‘Tis the season for shopping crazy, fa la la la la la la.
Don’t go crazy – be prepared for your holiday shopping with this helpful comparison to help you choose Costco or Commissary for holiday shopping. As per usual, shopping at Costco comes with bigger proportions which may be useful if you are hosting for the holiday season. These prices are from the West Coast in November 2019, but should not drastically vary across the nation except in the for produce which can vary state to state. (We see you Alaska and Hawaii!) Most produce was not included as prices do vary greatly.
Costco or Commissary for Holiday Shopping? The Ultimate Question
Commissary Best Bets
The Commissary is your place to shop if you are looking for more manageable portions, and if your fridge or pantry space is, well, government housing sized. In addition, as previously determined, meat prices will overall get you a better bang for your buck at the Commissary.
- Beef
- Ham
- Pomegranates
- Stuffing
The beef and ham prices were lower at the Commissary, while the Turkey prices were the same as Costco. One produce item we did price compare are Pomegranates which were lower in unit price, and at the Commissary you can buy just a couple to stuff stockings or for a special treat.
Costco Best Bets
If you are sharing a meal with a friend or hungry Sailors, Marines, Airmen or Soldiers – Costco is the place to shop – it is a one-stop-shop where you can pick up groceries, holiday gifts, and alcohol too depending on the state.
- Beverages
- Sweets
- Baking Items
- Organic Turkey and Lamb
Egg Nog and Martinelli’s Apple Cider were the best prices per ounce on both accounts. The Egg Nog carton is the same size as the large one found at the Commissary. Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider comes in a 4 pack so you can enjoy it over multiple holidays.
Sweets at Costco like Pumpkin Pie and Panettone are a little cheaper. Reddi Whip is cheaper per ounce as well, but comes in a 3 pack so perfect for a unit party, but not so perfect in your family’s fridge unless you are Reddi Whip connoisseurs.
Bakers rejoice at the Costco prices for items like Halved Pecans and Vanilla. While the sizes are larger than what you can find in an average store, you will be covered for the bulk baking that occurs over the holiday season. A bonus find at Costco was a holiday baking kit of 0.9 oz Allspice, 1.1 oz Ground Nutmeg, 2 oz Pumpkin Pie Spice, 0.62 oz Whole Cloves, 0.65 oz Poultry Seasoning, and 2 oz Almond Extract for $11.99 while all these individual items total over $14 at our local commissary.
Organic Turkey was on offer at our local Costco, and no such match was found at our local commissary in early November. In addition, if you are looking for Lamb, Costco was the store of the two that had it on offer.
Check out the price breakdown below when choosing Costco or Commissary:
| Holiday Edition | ||||||
| Costco $ | Costco Unit | $/Unit | Commissary $ | Comm Unit | $/Unit | |
| Butterball Turkey | $0.99 | LB | $0.99 | $0.99 | IB | $0.99 |
| Organic Turkey | $2.99 | LB | $2.99 | |||
| Beef Brisket | LB | $3.99 | $3.05 | LB | $3.05 | |
| Ribyeye | LB | $11.99 | $8.99 | LB | $8.99 | |
| Kirkland Signature Ham | LB | $2.99 | ||||
| Hormel Ham | $2.55 | LB | $2.55 | |||
| Kirkland Signature Lamb Rib | LB | $13.99 | ||||
| Mrs. Cubbinson Stuffing | $1.80 | 12 oz | $0.15 | |||
| Boudin Sourdough Stuffing | $7.99 | 32 oz | $0.25 | |||
| Pecans | $12.99 | 32 oz | $0.41 | $5.98 | 10 oz | $0.60 |
| Green Beans | $8.99 | 8 | $1.12 | $1.79 | LB | $1.79 |
| Crescent Rolls | $4.39 | 5 pack.- 8 oz | $0.11 | $1.50 | 8 oz | $0.19 |
| French Fried Onions | $3.19 | 6 oz | $0.53 | |||
| Cream of Mushroom | $0.69 | Can | ||||
| Apple Pie | $3.99 | 42 oz | $0.10 | |||
| Panettone Italian Cake | $5.99 | 35.2 pz | $0.17 | $9.99 | 32 oz | $0.31 |
| Pillsbury Pie Crust | $5.99 | 8 pack | $0.75 | $1.59 | 2 pies | $0.80 |
| Pumpkin Pie | $5.99 | 58 oz | $0.10 | $3.99 | 36 oz | $0.11 |
| Reddi Whip | $7.49 | 3 – 15 oz | $0.17 | $1.99 | 15 oz | $0.13 |
| Cranberries | $2.99 | 32 oz | $0.09 | $1.79 | 12 oz | $0.15 |
| Walkers Shortbread | $19.99 | 74.1 oz | $0.27 | $6.99 | 6.2 oz | $1.13 |
| Pomegranates | $18.99 | 9 | $2.11 | $1.50 | Each | $1.50 |
| Egg Nog | $4.39 | 64 oz | $0.07 | $2.89 | 32 Oz | $0.09 |
| Vanilla | $29.99 | 16 oz | $1.87 | $7.47 | 2 Oz | $3.74 |
| Martinelli’s | $8.49 | 4 | $2.12 | $2.69 | 1 | $2.69 |
The holiday time is approaching, and while some enjoy shopping til they drop, we prefer planning ahead and not being part of the rush. Which one do you favor? Costco or Commissary? Either way, happy holiday eating!
WANT TO READ MORE?
Check out our other Holiday Gift Guides for more gift ideas this season!
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