Living on your own leaves you with certain responsibilities you may not have had to deal with before. One of these is buying your own food. If you’ve never dealt with buying groceries you may not know the best places to look, BD has compiled a list that covers many of the popular places and stores you may not have heard of before in Corvallis:

Winco

Winco is a big contender in the grocery market and a popular spot for college students. Winco keeps their prices low by offering bulk packaging, bagging your own groceries and more behind the scenes tactics. The store is also open 24 hours so if you ever get a craving at two in the morning, you can always count on Winco to be open for you. Word of warning, Winco does not accept credit cards, so make sure to bring cash or a debit card with you. 

First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op

First Alternative is a smaller, locally owned store. There are two locations, one in south town and one on 29th. The offerings include local produce as well as many organic and specialty foods you may not find at big chain stores. Despite the name, you don’t need to be a member of their co-op to buy groceries, but if you do join you get some benefits like “Discount Days.”

Safeway

There are three Safeway locations in Corvallis, making the store very accessible. Safeway carries your average stuff that most big grocery stores have. If you shop there regularly, you can sign up for a rewards card to get points towards fuel savings and coupons.

Bi-Mart

Bi-mart has a lot of discounted groceries and many other things. It works as a member only store, but membership is only five dollars for life and you get a lot of rewards, including prize giveaways every Tuesday and coupons sent to your house. Bi-mart is a great place to find discounts on groceries in Corvallis.

Grocery Outlet

Grocery Outlet is not your average grocery store. It operates by buying up excess inventory from producers at a discount and passing that savings onto the shoppers. Every time you go to Grocery Outlet you many find something different and depending on what they can buym you might find something you need. It may be helpful to check here first before going to another grocery store.

Trader Joe’s 

With the familiar Hawaiian vibe and hand-written chalk boards telling you what’s on sale, Trader Joe’s has a lot of in house and specialty items. Trader Joe’s offers house branded items that you can’t get anywhere else, so you might end up finding something you like that you can’t get at another store. Not to mention the friendly staff and chill vibe that makes for a great shopping experience.

Corvallis Farmers Market

Open from April 15th to November 22nd, the Corvallis Farmers Market is your first stop for the freshest foods in town. Farmers from all around the area come here to give you the tastiest fruits and vegetables as well as lot of other crafts and specialty foods. While the market is open on Wednesday, it’s a lot bigger on Saturday’s. You can find it on 1st and Jackson in downtown Corvallis. Also, check out the Corvallis Indoor Winter Market!

Market Of Choice

Market of Choice offers several natural food selections as well as a large prepared food area. Visit the store to pick up a lunch of freshly made burgers, stir fry or sushi. Market of Choice was founded in and operates in Oregon so you can help keep your dollars in here by supporting a locally grown business that emphasizes natural foods.

Cascadia Market

Hey you, in the dorms! If you don’t know by now there’s a grocery store right on campus. Located in the International Living Learning Center, Cascadia has many fruits and veggies as well as others foods perfect for dorm life. The small store accepts Orange Rewards as well as your meal plan and other forms of payment. If you find yourself with leftover meal plan money when it’s time to leave the dorms, you can always go to Cascadia to get some groceries.

Fred Meyer

Fred Meyer stands as a big name in the Oregon grocery market. If you grew up in Portland or surrounding areas, you’ve heard of people refer to the store as “Freddies.” Fred Meyer offers a wide selection of groceries and fresh produce along with home goods and garden supplies. The founder wanted the store to become a one-stop shopping destination, so they offer everything from groceries to electronics to clothing. You can find a lot of items at the Corvallis Fred Meyer (there’s even a Starbucks on the second level.) If you sign up for their rewards card you can earn points towards discounts on fuel at their gas station located on 9th street.

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Photography by Lukas Budimaier (via unsplash.com)