One of the many benefits to Army life (or military life for that matter) is being able to shop on post at the PX and the Commissary. So what’s the difference between the two and what should you know about them?

PX (also known as the Post Exchange)

This is a department style store somewhat similar to a Wal-Mart. You can typically find brand name items at way below brand name prices. The brands and items that the PX carries vary widely depending on each post. Some even carry department store cosmetics such as Clinique. You can usually save money by shopping at the PX.

You will need to have a military ID to check out at the PX. Also, usually in the same building, you will find other shops such as eyeglasses, some sort of fast food establishment, dry cleaners, and uniform shop. The uniform shop carries dress uniforms, PTs, BDUs, etc. as well as all of the badges and insignia that they need for their uniform. They usually also have Army related gift items such as yellow ribbon magnets for the car and the Army Soldier teddy bears.

Commissary

The commissary is the grocery store on the post. They have very competitive prices and are in most cases lower than the typical grocery store off base. They will also accept coupons and have a weekly sales flyer that comes out with additional savings. Perhaps the most inconvenient thing about the commissary is the hours. Typical hours are from 9:00 in the morning until 6 or 7 in the evening. On Sunday, hours are usually noon to 5. You can check with the commissary on your post for hours.

You must also have a military ID to check out at the commissary. If at all possible, you should avoid the 1^st and 15^th of the month (i.e. paydays) as it will be very busy. If you must go at these times, prepare for a long line. Also, the people who bag your groceries work strictly on tips so you will be expected to tip this person. There is no set rate. I usually just try to gauge it on the number of bags that I have. For a normal trip to the store, I would tip $3-$5. But this is completely up to you. I know some who do much less and some who I would be willing to take their groceries out with as much as they tip!

Be sure to take advantage of all of your benefits.

I braved the commissary!

How funny is that?! We have been a part of the Army family since 2003 and I’m just now making my way into the commissary! It’s not exactly the first time though. I went with a friend not too long after we first moved here. It was on payday. Now those of you who have been to the commissary on pay day will understand this well.

The place was packed. And I don’t mean just a little crowded. It was like a 5am sale on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). I could not believe the amount of people. The aisles are narrow so we were constantly bumping into people or in someone’s way. And then the line to check out? Um, wow. Unbelievable! So after leaving there with her that day, I vowed never to go back and promised my loyalty to the Kroger within walking distance of my house!

But on Tuesday, I decided to give it another shot. It was April 3. So quite a few days after pay day and I went around 1 in the afternoon. What a difference. It was still fairly busy but nowhere near what it was like on my first (and last) trip. I didn’t have to wait at all to checkout and some of the deals were great!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not one to pay that much attention to prices. There’s a few items that I intentionally paid attention to price on the last time I was in Kroger so I could compare.

I got both Special K and Frosted Mini Wheats cereals (my breakfast of choice!) for $1.50 a box. They are both usually close to $4/box at Kroger. And SeaPak shrimp scampi is $7.99 at Kroger. I love it so I grudgingly buy it and pay the price. Well, at the commissary, imagine my delight to find it was $4.49 and that was regular price! DiGiorno frozen pizzas were also quite a bit cheaper.

Overall, I was a happy camper! While its not worth it (to me) to drive all the way to post just to get a few items, for the bigger trips, it is well worth the drive. Just check the calendar before you go so you don’t get lost in the mass of people with freshly deposited paychecks.

AFTB classes are a great way to get familiar with the Army lifestyle. These classes were designed with the Army family member in mind while recognizing that it takes a strong family member to fully support a strong soldier.

There are three levels of the classes. Many Army posts offer these classes or if you would rather learn at your own pace, you can take the classes online at Army OneSource.

AFTB Level One covers:

Expectations and the Impact of the Mission on Family Life

Military Acronyms and Terms

Chain of Command

Introduction to Military Customs and Courtesies

Basic Military Benefits and Entitlements

Introduction to Military and Civilian Community Resources

Introduction to Family Readiness Groups

Supporting Your Child’s Education

Introduction to Family Financial Readiness

AFTB Level Two covers:

Communication

Personal Time Management

Stress Management

Acknowledging Change

Exploring Personality Traits

Enhancing Personal Relationships

Team Dynamics

Personal Conflict Management

Traditions, Customs, Courtesies and Protocol

Creative Problem Solving

Crisis, Coping and Grieving

The Volunteer Experience

Family Readiness Groups and the Deployment Cycle

Introduction to Leadership

AFTB Level Three covers:

Communication Skills for Leaders

Understanding Needs

Leadership Styles

Building Cohesive Teams

Managing Group Conflict

Leader Assisted Problem Solving

Delegation for Leaders

Meeting Management

Coaching and Mentoring

Family Readiness Group Leadership

You are also eligible to take an instructor’s course which will enable you to teach the course to other Army family members.

The mission of the AER is to provide emergency financial assistance to soldiers and their families. Assistance can come in the form of loans (which have to be paid back), grants (which are gifts and do not have to be paid back) or a combination of the two.

Those eligible for help from AER include:

-         Active duty soldiers and their family members

-         National Guard and Reserve soldiers who are on continuous active duty of 30 days or more, along with their family members

-         Retirees of active duty (longevity or medical) and their family members

-         National Guard and Reserve who retired after age 60 and their family members

-         Surviving spouses or orphans of soldiers who died on active duty or after retirement

AER assistance can be used for rent, utilities, food, emergency transportation, vehicle repairs, funeral expenses, medical/dental care and any personal needs if pay is delayed.

To apply for AER, the soldier should go to his chain of command. The command has the ability to approve a $1,000 loan or they may send the soldier to the AER office. If one is not available, the soldier may go to the American Red Cross. When going to the AER office, the soldier will need to provide a military ID, LES and any documents showing the need (copies of bills, etc.).

If the soldier is not in the area, the spouse may apply for AER without the soldier being present. The spouse will need to have a military ID, POA and the supporting documents.

There is no limit to the amount of assistance from AER. If the case is approved for assistance, they will cover any amount for an emergency need. While AER welcomes contributions and donations, it is not required to donate to AER in order to receive help from them.

Visit their website for more information – www.aerhq.org