The banks are in danger of being out surcharged!

I am one of those people who loathe grocery shopping. It could be that I shop on base for my groceries and that seems to bring out the most interesting crazy people. Basically the number of entitled military wives is not proportionally equal to how wide the aisles are. Monthly trips include 2 people “driving” the same way down the aisle, leaving the person going to the opposite way *%^# out of luck, being plowed into by those huge kid friendly carts, or people parked on one side/ standing on the other side while contemplating Corn Pops and Lucky Charms for 10 minutes. So with all that and more, I really do want to limit my time at said establishment. Now given today’s incident, I rather eat my own finger tips than go back.

Setting aside the fact that I am stupid and forgot that today was the 15th (pay day=everyone and their mom was at the store) something truly amazed me. Amaze of course meaning I am amazed people are allowed to get away with this. After my husband and I put all the groceries away, I decided to check the receipt to see how much I saved in coupons. Something strange caught my eye. A surcharge for 7.50. Now on a military base, they do not charge tax at the Naval Exchange or the Commissary. That is supposed to be a perk to us military people and help us to pitch pennies. So there should not have been anything between subtotal and total other than my discount with coupons. So if this surcharge wasn’t tax, what could it be?

Being the lovely person I am, I called the Commissary right away. I was only transferred once and put on hold for 2 minutes with I think is a miracle in itself. Then I was hastily informed what this surcharge is for: to help offset the electricity and bag bill. I blame it on shock, but I thanked the lady for the information and hung up….then threw my phone across the room (a normal response in my house so it didn’t surprise my husband). A surcharge for BAGS AND ELECTRICITY?! What kind of crazy tactic is that?! I am shopping at a grocery store, not a bank! Shouldn’t the cost of bags and the power bill be already figured into the cost of the food? Why does every single customer walking through that door have to pay 5 percent of their total amount to subsidize this apparently unforeseen cost? Did I use up more electricity than my mother did? Oh and another thing THIS IS BULL%&#*! The commissary is supposed to be a cheap alternative for military families who are already having problems making ends meet. How can they possibly brag that they help us out when we are charged 5 percent for something that should be included already?! Target doesn’t charge us for choosing to shop at their store! Their overhead costs are already figured into the price of the food. Way to thank your customers for deciding to shop at their store, by charging them a ridiculous fee for bags to put the merchandise in!

I understand businesses exist to make a profit. I understand that even though the military is RUN on taxes yet is doing us a favor by not charging us tax (which if they did would make the entire thing ironic and even more stupid). Yet I fail to see how this establishment is not making money as they do not pay HALF their employees. Every single bagger who works there is not PAID! I have to tip them for bagging and carrying my groceries to the car! Surely they are saving money by having FREE labor! As I see it, the commissary has really low overhead costs anyway! I should not have to pay their employees and their electric bill to save money. It defeats the purpose of shopping on base if I am going to spend an average of 10 dollars on NOTHING!

All I can do is hope more people question this stupid surcharge amount, as it is a new policy within the last month. Otherwise I might just do all my shopping at Target where they will appreciate my business and not punish me for choosing their products.