Exchange shoppers can jump start holidays with fee-free layaway

From Sept. 1 through Dec. 24, the Exchange will waive its $3 service fee for items priced at $25 or more. Toys, bikes, clothing and more are eligible. (Metro News Service photo)

From Sept. 1 through Dec. 24, the Exchange will waive its $3 service fee for items priced at $25 or more. Toys, bikes, clothing and more are eligible. (Metro News Service photo)

Airmen at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base can get a head start on holiday shopping with help from the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s fee-free layaway.

From Sept. 1 through Dec. 24, the Exchange will waive its $3 service fee for items priced at $25 or more. Toys, bikes, clothing and more are eligible. This year, select computers, laptops and tablets are eligible for layaway if they are purchased from Sept. 1 to Dec. 13.

Veterans with service-connected disabilities can use fee-free layaway, too, as they mark their first holiday shopping season with the expanded shopping privilege.

“The holiday season is a time of great joy, and the Exchange’s fee-free layaway is a terrific budgeting tool for Airmen and military families,” said Wright-Patterson General Manager Jermaine Wilson. “Layaway also is a great way to keep those gifts hidden from prying eyes.”

Layaways require a $15 deposit toward the purchase price, and items must be picked up by Dec. 24 or Dec. 13 for computers or tablets.

Photo contest features $10,000 in prizes

Military shoppers with sharp eyes can win $10,000 in prizes from the Army & Air Force Exchange Service in the P&G Spot The Difference Photo Contest.

Through Sept. 10, Soldiers, Airmen and their families can view images of two backpacks on the Exchange’s Facebook page or its community Hub. Then, they can spot the seven differences between them, write down the answers, take a photo of the answers and then submit their entries to ShopMyExchange.com/sweepstakes.

One hundred winners will each receive a backpack filled with P&G products, including cleaning products and personal hygiene supplies, and a $50 Exchange gift card. Total value of each prize is about $100.

“The Exchange and P&G recognize the hard work military families do every day,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Osby, Exchange senior enlisted advisor. “This contest provides an opportunity for Airmen, Soldiers and their families to pick up some much-needed supplies along the way.”

The sweepstakes is open to authorized Exchange shoppers 18 and older. Honorably discharged veterans who have verified their eligibility to shop the Exchange online are eligible to win, too, as are all disabled Veterans with in-store shopping privileges. Veterans can find out more on the Exchange’s community Hub page at https://bit.ly/Vets4Life.

Pump up exercising at home

Need some Monday motivation? The Army & Air Force Exchange Service invites Soldiers, Airmen and military families to put in some work as a military community during live BE FIT workouts each Monday on the Exchange’s Facebook page, facebook.com/shopmyexchange.

BE FIT ambassadors Roy Montez and Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Sonja Berry host 20-minute workouts on Facebook at 11 a.m. CST every Monday. In addition, Soldiers, Airmen, retirees, veterans and military family members can watch the series on the Exchange Facebook page.

The live workouts, which include interval training, core workouts, strength exercises and more, grew out of a desire to promote wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These BE FIT workouts remind military communities that staying fit is critical – especially during the pandemic,” said Osby. “Joining the Exchange workouts through Facebook fosters a sense of community and resiliency.”

Each video begins with a short introduction, then Montez describes each exercise before he and Berry lead viewers on stretching. During the workout, Montez pauses to rest, provides advice and answers questions from the online audience.

“It’s like having a free trainer,” said Berry, the Exchange’s assistant director for public health and food safety. “It demonstrates the Exchange’s commitment to fitness and healthy lifestyles.”

The Exchange’s BE FIT initiative highlights better-for-you dining grab-and-go options and provides an assortment of fitness gear and wellness services. The program empowers military customers, their families and the broader military community to make healthy lifestyle choices.

For more BE FIT choices, visit the Exchange’s community Hub.

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