MANAGING YOUR FINANCES: In April commissaries partner with campaign to encourage troops, families to save money, reduce debt, build wealth

FORT LEE, Va. – The Defense Commissary Agency’s mission is to deliver a benefit to help service members and their families save money. So it’s only fitting that commissaries echo the message of financial management during Military Saves Month in April.

“We applaud the Military Saves campaign that encourages service members, military families and DOD civilians to develop plans for their fiscal responsibility,” said Marine Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Saucedo, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director.

“Our core message is that by shopping on the installation – whether in commissaries, exchanges or morale, welfare and support activities – service members and their families can stretch their paychecks, and that’s an integral part of helping them manage their finances. This aligns perfectly with the Military Saves campaign.”

Saving money in commissaries is as simple as checking the ends of store aisles for themed items with extra-low pricing. Patrons should also always check with their store for details or visit their store web page to verify what sales promotions are available.

Here are a few DeCA programs to consider for extra commissary savings:

• Your Everyday Savings! (YES!): Your commissary is reducing prices daily on hundreds of the most frequently purchased popular brands. Look for the orange YES! shelf labels in your commissary aisles.

• Commissary Rewards Card: Download digital coupons right to your card and save at the register. If you don’t have a card, ask a cashier for one, then visit the DeCA website to register your card.

• Print Coupons: Before your commissary trip, visit the Savings Center on DeCA’s website to find resources with lots of printable coupons. If you’re at the store, check out the wide variety of coupons displayed throughout the commissary.

• Commissaries.com sales flyer: Before visiting the store, view the sales flyer on the website while making your shopping list to ensure maximum savings. You can also sign up to have the flyer sent to your email.

• Commissary store brands: Your commissary offers high-quality, low-cost private label choices on food and non-food items, healthy, organic products, and baby and child care solutions to provide even greater savings. Look for DeCA’s Freedom’s Choice food or Home Base non-food products along with other private label items such as TopCare health and beauty, Full Circle Market natural and organic food, Wide Awake ready-to-drink coffee products, Tippy Toes baby items, Pure Harmony pet food and Flock’s Finest wild bird food.

• For help to plan weekly menus, customers can find dietitian-approved recipes on the DeCA website, commissaries.com, that help weekly meal planning. The site’s sales flyer also includes Thinking Outside the Box recipes that offer quick, healthy, economical choices for cooking at home. 

• Commissary beef and pork savings. Commissary customers can save up to an additional 25 percent on the following beef and pork packages. Check with your meat department to learn more about these sizzling offers:
  • Tailgate Special Power Box offers about 19 pounds on select cuts of beef and pork
  • Economy Power Box offers about 15 pounds on select cuts of beef and pork
  • Healthy Alternative Power Box offers about 16 pounds on select cuts of beef and pork
  • Fix it and Forget It Power Box offers about 15 pounds on select cuts of beef 

“It’s important for service members and their families to know that it’s never too late to start saving for the future,” said Angela Caban, director of Military Saves. “Small steps in building a savings habit can make a big difference over time and the secret to saving is simple.

“People with a plan are twice as likely to save successfully, whether you are saving for an emergency, retirement, or another goal,” she added. “Military Saves Month is the perfect opportunity to set your savings goal, make a plan, and learn how to save the most effective way –automatically.”

The Military Saves campaign – part of the nonprofit organization America Saves, and a participant in the DoD Financial Readiness Network – seeks to persuade, motivate and encourage service members, military families and DOD civilians to save every month to strengthen their finances. Customers can join the campaign via MilitarySaves.org to take the savings pledge and receive valuable savings strategies. If you have any problems accessing this website from a government computer, try using your personal device. You can also participate in virtual events and activities by visiting Military Saves on Facebook.

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.