There are two real options for stocking your fridge if you attend PUC. There’s the college market, and Safeway. Depending on what you need, the right decision can be the difference between a panini and a pop tart. And so I’ve been asked to play Consumer Reports to tell you what you can expect from both.

In our very own front yard, we have the college market. If veggie meat is what gets you out of bed in the mornings, look no further. The freezers are nigh stuffed with the little devils, ranging from the rubbery to the crunchy. And while Safeway carries a few types of garden and veggie burgers, the local market definitely has a wider variety.

The college market also has the advantage of being connected to an Ace Hardware Store and the bookstore. And while this is a little like bribing your grandchildren to come visit by offering them cookies, it is a handy fact if you want to run multiple errands in the least amount of miles. Since the market is within walking distance, it means you don’t have to wait for your friends to go to St. Helena if you don’t have a car or are too lazy to drive yourself. Overall, the local store boasts convenience over its competition.

Safeway is the other option, since WalMart isn’t sophisticated enough to operate in wine country. In Safeway, you will find a wider variety of the same things offered at the college market –veggie products excluded. The biggest difference is most likely the entire quarter of the store dedicated to the booze. But since we’re all angels, this is a moot point.

Also, if you don’t like chewing on something with the consistency of a superball, you can find real meat at Safeway. If it was alive at some point, and humans can eat it, it will most likely be there. This is the deal maker for me. A side note is that there is a wider variety of DVD’s at Safeway, but I’ve never been that hungry myself. Overall, the mainstream contender offers more. Period. And if you get a membership, you can get more for less, just like all the bad slogans tell you.

Both of these establishments will offer what you need (probably). And you will wind up at one or the other at some point in time here at PUC (if you’re normal). But I guess the bottom line is that the college market is like a Motel 6. Convenient in many ways, and it will get the job done. But the Safeway is like a Marriot. It’s a bit more trouble to get to one, but it offers everything the Motel 6 does plus a mint on your pillow.

Closest to home, nestled in the hills of beautiful Angwin, sits the Community Services Center, better known as “The Dorcas,” a common name for thrift stores, referring to Dorcas in Acts 9:36-42. She was a dressmaker who made clothes for the poor in her town. You will find it at 275 Clark Way. The building is very blue and, therefore, hard to miss. I have heard inspiring stories from individuals who have ventured there. One family was attempting to furnish their daughter’s apartment as cheaply as possible and found two end tables and two lamps – all for only $10! Another friend of mine has found textbooks there… might be worth looking into.

On Main Street in St. Helena, you will find the Acorn Thrift Shop. It is smallish store with a humble entrance, but inside, smart deals and good times lay waiting. There is a sizeable section of clothing, mostly women’s, but men and children are not excluded. One corner of the store is full of books; you are likely to find something of interest. Two smaller rooms are built into the main store; one is filled with shoes, and the other contains primarily dishes and glassware. If you are in need of goblets or china dishes, this is the place to go. It would be silly of me not to mention that, on my last visit to Acorn, I spied some Guess, Ann Taylor, and DKNY pants in excellent condition selling for around $10.

Lolo’s, a consignment store, also located on Main Street, is a place you might be interested in checking out. Keep in mind that it is a consignment store, not a thrift store, so it is not as cheap. However, good deals do abound; prices are marked down to about 25% of the original retail price.

A number of people do not know the difference between these types of stores, so I will explain. When people want to get rid of their clothes and other belongings, but do not want to throw them away, they donate them to a thrift shop. The money from sales is given to a charity or church organization. People in consignment, however, are in the business of making money. While both have standards for what they will accept, consignment stores have much higher standards. In most cases, clothing must be name brand, season appropriate, and barely worn. People bring their clothes to the store to be sold and then take home a percentage (around 40%) of the final sale price. This is also an option if you are looking to make some money!
If you are willing and able to make the roughly 30 minute drive to Calistoga, you are sure to have a good time. Just as you enter town and turn right onto Lincoln Ave, you find yourself face to face with the Bargain Basket AND Sugar Daddy’s Consignment and Original Design, next door to each other. Bargain Basket provides just what its name promises: great bargains. Sugar Daddy’s carries some truly decent clothes at reasonable prices.

Over the past few weeks, a few friends and I have stopped by most of these shops. We had awesome times trying on random and ridiculous outfits. If you are in need of something to do, I highly recommend giving thrift stores a shot. Remember to bring a camera to capture the memories!