shelf. Same for civie street stores ... hmmmmmmmm ... there must be a 'lesson' in there somewhere ... ???
Ethnic stuff?? It's there, but it largely depends on the amount of 'ethnicity' represented in the local Navy population. It's always about $$$$. Lots of Filipino food where there's lot of Filipinos (like in every USN base). Lots of European 'dainties' where the Army & Air Force people frequent. Lots of Bruddah' food @ Pearl ... not so much @ NUW. Lots of Beaner food in Tejas and not so much in ... wait, I guess that's changing on a daily basis ??? 
The Commissary surcharge?? Get real -- it's mandated by Congress for construction & maintenance of Commissary facilities. If you don't like it, write your Congressman. And it's currently 5%, so if you're saving @ 30% and you have to 'give back' 5% ... hmmmmm ... let's see ... is that a good deal?? Let me get my calculator ...
Oh, and did I mention that it's generally 30% cheaper when shopping @ UNCLE's grocery store on a regular basis ???
A biggie for me = I don't run around town to chase sales @ the grocery markets in an attempt to 'beat' the Commissary on 3-4 items (it can be done) and I don't chase the stock markets, either (wastes too much time and gas for that 3-4 items, and if you know how to time the stock market, please let me know). They're both losing propositions ...
The NEX ??? That's another story. But again, if you were expecting 'perfection', they wouldn't allow YOU in from the get-go, would they??
>>>> More shopping lessons for the haute cuisine challenged later ...sign up now for the newsletter.
I shop the Commissary/NEX, have for decades, and I'm not 'too good' to go there. As I'm too good to associate w/ most of you -- why would you young skulls full of cottage cheese think YOU're too good to get down and 'get dirty' w/ the 'little people' ... ??? Shop where some of the ones that work for you shop ???
Some of you guys are really whiners; it's hard to believe you're life-takers & heart-breakers. However, I guess a degree of whining is to be expected, now that Mommy's not buying all your shit for you. You want perfection?? That's only available @ the Navy Commissary in Heaven ...
Reality check: overall, you save @ 30% at the Commissary when compared to the local grocery market(s). Why do you think the 'locals' are the biggest anti-Commissary lobbyists when the question of shutting down the Commissary system occasionally rears it's ugly head in Congress?? 'Cause they HATE the competition and the dent the Commissary puts in their bottom line, that's why ... ESPECIALLY in the 'smaller' burbs where some of the bases are located.
The quality of fresh stuff @ the Commissary varies from day to day (as it does in civie street - I used to work there), but based on PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ... the meats/produce/dairy available on any given day @ NUW and Pearl Commissaries are as good as what's available on the outside -- Kaneohe, not so much, kind of a dark hole. McCord-Ft. Lewis is below average. NKX used to be the west coast standard to measure by ... but now that the Gyrenes have it?? Hickam is a joke ... :sleep_125
Produce?? I used to work produce before I went to work for UNCLE -- I was taught by a little Jap truck farmer -- he was an EXPERT -- thanks to him, I KNOW produce. The Commissary produce @ NUW is on a par w/ what's available locally, and a hell of a lot cheaper, to boot. Same-O for Pearl (and the fresh tropical fruit/veggies have never let me walk away 'unhappy'). The NUW produce section is occasionally O-U-T of something I want mebbe 3-4 times/year (I guess the boat didn't come in?? Is it gut-check time ???
), but I've never been 'disappointed' w/ the Pearl produce (I guess the boat DID come in?? Is it happy face time?? ) ... and the vaunted Whole Foods Market(s) ... ??? Harrrumph. I shop a large one near #1 daughter's place when I'm in beautiful-person-yuppie-land, and the produce quality is quite average -- no bettah' than the Navy.Farmer's markets?? I don't buy produce from hippies. They shit in the fields while pulling weeds. Or was that smoking weeds ... ??? Never could get that straight ...
Meat ??? Generally as much 'choice' as the locals -- and a hell of a lot cheaper, to boot. (Did I already say that ... ???) .. same for fish -- while not the Pike Place Market, both Pearl & NUW have fresh seafood w/ a decent selection and it usually fits my shopping 'list'. I've never asked the Pearl Commissary for 'special' meat-cut service, but its NUW cousin is always ready and willing to make 'special' cuts if you ask them, sometimes even when there's no 'cutter' on duty that day. I've had Commissary steaks/roasts, etc. that when properly prepared would rival any $50 dinner at a restaurant where you have to wear shoes and a T-shirt ... (mebbe THAT's the problem -- some of you are just retarded as galley-chef's ???). No meat market is going to break open a pre-package of chicken to give you 'a couple of breasts', as what are they gonna' do w/ the left-over?? They can't sell it. I just wish the Commissary still offered 'Prime' beef, but that's largely gone away -- and pretty much so in civie-street, too ...
Dairy?? Same quality and brands as the outside sources ... selection's probably not as much, but then most of the stuff is superfulous, I don't use it, and it gets thrown out in civie-street markets anyway. The price is 1/3 more in civie street (is there an echo in here ???). The Commissary milk I have (Darigold) in the refer right NOW has a pull date 3 weeks hence -- so what's your problem?? You DO have a refrigerator, don't you?? 'Cept what the hell ARE they doin' to cows these days to make the milk last so long ... ???
That's it for the 'fresh' stuff. But what about the rest of the stuff?? The stuff in 'death valley'?? (All the aisles containing canned/boxed/processed foods?) ... it's all the same, only cheaper overall @ the Commissary. (there's that echo, again ... ). If you stay out of 'death valley', you'll find you're hardly putting any garbage by the curb on pick-up day, as you consume most of the fresh stuff, but conversely, you throw away a shit-load of the packages/cans in which the processed crap arrives @ your local Navy grocery shelf. Same for civie street stores ... hmmmmmmmm ... there must be a 'lesson' in there somewhere ... ???
Ethnic stuff?? It's there, but it largely depends on the amount of 'ethnicity' represented in the local Navy population. It's always about $$$$. Lots of Filipino food where there's lot of Filipinos (like in every USN base
). Lots of European 'dainties' where the Army & Air Force people frequent. Lots of Bruddah' food @ Pearl ... not so much @ NUW. Lots of Beaner food in Tejas and not so much in ... wait, I guess that's changing on a daily basis ??? The Commissary surcharge?? Get real -- it's mandated by Congress for construction & maintenance of Commissary facilities. If you don't like it, write your Congressman. And it's currently 5%, so if you're saving @ 30% and you have to 'give back' 5% ... hmmmmm ... let's see ... is that a good deal?? Let me get my calculator ...
Oh, and did I mention that it's generally 30% cheaper when shopping @ UNCLE's grocery store on a regular basis ???
A biggie for me = I don't run around town to chase sales @ the grocery markets in an attempt to 'beat' the Commissary on 3-4 items (it can be done) and I don't chase the stock markets, either (wastes too much time and gas for that 3-4 items, and if you know how to time the stock market, please let me know). They're both losing propositions ...
The NEX ??? That's another story. But again, if you were expecting 'perfection', they wouldn't allow YOU in from the get-go, would they??
>>>> More shopping lessons for the haute cuisine challenged later ...sign up now for the newsletter.
Hah, well, farmer's markets in Kansas are a little different. In small towns (like the one I live in) It's typically the farmer driving in to the city with whatever he's growing that's in season. I find some of the best produce in the area there. If you associated a farmer out here with hippies, you may find yourself taking a dirt nap in a cow pasture.
For what it's worth, the meat selection at Miramar blew my socks off. And someone mentioned not being able to get the butcher to cut meats/get specific quantities/order specific stuff... that's just downright bull. You should probably say something to the manager about that. Every commissary I've been to has been more than willing to help out with meats.
Unfortunately, it's symptomatic of supermarkets in general. Gone are the days when you had a legitimate meat counter with a butcher who actually knows his trade. Now it's just prepackaged crap and some retarded who thinks boston butt is actually butt.
Unfortunately, it's symptomatic of supermarkets in general. Gone are the days when you had a legitimate meat counter with a butcher who actually knows his trade. Now it's just prepackaged crap and some retarded who thinks boston butt is actually butt.
+1 on the Miramar commissary, better than any of the ones I have been to thus far. If you wanna pay a little more for some damn good grass fed beef (or other stuff not normally sold in supermarkets/commissary), I'd check out Home Grown meats in La Jolla.....also very good stuff.
Pretty sure my great Grandfather sold his wares at a farmer's market. If you called him a hippy, he would have probably left his plug of red man on your chest after he knocked you down. I worked his farm for 10 years, and worked the farmer's market every harvest season for the last 3 years. There's nothing hippy/elitist/leftist about it. Your food comes out of the ground, goes to the market, and ends up in your home. It doesn't have to be distributed thru a middleman (which adds cost), trucked across the country which wastes gas and adds cost, and most importantly, it doesn't have to be picked early or processed to survive the trip. Ever seen those bright green bananas at the commissary? How much greener do you think they were when they were picked?
I wonder though, why not buy local when you've got the opportunity? Fresher, supports the people you live and work around...it seems like a win for everyone. I guess I'll have to continue to be a commie when I get home by going to my local butcher for good cuts of meat (I buy beef by the side...how hippy of me) and getting fruit and vegetables from the guys who own the land it comes from. I loved Joe Pattie's, too. Getting a fresh piece of fish from the guy who caught it, and not thru a middle man after it's been trucked across the country on ice...forgive me for being such an elitist.
My hatred for the commissary is not born out of any thought that it's low brow: my problems come from the lack of consistency between commissaries and the problems with quality I've had at the past commissaries. I've gone to all of them, and have had enough bad experiences to stop throwing my money away. If that's not capitalism at it's finest, I don't know what is. I never had a problem in PCola at Corry Station. It was a good commissary, and the only place I bought my groceries from in Florabama. The rest of my duty stations? Not so much.
You think the migrant workers who picked the food that's wilting on the shelves in the commissary didn't shit in the fields where they picked the food? Ever hear of a manure spreader...you think there's some cosmic difference between cow shit in the fields and people shit in the fields?
Boy ... what an unhappy shopper. I guess someone LITERALLY shit in your Cheerios ... I wonder if it was illegals workin' the fields ... or cows ???
No hippies?? You obviously haven't frequented too many ''farmers' markets'' in the Great Northwest -- ALL of the applicants/proponents of ''farmers' markets'' while I was on the County Planning Commission were burned-out '60s hippies or their progeny. NO exceptions -- believe it.
I stand by everything I said -- like I said; experience.
Can't say I have been to the PNW. I'll be up that way for POM leave in late June, looking forward to it.
Don't let the douche bags up your way ruin your perception of hard working, honest people in other parts of the country.
As far as shit in my cheerios...probably, but no more than anyone's shit in yours.