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PHOENIX Penny-Pinching Proposalsparticipate.\way. everything that happens here gets done by someone in committee.^'Each member, beyond the yearly $5 basic fee. is required to toss in a minimum of three hours work for the co-op each month. However, the system there is set up so that there arc only so many jobs available, and there aren%u2019t always vacancies in the ranks. %u201c Right now, we need members,\asserts. %u201c We're expanding.\only are the hours of the co-op expanding, but thq physical plant has blossomed as well, meaning more manning. Last year the operation moved from its cramped second floor down to street level, leaving more room for everything and giving basement space for a spacious cooler and calm storage. And, as usual, more space means more merchandise and more people to buy and help keep things afloat.ECLECTIC PHILOSOPHYWhile the co-op does stock natural foods in quantity. Holtz is quick to point out that it is by no means a \\philosophy.\\carry Peppcridge Farm cookies with preservatives, and Coluntbo yogurt with sugar; we%u2019ve also got Ercwhon products without additives and untreated grains. Our only policy is an economic one%u2014when we can get in bulk, then we try to get in bulk. It saves money.%u201dSome members%u2014about 100. Holtz auesscs%u2014give a great deal more than is asked of them and keep the co-op oft and running, but many just join for the basic comestible benefits. Despite its central ParkSlope location, the organization has gleaned participants from all over Brooklyn, both for ihe participatory feelings and the financial breaks. \prices,\who lives by the Manhattan Bridge, as he sat in an unoccupied comer with a book folded across one leg. \of the food that goes into me%u2014 feeling that I've been involved in the process.\Kuntz agreed, albeit less eloquently, weighing and picking his words as carefully as he chooses the mushrooms that he sorted onto a free-hanging scale. \grinned.JOINING THE CO-OPAll potential members must go to oricntaiion sessions before they join the active rolls of the co-op. At the sessions, they sign up for committee work and arc briefed on the fine points and detail of the day-to-day function of the organization; then, once work is available and vacancies are created, they are notified by telephone that they have been admitted. Orientations are held irregularly, only when the co-op needs new members, so to find out when the next openings will open, call the co-op at 622-0560. Membership costs 55 yearly, only members can shop at the co-op. and you must additionally work in the storefront for at least three hours each month.In turn, the benefits arc large, extending beyond the wallet and pocketbook. \very human place,\\of people. We've had our ups and downs%u2014but then, we%u2019ve been here for seven years, so we must be doing something right.\Locals write Guides To Best BuysBY VIRGINIA CAREYConsumers have always been the same%u2014they want the best at the lowest prices%u2014at least that is what Ellen Telzer and Sharon Greene, Brooklyn Heights residents thought eight years ago. They chose the Lower East Side in Manhattan to research because Telzer and Greene consider the area%u2019s stores to carry first rate merchandise at low prices. Armed with a list of Manhattan stores and a Brooklyn \they published %u201c The Lower East Side Shopping Guide.%u201d Now, seven years later, and shoppers even more concerned about prices, the guide is in its 6th edition with 10,000 copies slated to be released in the next two weeks.In 1971 the two full time teachers in New1 York%u2019s public schools began their one year project that brought them into women%u2019s and men%u2019s apparel stores, sewing, crafts, appliances, household and food stores that dof Hester, Orchard, Ludlow' and other streets on the Lower East Side. Work on their project took until late hours in the night and during the summer.\cooperative,\way in which they carried on their reasearch. Usually they went ito a store and acted like any potential buyer by comparing prices and asking questions. However, thereSharon Greene (left) and Ellen Telzer, co-authors of the\were a few' moments when, revealing their purpose, owners or managers threw them out, once because they thought they were bill collectors.Telzer points out that stores she recommends are very competitive and because they do little if any advertising and buy in quantity, prices arc way below what people would pay in big name department stores. Most stores, in fact, are wholesale distributors for department stores and sell retail only as a sideline.If anyone is reluctant to buy \Telzer, people immediately thinkFood & Drink Are Cheaper By The Dozen, The Case, The Gross, And The FreezerfulBY IRENE VAN SLYKE\might well be the merchants%u2019 motto of the 1980%u2019s, and it%u2019s something to look into if you're trying to keep up with your old*lifestyle under an ever-increasing inflation rate.Let me give you an example of how you can stay ahead of fitflation. Six months ago, 1 bought a year%u2019s supply of cat food for 24 cents a can. At that time, it was selling in the local supermarket for 29 cents a can. leaving me a 20 percent savings. Now it goes for 29 cents wholesale and for 33 to 34 cents a can in the supermarket; assuming that prices will continue to go up, I've already saved 37 percent off the supermarket price, which puts me well ahead of even the current 12 percent inflation rate.Ah. you say, but you can%u2019t do that with everything. But you%u2019ll be surprised: all paper products--- tissues, towels, and the like%u2014all cleaning products, canned foods and sodas, rices, flours and frozen goods are suitable for wholesale buying, and beyond them the list can go on and on.INGENUITY NEEDEDThere are, of course, some drawbacks. You might be saving money, but will you be able to store all that merchandise? Which is where ingenuity comes in; in most houses and apartments much space is wasted, and it%u2019s up to you to pull impromptu storage spaces out of the nooks and crannies of day-today life. Closets can be created underneath stairs, in unusedluriK'i %u2022 anu m u n u v - i u v _ v j.->,sofas, and chairs, even at the bottoms of wardrobes.Another problem is ambience and decor. Some people are wary of ihe stark, plain environments of mans wholesale outlets, whichoften have a cluttered, warehouse look about them and are packed with goods that may not have fancy, attractive packaging. However, the sales personnel are just as helpful as elsewhere, and the end result is a good sight cheaper.Here are a few places where money can be saved in the Downtown area at wholesale outlets, discount stores and bulk dealers.DISCOUNT MEATSSome of the biggest savings run hand in hand with some of the biggest price jumps, landing on the food shelves and, in particular, in meats. Quantity buying here can make itself widely felt, and there is almost always room for 10 or even 25 pounds of meat and vegetables in even a modest freezer. Buying bulk, customers can also watch the meat being cut and know that nothing foreign has been added to make it look fresh, like often unnaturally-red supermarket meat cuts.Ordering meat at a discount center can be a bit embarrassing if you don%u2019t know anything about meat cuts. For a start, it%u2019s a good idea not to buy the cheapest cuts, which are often laced with bone or gristle; try to stick with top or bottom round, or %u2018center cut%u2019 loin of pork. But study up--\Cooking\is a good source to start with. Eventually, when a butcher presents you with a 25 pound hunk of meat and asks how you want it cut,jt u u i i n a v e a ^ iia p p y a i i S w e i i c a u ) .Prices change weekly and discount centers usually publish a pricelist which can be picked up right at the door.At Atlantic Avenue and Fort Greene Place two discount centersare left from what was once a stand of a dozen or more wholesale distributors. The Omaha Food Discount Center and Berk Lombardo sell both wholesale and retail with substantial savings. This past week, for example, Omaha sold, top round at $1.79 a popnd while supermarkets were charging $2.59 for the same cut. Omaha also sells all sorts of products ordinarily sold in supermarkets, such as paper and cleaning products, cheese, frozen vegetables (in two-and-a-half pound bags), breads, butter and eggs, all at some kind of savings.Dtmbardo, down the block, sells better cuts of meats including veal, lamb and pork; its London Broil marketted for $2.39 a pound (in 20-25 pound quantities) while the same meat was netting $2.69 in retail stores. Lombardo also sells gourmet seafoods like lobster tails, shrimp and scallops, as well as assorted specialty items including oxtails, tripe, smoked hams and cornish hens.Omaha Discount Center islocated at 197 Fort Greene Place, 638-5400. Hours: Wed-Fri,9am-6pm, Sat, 8am-4pm, Master Charge, Visa and Bank Americardaccepted.Berk Lombardo Pkg. Co, islocated at 175 Fort Greene Place, 628-1477. Hours: Mon-Sat,7am-4pm.BEER AND SODAWhen you're making preparations to throw a big party, or if yourI t f A c n*>/4 U a a %u00ab f . ,, tU n- - - - kjjcase, then Discount Centers can give you a real break. Instead of hopping out for frequent trips to your local corner bodega for beer or soda, consider how happy a case of the same might make your walletinstead of a series of minor buys. In two downtown discount stores a case of Coke at American Beer on Court St. went for $6.36, and at Cobble Heights on Atlantic Ave. for $6.49 (a case is 24 cans). In a nearby supermarkets, however, the same merchandise was priced at $1.89 for a six-pack, or $7.56 for a case. You can get the same savings when buying a six-pack of Budweiser, which would cost you $2.19 at most supermarkets ($8.76 for a case) but sold for $7.79 at Cobble Heights.The savings are even more impressive over your neighborhood deli/grocery. A case of 24 bottles of imported Heineken beer costs $14.65 at American Beer and $12.99 at Cobble Heights, but runs 70 cents a bottle in smaller establishments. Bottle by bottle, that adds up to a grand total of $16.80 for a case.American Beer Distributing Co.,244 Court St%u201e 875-0226. Open Mon, 9-6pm, Tues-Thurs, until 7 pm, Sat 8-9 pm, Sun 1-4 pm. Cash and carry.Cobble Heights Distributors, 185Atlantic Avenue, 596-0871. Open Mon-Wed, 9-7pm, Thurs, Fri, 9-8pm, Sat, 9-7:30pm, cash and carry.Some of the biggest bulk savings are found in the pet food industry. As pointed out before, discrepancies of 13 to 20 percent between supermarket and discount stores are common. It is hard to compare prices between discount storessince they don%u2019t always carry the %u00bb * .^ a m c u ia u u a , o u t t u n v i oon 2nd Street in Park Slope carries one of the cheapest brands at $6 for a case of 24 cans of Goff food. Cats %u2019N Jamas on Atlantic Avenue and Beastly Bite on Court Street reportContinued on following page\reassure them, there is a very limited amount of damaged goods. And when stores do carry goods with imperfections they are so minute that they are hard to notice unless studied with a magnifying glass, Telzer says. Brooklyn stores Telzer and Greene recommend are:Kings Woodland at 91 Court Street, 858-1762, Mon.-Sat. 10-6, a store that carries unfinished furniture at substantial discounts%u2014platform beds, parsons tables, bookcases etc. and will custom build anything in wood you need.F. Durable Pictures Frames Inc.at 164 Columbia Street, 834-0835, Mon.-Fri. 8:30-7:30, Sat. 8:30-4:00.This store does custom framing catering to art galleries, artists and decorators but also do some retail business at discount.El Vee Umbrella Co. Inc 2417McDonald Avenue, 339-0788, Mon.-Fri. 10-6. El Vee is a huge warehouse filled with leisure furniture, John Hancock redwood furniture and aluminum furniture by Telescope all at discounts.Fabric Alternative at 88 Atlantic or 78 Seventh Avenue, 857-5482. A store for people who sew, it carries materials of high quality at a good price.H. Berman Inc. 4415 13th Avenue, GE8-1323, Mon., Tue. 9-8 pm, Wed. 9-6, Sun. 10-5. Berman%u2019s has fine childrens%u2019 furniture, bedding, baby carriages and strollers with discounts up to 50 percent off department store prices.Tops, 8001.3rd Avenue, 745- 8175, Mon.-Fri. 9-6, Sat. 10-5. Tops is a restaurant and bar supply company. They carry a selection of Libby glassware, stainless steel or aluminum cookware, cutlery, crockery, kitchen and bar accessories.Clipper Industries at 83 19th Street (3rd Ave.) 788-5713, Mon.- Fri. 9-4. Clipper sells beautiful wicker, bamboo, rattan and willow furniture, baskets small and large at discount prices. Most are imported from the Orient or Europe, sold strictly on a cash basis.Bedell Woodworking Co. Inc. at1271 McDonald Avenue, 258-0900, Mon.-Sat. 9-3. Bedell Woodworking manufactures fine, solidly constructed dining room tables, wall units, cocktail tables, in Italian, French Provincial, Chinese and other styles.New Deal Table Con), at 6202 16th Avenue, CL9-2665, Mon.-Sat. 9-5. New Deal manufactures dinette and dining room sets and %u2018'Cilc furniture fenmother manufacturers.If you would like to order the Lower East Side Shopping Guide, send a check or money order for $4.50 to 2 Grace Court, Bklyn., N.Y. 11201.Page 10, The PHOENIX, October 25. 1979