What do you tip the baggers at the commissary? We usually have a basket completely full, so I tip $5. I figure for 5-10 minutes of work, that's pretty good pay.

What about if you don't get carryout but they bagged your stuff in line? Do you tip?

We used to tip by the bag. This was 40 yrs or more ago.

If we don't want to tip we go to the self checkout. If we go through the the regular line and the kid bags it, then we tip. Also we typically go $3-$5 depending on amount of stuff purchased/bagged.

We usually tip anywhere between $2-5 depending on rain or how many bags. We had a friend whose son would make about $200 a shift. To me, that's insane!

$2-5 situation dependent.

Three to five usually. I grew as an AF brat and my brother and I worked in the Incirlik AB, Turkey commissary in 1959-60, so I have always had a soft spot for baggers. I don't remember what my brother and I made, but I recall it was actually pretty good pay for a teenager. We always had plenty of spending money (not much to spend it on at Incirlik way back then) and came back to the states with each having $300 in the bank. Not bad.

$1 per $100 spent

I bagged at Randolph AFB in the early 70s. The best position was the fast lane where all you did was bag no take out. Back in the 70s a dollar was a Big Tip. That usually involved carting two carts front and back. You would get about 4 trips an hour, Saturdays were the best days constantly busy. Sometimes you are in a waiting line to get to bag. I too have a soft spot for baggers who carry to the car. If one is getting 4 trips an hour then making $5 bucks a trip nets you about $20 bucks an hour. Thats equivalent to about 12-14 big brown bags of groceries each trip for a large trip. Probably today the trips are not as large on average due to smaller families. When we bagged there are two baggers one gets to carryout then the next trip is the bagger who helped bagged the previous customer. Once you get back from carryout you are usually waiting in a small line to get in the rotation again. Every now and then your tip is "Thank you have a nice day".

Scrap, that was a terrific post. I totally agree with the fast lane comments. Most folks throw a dollar at them even if their tab is $30 or less. And they aren't in a rotation because they don't have to carry out. As for the takeouts, I often give a little extra if it is 100 degrees out, raining, or colder than all crap. Hot and cold are common in OK, rain not so much, but it does happen from time to time.

I don't tip. I give them a nice "Howdy'"!

Used to tip a dollar per $50 of groceries. Have moved up a little, so generally do $5. Will tip more based on weather. I always tip as my wife has been known to get the sob story while walking to the car and pull out a $20.

My tip is me allowing them to bag my groceries.

You could bag your groceries yourself. What's this "allow" BS? I say it is more like "demanding". You're lucky your bread and eggs don't end up on the bottom of your bag with canned goods on top.

Do y'all buy all your groceries from the commissary? I find their prices aren't that great on most things I buy. Usually I end up only buying a few things, not worth getting a bagger.

Not all our groceries, but they do have good prices - lower or at least equal - on a great many items. Light bulbs, batteries, OTC meds are always great buys. Many other products are generally cheaper as well. And the difference from our local sales tax of 8.375 % (soon to be 9.375%) vs a 5% commissary surcharge counts as well.

Edit: Also depends on where you are stationed or live. In my AF career I had a couple of CONUS assignments that were in the boondocks. Local shopping was both limited and expensive.

Not all our groceries, but they do have good prices - lower or at least equal - on a great many items. Light bulbs, batteries, OTC meds are always great buys. Many other products are generally cheaper as well. And the difference from our local sales tax of 8.375 % (soon to be 9.375%) vs a 5% commissary surcharge counts as well.

Edit: Also depends on where you are stationed or live. In my AF career I had a couple of CONUS assignments that were in the boondocks. Local shopping was both limited and expensive.

Edit #2: I was stationed at Andrews AFB from 84-88 and lived on base. Even 30 years ago, if you lived on Andrews, you didn't buy your groceries off base. The only exception I remember was a very small butcher shop just off base in Clinton, MD. It was not far from the south Andrews gate near the golf course Obama spends a lot of time on. It was called the Virginia Ave gate as I recall. Terrific meat at reasonable prices.

Where live, there is a Giant which is a lot like an HEB in price and selection. We still go to the commissary instead just because it is easier and meat prices have always been better at commissary, plus they have a Panda Express which my oldest son loves.

We save considerably over grocery store chains by shopping at the commissary. Cost plus 5% pricing and no sales tax is a solid deal. Just avoiding sales tax saves from 6.25% to 8.25% in Texas, for example. That savings really adds up over the years, particularly if shopping for a family.....

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Do y'all buy all your groceries from the commissary? I find their prices aren't that great on most things I buy. Usually I end up only buying a few things, not worth getting a bagger.

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OCONUS it's nearly a must, at least for us in Italy

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We save considerably over grocery store chains by shopping at the commissary. Cost plus 5% pricing and no sales tax is a solid deal. Just avoiding sales tax saves from 6.25% to 8.25% in Texas, for example. That savings really adds up over the years, particularly if shopping for a family.....

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It saves you that money on non-grocery items, which are still cheaper at Walmart, Target, etc. You don't pay sales tax on consumable groceries in Texas, so you're basically paying an additional 5% sales tax for no reason. The commissary has solid prices on national brands, but their prices cannot compete with private label stuff. I guess if you demand Del-Monte brand canned corn it's a good place to shop.

The 5% is not a sales tax, it's what's added to the base cost of products and covers the overhead to run the commissaries. All grocery stores have some sort of similar cost plus pricing or they couldn't cover their overhead and turn a profit. I'm not an expert on the commissary's competitiveness, but my wife is, and she estimates that, over the years, she's roughly averaged a 15% savings over chain grocery stores. Now, she'll also point out that there are great sales on the economy to watch for and that if you cherry-pick your examples you can always find some things cheaper at the grocery store. Anyway, used intelligently, the commissary can still be a great benefit.

A 5% surcharge creates the exact same effect as a 5% sales tax (except 41 states that don't tax groceries at all, of course). You may save 15% if you only buy national brands, but if you buy private labels (like HEB canned goods) the commissary is not cheaper).

This is the first post we've shopped exclusively at the commissary, because the closest grocery store is 30 minutes over the mountain, and our bill is about $100 more per month than it was at HEB, Food Lion, Kroger, etc

Re the surcharge vs tax, many locations don't tax food.

Regardless of whether state and local taxes apply, all stores add a surcharge over what they pay their vendors in order to cover their store's overhead and to generate a profit. By law, the commissary may not price items over cost, does not take any profit and may only add 5% to cover overhead which is mostly returned to customers by reinvestment in the system.

I couldn't care less whether they charge it to turn a profit or to donate it to charity, this discussion is about the fact that the commissary is not cheaper than regular grocery stores.

And the commissary charges cost-plus prices. The total cost of selling, to include direct labor and indirect utilities, are allowed to be included in the sales price.

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By law, the commissary may not price items over cost, does not take any profit and may only add 5% to cover overhead which is mostly returned to customers by reinvestment in the system.

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Well then they suck at buying then as I often find the exact same products in town for a he same or even lower price

I shop at a Marine Corps Commissary 5 minutes away from home, and find my savings to be about 20% over WalMart, and more over Harvey's and Publix. All the other national chain grocery stores have closed down here. We used to have Winn Dixie and Piggly Wiggly. Harvey's is a Georgia chain and sort of like HEB is a Texas chain, but not nearly as good in either inventory or price. Publix is a regional chain - outstanding, but expensive.

METT-T dependent.

$5

I paid a good portion of my stint at A&M in the late seventies by bagging groceries. I worked at Hickam, AFB and folks would come in from all over the island a buy a month of groceries. We would be tucking cans and food under seats and in tire wells so it would all fit. It paid very well (tips) and my dad made me save most of what I earned. I started when I was 14 and stopped when I left for school...paid for my first 3 years.

I choose a more educational and philosophical approach to tipping baggers at the commissary.

I politely greet them.

Ask them hiw things are at the house?

Ask them "where do you see yourself in five years?".

Finally, I let them know that education is worth more than money. "I don't tip in a dollar amount", I say "you will remember this conversation a lot longer than a couple quarters would stay with you".

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Do y'all buy all your groceries from the commissary? I find their prices aren't that great on most things I buy. Usually I end up only buying a few things, not worth getting a bagger.

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Commissary and BX/PX used to be bargain parties...hell, I remember when base housing was free...Active sort of paying for housing now with skyrocketing BX/PX prices.