Sauder's Store

 Sauder's is a Mennonite-owned dry-goods/meat/lots of other things store outside of Seneca Falls, about a 55-minute drive from Rochester.  The variety of products is incredible--every kind of flour you can think of, spices, grains, home-style candies, baking necessities (soda, yeast, cocoa, brown sugar, etc.)--all neatly bagged in different sizes and on the shelf. They also have a deli (I'm not a meat connoisseur, but apparently you can get German specialty meat that is hard to find), inexpensive cheeses, fruit preserves, home-made syrups...the list goes on! 

Here's my best price summary: their big bulk items (50 lb bags of sugar, beans, etc) can generally be found for less at other places (Aldi, LDS Storehouse),  but Sauder's prices for baking supplies are hard to beat (and they sell them in hard-to-find quantities). 

Even aside from all practical matters, Sauder's is a very fun place to visit.  The distance is a drawback, but it's one exit away from the Waterloo Factory Outlet Stores, so you could definitely make a day of it (the flour picture is just a random one I found online, but Sauder's is so great I thought it deserved a graphic). 

Jim Dalberth's Sporting Goods

I'm conflicted about "buying local"--I love the idea of putting money back into the community, but our student budget usually doesn't go very far in mom & pop specialty stores.  That's why I was so happy to find Jim Dalberth's Sporting Goods.  I bought a pair of running shoes there, and we found out that anytime you buy shoes, all apparel (they have all brands of shoes; most of their apparel is Asics) is 50% off, so we bought some pants and shorts for my husband.  

The store is right across the Elmwood bridge from the U of R River Campus.  When I walked in I was surprised--it's twice as tall as it is wide, and it looked a little disorganized.  The real benefit of the store, though, is the salespeople.  They don't hover, but they're incredibly efficient and they know everything about running.  Basically, they sell all of their shoes for 15% off the ticket price. 

So--if you are already planning to spend the money on some nice running shoes, you should consider Jim Dalberth's.  You'll end up with good shoes as well as a good feeling about buying locally.