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NEWS RELEASE
Defense Commissary Agency
1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800
Tel: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105 DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105
FAX: (804) 734-8248 DSN: 687-8248
www.commissaries.com
Release Number: 90-20
Date: November 16, 2020
Media Contact: Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist
Tel.: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
E-mail: kevin.robinson@deca.mil
Commissaries announce holiday schedule
By DeCA Corporate Communications
Note: To read this release online, go to the DeCA website.
FORT LEE, Va. – Military commissaries will operate under a holiday schedule beginning Nov. 23, the Defense Commissary Agency announced.
The announcement means that many of the commissaries normally closed on Mondays will be open Nov. 23, expanding available shopping hours for patrons preparing for their holiday meals. Similarly, most stores will also be open Monday, Dec. 21, except for Hario Village Housing Area, Japan; U.S. Army Garrison Garmisch, Germany; Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona; and Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, Alaska.
All commissaries will be open on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) and New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) except for Robinson Barracks, Germany, which is closed Dec. 31.
All commissaries will be closed on Thanksgiving (Nov. 26), Christmas (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1).
Patrons are reminded to check the “Store Information & Holiday Hours” box on their store’s webpage for specific operating schedules.
“We hope that our schedule helps patrons to maximize their benefit and save money over the holidays,” said Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Saucedo, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director.
-DeCA-
Defense Commissary Agency
1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800
Tel: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105 DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105
FAX: (804) 734-8248 DSN: 687-8248
www.commissaries.com
Release Number: 74-20
Date: Sept. 22, 2020
Media Contact: Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist
Tel.: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
E-mail: kevin.robinson@deca.mil
By Kathy Milley,
DeCA Corporate Communications
Note: To read this release online, go to the DeCA website.
FORT LEE, Va. – Until 2020, the frequency of family meals prepared at home was on the decline. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, preparing and sharing meals at home snapped back into focus, becoming the norm.
During September’s Family Meals Month, the Defense Commissary Agency hopes military families focus on the benefits of cooking and eating meals together and will, hopefully, keep home-cooking a tradition long after the threat of the pandemic recedes.
“Engaging the family to prepare a home-cooked meal and share it around the dinner table can have overwhelmingly positive benefits,” said Deborah Harris, DeCA’s dietitian and health and wellness program manager, MPH, RD, CDCES (Masters of Public Health, registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist). “One of the best potential benefits is improving the nutrition quality of the family diet.”
Even those who are living alone, including service members in the barracks, can adopt the healthy habit of cooking more meals at home. Choosing a combination of ready-to-eat, semi-prepared, and fresh items, can add momentum to your nutrition game and help make the most of your hard work during physical activity.
Simply cooking a baked potato in the microwave and topping it with frozen broccoli, cheese, and deli meats is a fraction of the cost of visiting a fast-food drive through. The commissary offers many choices of frozen pizza and other frozen entrees and are much less expensive than eating out. Stock your fridge so you always have something on hand when you don’t feel like cooking.
Preparing and eating meals at home is a better choice for many reasons:
“Designed with our families in mind, the Defense Commissary Agency offers a large assortment of easy-to-prepare, dietitian-approved recipes, many of which are customizable for picky eaters, always one click away on commissaries.com,” Harris said. “Visit the recipes link and filter by clicking “dietitian approved.”
DeCA is continually adding new healthy recipes to commissaries.com, ensuring military customers have the tools they need to improve the nutrition quality of their diet. There are even recipes from celebrity chef Robert Irvine, who develops delicious, nutritious recipes just for commissary customers.
Customers can also visit the “Healthy Living” tab on commissaries.com to learn nutrition tips, set goals and download meal planning resources, menus and no-fuss meal plans, all designed to help meet their health and wellness goals.
Click on the “Thinking Outside the Box” link to open a list of meals that include recipes and nutrition education. Use these to set goals while teaching the family about the nutrition attributes of the recipes you choose to try. Customers are encouraged to contact DeCA via social media to give their feedback on recipes, share photos and pass on any adaptation they’ve made at home.
“During September’s Family Meals Month, I challenge our families to set a goal of cooking at least two additional weekly meals at home,” said Harris. “If time is an issue, purchase prepared meals from our deli or frozen foods section. In addition, getting kids involved with making their snacks is a great way to try new foods, build skills and enjoy time being with you in the kitchen. Snacks can be as simple as preparing a cheese and cracker plate with some fresh fruit.
“All these suggestions are a great way to save time and still get the family together around the table,” she added. “And don’t forget to give our commissary brands and Your Everyday Savings! items a try – helping you to save big at the register.”
-DeCA-
By Kevin L. Robinson,
DeCA public affairs specialist
Note: To read this release online, go to the DeCA website.
FORT LEE, Va. – During September, National Preparedness Month highlights the significance of being ready for emergencies. This is a message the Defense Commissary Agency takes to heart as it helps its customers save on many of the items they should include in their survival kits.
“When an emergency occurs – bad weather, manmade event or pandemic – you’re either prepared or you’re not,” said Tracie Russ, DeCA’s director of sales. “We want our customers to know their commissary benefit is here for them so they can be prepared now.”
The theme for this year’s National Preparedness Month is “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” The month is separated into four activities: Sept. 1-5 – make a plan; Sept. 6-12 – build a kit; Sept. 13-19 – prepare for disasters; and Sept. 20-26 – teach youth about preparedness.
From April through Oct. 31, DeCA’s severe weather promotional package helps customers prepare their survival kits with discounts on the following items: beef jerky and other assorted meat snacks, soup and chili mixes, canned goods, powdered milk, cereals, batteries, airtight bags, weather-ready flashlights, tape (all-weather, heavy-duty shipping and duct), first aid kits, lighters, matches, lanterns, candles, hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes. Specific items may vary from store to store.
Whether it’s Mother Nature or a manmade crisis, emergency preparedness officials encourage prior planning with a disaster supply kit that includes the following items:
“Even with COVID-19, we still want our customers to be prepared,” Russ said. “However, we recommend they buy what they need and avoid unnecessary hoarding to ensure products are available for others.”
For more information about disaster preparedness, go to the DeCA website for lists of resources.
For more information about National Preparedness Month, go to Ready.gov where there are also links to more resources such as the Hurricane Seasonal Preparedness Digital Toolkit. Military families can also find information on emergency procedures specific to their service.
-DeCA-
NEWS RELEASE
Defense Commissary Agency
1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800
Tel: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105 DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105
FAX: (804) 734-8248 DSN: 687-8248
www.commissaries.com
Release Number: 67-20
Date: August 20, 2020
Media Contact: Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist
Tel.: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
E-mail: kevin.robinson@deca.mil
Feds Feed Families
Commissary patrons, employees donate record 2.3M pounds
By Keith Desbois,
DeCA public affairs specialist
Note: To read this release online, go to the DeCA website.
FORT LEE, Va. – Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) patrons and employees once again led this year’s Department of Defense (DOD) contributions to the annual Feds Feed Families campaign by collecting nearly 2.3 million pounds of food and personal hygiene items.
The previous donations record for DeCA’s donations was 1.6 million pounds in 2015.
Through Feds Feed Families, federal employees help food banks and pantries stay stocked during summer months when the need for donations is at its greatest. Although this year’s campaign officially ran from June 1 to July 31, DOD agencies could include all of their donations collected from Jan. 1 to Aug. 14. DeCA’s participation represented almost 90 percent of DOD’s total donation of more than 2.5 million pounds.
“It was only through the generosity of our employees and customers,” said Randy Eller, DeCA’s director of logistics. “Every year they really step up and get the job done in terms of donations. This year’s campaign broke the DOD record, and we significantly contributed to that success.”
Last year, DeCA collected more than 753,000 pounds of donations, about 73 percent of the over 1 million pounds collected by DOD. This year, for the first time, the DOD delegated DeCA to be the Department’s lead for the campaign.
Patrons and employees donated in a number of ways. In the commissary, prepackaged bags filled with DeCA’s Freedom’s Choice store brand items were available for purchase. After purchasing the bag, patrons simply dropped it in a donation box or left it with the cashier.
“The commissaries sold a little over 27,000 bags and this is absolutely fantastic,” added Eller.
Commissaries also accepted unopened, sealed donations brought from home, or patrons and employees could purchase individual items in the store. Once the donations were collected, the commissary and their installation worked together to get them to a local foodbank or pantry.
The commissaries’ commitment doesn’t stop there.
Throughout the year, commissaries donate edible but unsellable products to local food banks and pantries around the country through DeCA’s food donation program.
Since Feds Feed Families began in 2009, federal employees have collected over 92 million pounds of food. For more information on this campaign, go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Feds Feed Families webpage.
-DeCA-
Defense Commissary Agency
1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800
Tel: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105 DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105
FAX: (804) 734-8248 DSN: 687-8248
www.commissaries.com
Release Number: 65-20
Date: August 6, 2020
Media Contact: Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist
Tel.: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
E-mail: kevin.robinson@deca.mil
CLICK2GO
Commissaries continue roll out of new curbside pickup program at Fort Lee; five more scheduled later in 2020
By Rick Brink,
DeCA public affairs specialist
Note: To read this release online, go to the DeCA website.To see photos related to this release, go to the agency’s Flickr site.
FORT LEE, Va. – CLICK2GO, the Defense Commissary Agency’s online ordering/curbside pickup grocery service, returned Aug. 4 to the Fort Lee Commissary in Virginia following a yearlong absence.
“We’re pleased to be back to provide this service that’s become especially popular as we all cope with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Willie Watkins, DeCA’s eBusiness chief. “More and more people like being able to shop online and pick up their groceries without having to go inside a store.”
In September 2013, the Fort Lee Commissary became the first store to offer curbside pickup under a pilot program that included two other commissaries. DeCA discontinued that program in June 2019 to make way for a new CLICK2GO, as the agency rolled out its new Enterprise Business System to stores. Fort Lee is now the sixth store to offer the new service, and five more commissaries are slated to get it later this year.
Using curbside pickup is a straight-forward process. Authorized commissary shoppers access the system via the agency’s customer portal, MyCommissary. An initial sign-up is required the first time patrons access MyCommissary. Patrons can also learn more about CLICK2GO on Commissaries.com.
Once in CLICK2GO, patrons select from commissary products offered online based on the store’s stock assortment. After products are selected, the patron selects a pickup time and completes the checkout process. The only thing left to do is arrive at curbside at the appointed time, and pay. Commissary workers will load the groceries in the shopper’s car and they will be on their way.
Fort Lee’s CLICK2GO customers won’t be charged a service fee through August and into the first week of September as part of an introductory offer. Beginning Sept. 8, a $4.95 service fee will be applied for each order, as it is at all curbside pickup locations.
“Our customers are keenly interested in CLICK2GO since it all started here,” said store director Margaret Camacho. “Now we’re ready to once again let them enjoy shopping online and picking up their orders without having to go inside the store, which is something that really appeals to families with young children.”
The curbside program is also offered in Virginia at Fort Eustis, Naval Air Station Oceana, Marine Corps Base Quantico and Fort Belvoir. It’s also available at the McGuire Air Force Base Commissary New Jersey, part of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst community.
In the other five stores where it’s offered, CLICK2GO has seen a huge increase in customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the startup at the Fort Lee Commissary is just the latest part of an ongoing expansion of the service, Watkins said.
Barring any unforeseen issues, the agency plans to roll out the service to five more commissaries this year, and there are plans to expand it to considerably to more stores over the next two years, said Watkins.
The five stores scheduled to receive the service later this year are: Fort Polk, Louisiana; Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida; Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota; and Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. The number of stores and locations to get the service in 2021 haven’t been announced.
DeCA operates 236 commissaries worldwide. Not all stores will receive the service. A variety of factors, including sales and transactions, existing infrastructure and demographics are considered to determine if a commissary is suitable for CLICK2GO.
“Our agency is responding to customer shopping trends, and we’re pleased to be able to expand this service,” Watkins said.
-DeCA-
NEWS RELEASE
Defense Commissary Agency
1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800
Tel: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105 DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105
FAX: (804) 734-8248 DSN: 687-8248
www.commissaries.com
Release Number: 58-20
Date: July 16, 2020
Media Contact: Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist
Tel.: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
E-mail: kevin.robinson@deca.mil
Commissary customers find healthy fresh fruits, vegetables thanks to resilient supply chain
By Kevin L. Robinson,
DeCA public affairs specialist
Note: To read this release online, go to the DeCA website.
FORT LEE, Va. – Commissary produce personnel and industry partners are working through challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the military stores are well-stocked with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
For service members and their families, this means continued access to the nutritious fruits and vegetables needed for their daily meals, said Deborah Harris, registered dietitian and health and wellness program manager for the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA).
“One thing that many may not know about our commissary produce is that we work really hard with our produce distributors to procure local fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible,” Harris said. “We support local investments to strengthen local communities while reducing our carbon footprint with less food miles.”
Now that summer is here, commissary customers can find nutrient-dense fresh produce by shopping for varieties – fresh, canned or frozen – that have no added sugar, sodium, and are low in fat.
“Fresh produce, because it hasn’t undergone any processing, is a sure bet, as nothing has been added,” Harris said. “A great way to get kids to increase their fruit and vegetable intake is to let them choose an item in our produce section on their own and then help you prepare the item for a snack or meal. We have a great selection of dietitian-approved recipes on our website, www.commissaries.com.”
The nutritional value of produce is reinforced by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a reference produced by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These guidelines recommend fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy eating pattern. According to the MyPlate food guidance system, Americans should make half their plate fruits and vegetables for most meals, Harris said.
“A diet high in fruits and vegetables provides key vitamins and minerals to ward off chronic disease and keep your immune system strong,” she added. “Also, because they tend to be lower in calories than other food groups, a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is a waistline-friendly strategy.”
Working through COVID-19
The impact of COVID-19 on commissaries is visible to customers, such as plexiglass shields, disinfecting carts, handwashing stations, social distancing tape on floors, and staff wearing masks. The adjustments for produce departments were less visible. Unprecedented shopping trends pressed store teams, prompting managers to forecast orders well in advance to obtain sufficient quantities of high-demand items, said Mike Pfister, chief of the perishable division for DeCA’s Store Operations Group.
“Produce is highly perishable and not mass produced in a factory; it is grown, harvested, processed, and then shipped to locations for display,” Pfister said. “A lot of time goes into maintaining a produce department as well as the logistical planning to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for our customers, along with dealing with so many other variables such as weather, insects, contaminates/diseases and workforce availability.”
Teamwork and communication between the commissaries and their headquarters support is crucial, Pfister said, to address concerns with produce suppliers, trucking companies, contracting issues, installation access restrictions and adjustments to delivery times.
“Our store produce departments have done a fantastic job in this unprecedented time, providing great customer service,” he said. “Our teams are continuously putting the mission of supporting military communities first.”
Partnering with industry
In the best of times, commissaries work closely with their industry partners to supply the products customers want. COVID-19 put that relationship to a test no one had anticipated, said Bridget Bennett, produce category manager for the agency’s sales directorate.
“Daily communications with all of our produce suppliers became critical,” Bennett said. “With the initial panic buying, the suppliers were caught off guard as we all were. Order quantities increased 50 percent on many items, and they couldn’t get enough product into the warehouse as quickly as it was being depleted.
“Items we would normally sell gave way to larger packs of hardier items such as citrus, apples, potatoes and carrots,” she said. “In some instances the stores would have to receive whatever they could to supply the customers with product. When personnel in the packing houses grew thin and the current supply was depleted, the stores had extra bulk on hand until the packers could catch up.”
Because of the virus, growers and packers faced a shrinking market, Bennett said. Food service suppliers catering to restaurants, theme parks, cruise lines and schools suddenly found themselves without buyers. The fields that supported those sectors couldn’t be harvested and were subsequently plowed under. Some farms went bankrupt, and processing plants reduced their products down to a core list of items, discontinuing some ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables and packaged salads.
However, going into the summer, most produce availability is returning to normal, Bennett said. One notable exception would be corn, which at the moment, is in very limited supply. “Produce is in peak season for summer fruits and vegetables, and commissary shoppers are hungry for fresh cherries, watermelon, cantaloupes, peaches, squash, tomatoes, corn and all the other goodies – too many to mention.”
From the farm to the commissary shelf: It’s a supply line that cannot be taken for granted, Harris said.
“I have personally been in the fields of our American farmers and have seen the product that is being grown for our military families,” she said. “One thing that is never lost on me is the pride the farmers feel in knowing that they are supporting our nation’s greatest assets, members of our military community.”
-DeCA-
If it has been a while since you visited the Defense Commissary Agencie’s (DeCA) Website make the time to check it out. There is a wealth of information that can save you time and money during your next shopping visit to your local commissary. Having a game plan on your next visit and understanding how to maneuver through the aisles will make your visit run smoothly.
“Often taking some time to explore your commissary can be beneficial – to see what new products are on the shelves or taking time to talk to department managers,” said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Tomeka N. O’Neal, DeCA’s senior enlisted advisor to the agency director. “But other times you really need to get in and get out quickly. Using these tips will help you efficiently whiz around the store and get all your weekly shopping done in no time at all.”
Here are some tips from DeCA on utilizing the commissary website that will help you plan and shop for a week’s worth of meals:
You can also save money by not shopping when you are hungry as one can purchase items not on your list due to being hungry. You can save time by not shopping during peak hours especially not on pay day or the day before which tends to be super busy. Plan to visit on a day you aren’t in a hurry and get to know the department managers. You can find out which day your favorite items are delivered to the store. They can also give you heads up on upcoming sales.
DeCA is currently testing a new program called CLICK2GO. It is similar as to the curb side pickup that is offered at civilian grocery and retail stores. Order online and the commissary staff will prepare your order and load it up when you arrive for pick up. You can use coupons and your rewards card and pay when you arrive. Currently CLICK2GO is available at Fort Belvoir, Fort Eustis, Naval Air Station Oceana and Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, and McGuire Air Force Base at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. More locations are coming. Keep checking back online for new locations.
So next time you are heading to the commissary take a little extra time to plan. It will save you time and money.
Marguerite Cleveland is a freelance writer who specializes in human interest and travel stories. She is a military brat, a veteran and now a military spouse. Her military experience is vast as the daughter of a Navy man who served as an enlisted sailor and then Naval Officer. She served as an enlisted soldier in the reserves and on active duty, then as an Army Officer. She currently serves as a military spouse. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Visit her website www.PeggyWhereShouldIGo.com
Hurricane Season runs from June 1 to November 30 and Tornado Season is April to July. Each year hurricanes and tornados wreak havoc across the country. For many military families it may be the first time you have lived in an area affected by these storms. It is important to be prepared with emergency supplies. Both your local commissaries and military exchanges are prepared to help you.
Service members and their families can plan for that disruption by using their commissary benefit to purchase emergency supplies, said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Tomeka N. O’Neal, the Defense Commissary Agency’s senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director.
“When the storm comes and all of a sudden you have no electricity, or you cannot get to the grocery store, which may also be closed – what’s your plan?” O’Neal said. “Before a bad day gets even worse, think ahead and save money as you use your commissary to help prepare for that emergency event.”
This year is scheduled to be a more average season but 2019 saw around 1500 tornadoes, one of the most active seasons on record and 18 named storms with six becoming hurricanes according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Tornadoes often occur with little time to prepare and although you have more notice with a hurricane, long lines and last minute rushes to purchase emergency supplies can leave you without what you need.
The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) is offering a severe weather promotional package from April through October 31. The package includes discounts on these items: beef jerky and other assorted meat snacks, soup and chili mixes, canned goods, powdered milk, cereals, batteries, airtight bags, weather-ready flashlights, tape (all-weather, heavy-duty shipping and duct), first aid kits, lighters, matches, lanterns, candles, hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes. Specific items may vary from store to store.
“Throughout the year we advise our customers to be ready for any emergency, natural or manmade,” O’Neal said. “Even with the COVID-19 outbreak, we still want our customers to be prepared. However, regardless of the situation, we recommend that they calmly purchase what they need and avoid any panic buying to ensure products are available for others in their communities.”
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) also has a plan to support military shoppers during storm season. During the 2019 storm season AAFES shipped almost 150,000 emergency supplies to stores up and down the East coast for Hurricane Dorian allowing stores to stay open. “The Exchange is all in to serve, especially during disasters,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor. “Should our stores be affected by a hurricane, we have internal processes in place and the experience to ensure water, batteries, flashlights, generators and other critical supplies are pushed to areas they are most needed.”
There is an Exchange Disaster Support Group (DSG) which reviews plans and guidance before each storm season. If a storm hits, mobile field exchanges (MFEs) are ready to deploy to support military first responders. Each MFE is a 53-foot trailer with emergency supplies, toiletries, snacks and drinks. “No other retailer does what the Exchange does,” Reyes said. “The Exchange stands ready to provide a ray of sunshine in the wake of a natural disaster and bring a bit of comfort and normalcy to an otherwise dire situation.”
Suggested Supplies for an Emergency Kit
Includes recommendations both for an evacuation or remaining at home. When preparing, plan for a three-day supply for evacuation and two-weeks if you are remaining at home. Think in terms of no running water or electricity.
Marguerite Cleveland is a freelance writer who specializes in human interest and travel stories. She is a military brat, a veteran and now a military spouse. Her military experience is vast as the daughter of a Navy man who served as an enlisted sailor and then Naval Officer. She served as an enlisted soldier in the reserves and on active duty, then as an Army Officer. She currently serves as a military spouse. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Visit her website www.PeggyWhereShouldIGo.com
Going grocery shopping used to be an escape for me, a little time to myself. I could wander the aisles, looking at different options and making comparisons before choosing what I wanted most. Now, I’m doing quick commissary shopping trips, thanks to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Having to cut my weekly shopping time down to almost nothing means that I’ve gotten really good, really fast at getting just what I need. I’m in an out of the store lickety-split!
Use my quick commissary shopping tips for the pandemic to help make your next grocery run extra speedy!
Everyone is supposed to be mostly sticking close to home, only venturing out for necessary trips. To help your family stick to this rule, it’s important to buy exactly what you need in bulk.
My family has long been meal planners. It’s one of my most essential ways to survive deployments and being a family with two working parents. Meal planning is also a great cost saving strategy!
Right now, it helps me to make sure that I’m getting exactly what I need to make 1-2 weeks of meals for my family of four.
I write down exactly what we’ll have for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus snacks, for two weeks at a time. Then I cross-check ingredients between the recipe and my pantry. Whatever I don’t have, goes on the list.
Some things just stick around longer while others need to be eaten faster. Which means that my meal plans reflect the longevity of the items I’m buying.
At the start of a two week period, I’m more likely to have things like mushrooms, berries or greens in rotation. By the end of the menu, we’re eating a lot more beans and rice.
As you’re meal planning, make sure to move through menus that feature more perishable foods to less perishable foods. It will help you to avoid a last minute dash to the store for just that one thing.
Because he works on base, my husband has actually been the one doing a bulk of the shopping right now. And he’s learned where things are pretty quickly in just a few trips!
Prior to the pandemic, I was the designated shopper. Mostly because I like to have control over things, but also because I know where things are located. Plus, I keep a secondary running shopping list in my head of things that would be nice to have or that we’re almost out of at home.
As my husband has learned where things are located, his shopping trips are getting much faster. Knowing where things are helps him to reorganize his list so that he’s not criss-crossing the commissary multiple times.
Instead, he can start in produce and finish at the deli without going back to the baking aisle.
Our major tip is to draw a diagram of the store or even just create a list of the aisles. Put them into the correct order as much as possible and describe what you might find there. Take a picture of your diagram or put it up somewhere you can see when you make your list.
Right now, we’re facing shortages in a few areas. Toilet paper, cleaning supplies and meat are just a few of the things that we either can’t buy or are limited in buying.
For example, the commissary is limiting how much fresh meat each shopper or family can buy. Instead of eating meat every night, we’ve switched to a more plant-based diet out of necessity.
As you’re waiting to enter the store, check out any posted signs to get an update on purchase limits. Before you load items into your cart, check around you for more signs, just in case.
We eat a lot of beans, rice and pasta. They’re shelf stable and my kids enjoy them. But I don’t want to be buying these staple foods every single week.
Instead, I’ve been watching for coupons and sales. I try to match those up with our next major shopping trip. Then I buy mass quantities of our favorite pantry items.
Buying in bulk allows us to buy certain things once a month or once every few months. Plus, it can be a money saver since larger quantities of items often have a lower per unit price. If you’re unsure, check the shelf label and look for the per unit pricing.
While bulk buying is great, it’s also important to be considerate of others. We’re all searching for a lot of the same essentials. Instead of wiping out the entire shelf of toilet paper, consider purchasing just what you need and leaving products for the next person.
We’re all really conscious of germs right now. The COVID-19 virus can linger on solid surfaces for quite a while, too.
Which makes it more important than ever that we commit to purchases 100%. Before you pick up an item, consider if you really want that particular container.
Right now, it’s encouraged that we only touch products that we are ready to purchase. If you have concerns about ingredients and can’t quickly pull up the info on your phone, it might be better to walk away.
We’re sticking to items and brands we already know. For us, it means shopping time is reduced since we’re not shuffling through all the different varieties to find exactly what we want.
