I only shop at the commissary. I don't even think of shopping anywhere else. It's an old habit really. It's not as though, since I live off-base, it's the closest grocery store to me. I grew up shopping at the commissary and I've always gone there for the prices.
But the other day I only needed a few things, so I ran into the local grocery store.....talk about your 'shock and awe'!
Do you have any idea how many varieties of cereals there are? No, scratch that, how many variety of puffed rice cereals there are in the real world? It's simply too much. I didn't know whether my nose needed to be lotioned, medicated or simply pampered in luxurious silk! I was gonna do a bit of covering the gray, but came out of the color aisle with more than I went in with! GADS!
I can't decide whether I like all the choices. The commissary has all my basic needs covered and I appreciate that. It's no nonsense shopping the way my mother did it and with probably very similar choices! I ended up getting the same brands I would normally have gotten at the commissary and paid a lot more for the convenience of shopping close to home - except for the great 'price leader' they had on milk!
I'm not sure what it says about my personality. Lack of willingness to take risks, set in my own ways and uncomfortable around new experiences. But I think I'll give myself a good long time before I step into that shopping nirvana again! I need to mentally prep myself for the sensory overload!
Do you prefer the commissary or the local grocery store?
