The Michigan Daily-Thursday, September 4, 1980-Page 5-C
Looking for cheap food?
Get away from campus
A price comparison of localfood
Campus Ralph's . .ood Mart Village White
Corners Market S. Univ. (orners Market
By WILLIAM THOMPSON
For dorm dwellers weary of institu-
tionalized food day after day, there is
always the option of traveling off-
campus to collect the necessary items
to prepare a home-cooked meal. In
doing this, klowever, it becomes neces-
sary to patronize one of Ann Arbor's
food markets, a prospect which is ex-
ensive and inconvenient enough to
make dorm food attractive-almost.
Most students living in houses and
apartments pool financial resources to
buy their food and allocate cooking
duties among the residents. The
average weekly contribution is around
$20, though some get by with less:
"I try to keep it at $15 a week, but I
don't want to be too cheap," said Paul
Jarley, who lives in a five-person off-
campus house. "I get things that fill me
p and if I have any money left over I
might even get some meat."
THE KEY TO keeping food costs
down, according to Jarley, is shopping
at the right store. "Everything in this
damn house is from Kroger," he said.
"They should install a pipeline from
their warehouse in Cincinnati to our
house."
This adherence to patronizing
Kroger's represents more than an en-
trancement by "cost cutter" ads. Food
prices at the Kroger on Broadway are
consistently cheaper than the stores
near campus. Another supermarket,
the A & P on Stadium and Industrial, is
only slightly more expensive than
Kroger.
Along with the sometimes higher
prices, stores near campus tend to be
more cramped and often narrower
selections. To their advantage, the
smaller stores often give better service
and are located closer to where most
students live.
THE MAJOR problem with the large
supermarkets in town involve their
location. For most students, a car is
necessary to shop there, which many
students don'thave.
"Shopping off campus makes having
a car valuable," said Jarley. "I feel
sorry for those poor people who have to
shop at those campus stores."
The menus found in most student
dwellings have one factor in com-
mon-economy. Cooking policies range
from highly organized procedures to
free lance munching.
"We buy breakfast food and lunch
meat so you're on your own for those
meals," said house dweller Fred Top-
pel. "Three nights a week we fend for
ourselves and somebody cooks on the
other four. On the free nights we're
usually standing around hungry, so we
make something."
ALTHOUGH AN occupation as
strenuous as academics makes a
nourishing diet important, many
student meal plans don't suffice. "To
stick to our inexpensive budget, we rely
on starchy and junk food," explained
Jarley. "We hardly ever eat
vegetables."
Sticking to that budget also limits the
range of foods on the student shopping
list, so the element of variety is often
missing. "Macaroni and cheese is the
most abused form of nourishment
around here," noted Toppel. "Two or
three meals a week we have some form
of hamgurger, like meat loaf, spaghet-
ti, hamburgers, and sometimes Ham-
burger Helper, although we aren't all
that impressed with it."
Although some students have rewar-
ding culinary experiences, some
sacrifice is usually required. For those
who aren't prepared to accept this, one
final solution remains-meal contracts
are available at residence halls.
Whole milk,
one gallon
Large eggs,
one dozen
Butter. 1 lb.,
cheapest brand
Plain yogurt,
(Dannon). Boz.
Bread, 1 lb..
cheapest brand
Head lettuce
Potato chips
(Lays), 12 ox.
Cookies
(Oreos), 19 oz.
oranges, small
Laundry
detergent, 3 lbs
Ivory soap, 3.5oz. bar
Bathroom tissue.
4-pack
Cat food.
cheapest brand
Dog food, 5 lb..
cheapest brand
$2.15
.99
1.80
.55
.69
.65
.99
$2.05
.99
2.19
.55
.83
.79
.99
$1.99
.75
1.79
.47
.79
.53
.99
1.57
.35
1.68
.20
1.75 "
$1.69
.89
1.83-
.49
.69
- .79
.99
1.41
.18
1.69
.24
.89
$2.09
1.19
2.09
stores
Kroger
$1.78
.59
1.48
.51
.79
.49
.99
.29
.69
1.25
.25
1.73
.30
118.
.38
2.16
.13
2.09
.25
1.19
.39
2.19
1.69
.29
1.79
.27
1.49
.43
2.59
1.25
.25
146
.19
.69
.21
1.38
.35
2.15
2.09
.t
This comparative survey was con-
ducted last spring by PIRGIM.
Given the continuing high inflation
rate, the prices quoted may be
higher today.
'Off-campus shops offer variety
By SARA ANSPACH
and GREG WOLPER
For long-time residents of Ann Arbor,
the full range of local shopping alter-
natives is understood and appreciated.
But for University students, especially
those just arriving in Ann Arbor, it may
Deem that the only places to shop are
within two blocks of campus. 'This
assumption is wrong-indeed, the
commercial areas surrounding cam-
pus, primarily downtown and at Briar-
wood Mall to the south, offer an array of
shopping alternatives that can keep
students busy throughout their- days
here.
What follows is a review of such
shopping resources-first in downtown
Ann Arbor, and then down State Street
at Briarwood Mall. -
Downtown
GIFT SHOPS ARE Ann Arbor's forte
and the downtown district has some of
the best anywhere. Unlike the gift
stores close to campusfmost downtown
shops specialize in a particular type of
import or handicraft. Andohs African
Imports on S. Fourth sells clothing,
hats, jewely and other gifts. Furatenas
Imports on Washington sells hand-
rafted items from Columbia, and
Sangam India Crafts and Food on S.
Fourth sells gifts and food from India.
Tfie Persian House of Imports on Liber-
ty specializes in Oriental rugs. For folk
art and handicrafts try Baobob on
Liberty.
If you like the preppy look stick to
campus and Briarwood shops for
clothing. Downtown has clothing stores
geared to the college student. Two
Ssecond hand shops (Second Hand Rose
on Huron and Fantasy Fashions on
Liberty) offer unusual used clothing or
the creative dresser. Footprints on
Liberty sells earthy-type shoes and
specializes in Shakti, Trolls and
Birkenstock brands.
Downtwon is the place to shop for the
sports enthusiast. There are several
sporting goods shops that sell a wider
variety of merchandise than campus
shops.
While the campus area has a'
monopoly on bookstores, there is one
downtown bookstore that true book-,
worms should visit. Afterwords on
Main sells new books, mostly har-
dcover, for 40-90 per cent off the retail
price.
DOWNTOWN ALSO offers a variety
of music shops and many carry large
selections of sheet music for the piano
and other instruments. Art lovers will
njoy browsing in 16 Hands, a.
cooperative art gallery that features
reasonably priced works of art in all
mediums by local artists.
Graphic Arts Wholesale on Main is a
great place to pick up inexpensive
decorations to cover the paint chips on
your dorm walls. The shop sells modern
prints in well constructed frames at
greatly reduced prices.
While downtown features many fine
restaurants there are also several
,places to pick up a quick snack during a
shopping break. The Soybean Cellar on
Liberty has a healthy restaurant in ad-
dition to its natural foods grocery. Af-
ternoon Delight, also on Liberty, is the
best place around to pick up a quck
falafil and Sun Bakery, across the street
features wholesome baked goods.
IF YOU LIKE mall shopping and
don't want to ride the bus to Briarwood,
Many stores downtown offer
something you can't find anywhere else
nearby. Harry's Army Surplus on
Washington sells outdoor equipment,
Kiddie Land on Main has a wide variety
of toys, and several stores lining Fourth
offer all forms of "adult" entertain-
ment.
Briarwood
Briarwood Mall, located about two
miles from campus down State Street,
contains over 100 stores which offer
students everything from books and
records to falafils and down jackets.
One of the newest additions to the
seven-'year-old mall is Lord and
Taylor's, a department store which will
compete with Hudson's for the high-
paying clothing customers.
MANY STUDENTS, especially those
without credit cards, may find these
stores out of their price range. But
Briarwood also houses both a Sears and
a J.C. Penney's.
In addition, Briarwood stores such as
Just Jeans, County Seat, and The Gap
gear their offerings specifically to the
college-aged crowd.
See BRIARWOOD, Page 6
WELCOME
U.M. STUDENT
TO
Ann Arbor and the Campus
from Ann Arbor's NEWEST Department Store.
HEADQUARTERS FOR:
* LEVI PLAYTEX
* HANG TEN * MAIDENFORM
" CATALINIA " FORM FIT
" DEE CEE * SHIP-N-SHORE
* SWEATERS * LINGERIE
20%/
SAVING DURING SEPT. WITH AD
LAnA /6 4
j 218 S. Main St./Ann Arbor/665-3641
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ANNOUNCING OUR NEWLY REMODELED
rzecorzos oept.
ALSO DIGITAL ANN ARBOR'S
RECORDINGS ONLY EXCLUSIVELY
AND SOME Cl ASSICAL RECORD
IMPORTS DEPARTMENT.....
WITH THE
LOWEST PRICES
ANYWHERE IN
TOWN.
WE HAVE
DISCONTINUED
ALL
OUR
MMM3 IE OT HE R
RECORDS
TO BR ING
ANN
ARBORS
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MUSIC
BUYER
TTHE FINE
} L SELECTION
AND LOW
II
Daily Photo by JIM~KRUZ
MAIN STREET IS the most active area for shopping in downtown Ann Arbor.
For many students and faculty from the University who are accustomed to
shopping near campus (e.g. State St., South University areas), a walk downtown
provides many welcome surprises.
FOR OJL'? $1.50 YOU C~tW SEE
T"HE BEST 1N AL.TENATWE CtNEN0%.
i
MOVI:ES To THE PeSENT
DAY. WE
SHOW INJ AVD. "A" &%&ELL p%'.AND
AT rtiI(rtOVERN LANG~LAr6-S VI LQ1,(P-
PRICES LACKING
IN ANY OTHER
LOCAL STORE.
WE CARRY ALL
MAJOR LABELS
AS WELL AS
L BUDGET LABELS.
FOR P~P~ t"I M IFOMNYTON
7A . I U1 V7 n~ th 11 n0 =Pm C'E
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