Food
Although there are a number of reasonably priced restaurants around campus, eating out on a regular basis can be very expensive. Cooking for yourself will save you money. Large supermarkets such as Safeway or Trader Joe's usually have the best prices, and weekly specials. Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market have a wide rage of fruits and vegetables from around the world. Finally, there are several farmers' markets in the area. At a farmers' market, you can purchase fresh produce directly from the farmer.
General Household Supplies
There are a number of discount stores which sell a wide range of general household supplies, small furniture, and clothing at lower prices than most specialty shops or retail stores. These include:
- Target or Wal-Mart
- Ross Dress for Less or Bed, Bath and Beyond
- CVS Pharmacy
- Costco requires an annual membership, and you must buy in bulk, but it has low prices.
- Walgreens is a full-service pharmacy and usually carries bedding and small household items.
Furniture
Be sure to comparison shop before you buy furniture as prices can vary widely from store to store. Several furniture companies offer delivery to your home for an extra fee.
- Ikea
- Craigslist (many people sell lightly used furniture on this site.)
Buying Used Items
You can save plenty of money by buying used or second-hand items. There are flea markets every weekend at Laney College (take BART to Lake Merritt station) and at the Ashby BART station parking lot. Thrift shops such as Goodwill and Salvation Army carry used household items, clothing, and furniture. Be sure to check out Craigslist. This is a popular way for people to buy and sell goods from each other. You can easily find household items, furniture, bikes and even cars here.