As a milk lover, I find this hard to believe

I've never seen a gallon go for above 2.99(if that) at safeway and never seen one below 3.99(if you're lucky) at whole foods

On milk you may be right. Whole Foods doesn't sell exclusively organic, but they do exclusively sell, e.g., hormone-free products. Whole Foods effectively has a price floor that limits how competitive they can be.

I've found milk and eggs to be sometimes slightly cheaper at Safeway, but they're really bottom-of-the-barrel brands and not something I'd buy anyhow. The brand of non-organic eggs I buy is sold by both WF and Safeway, but WF is consistently <= than Safeway, and there's only one or two brands at Safeway that is cheaper.

But this is pocket change. For higher-priced things, like meats (ground beef, chicken), I find WF's prices to more than make up the difference. Generally, unless Grocery Outlet has a great deal, we just default to buying meat, eggs, dairy, and vegetables at WF when we can. Unfortunately, WF is less convenient for us than Safeway, so we do regularly shop (and pay more for it) at Safeway if we're pressed for time.

Gallon of whole milk was $3.50 at Whole Foods in Berkeley yesterday. A welcome sight indeed. I also noticed butter prices were very discounted so picked up an extra brick.

From one milk lover to another, what's your favorite and additionally best value brand for milk? I haven't recorded my preferences but seem to remember disliking Trader Joe's and being plenty surprised by a value brand or two.

I dunno man, I have seen standard size organic milk carton go for $5.12 at Whole Foods where as 3 standard size Organic milk cartons are $10 plus change at costco. I have shopped at Whole Foods before and after and it has def. got cheaper at key essentials such as - organic egg, organic milk and organic chicken. Now the costs are more in Target/Kroger range.

In CA eggs are about $1.50 at T.J. and $3.00 at W.F. I buy the cheapest eggs. Not sure about comparison at all the other egg types. Cali has some kind of "be not so evil to egg laying chickens" proposition, so I think the lowest level eggs are the same eco/ethical level

To be fair Safeway is also very overpriced...

Marginal improvement if you put in your phone number to get their stupid fake sales. Still an awful shopping experience and not inexpensive either.

Take a look at the wine aisle in Safeway. Every single wine is always on sale. I would not think that is even legal in the US but I guess it must be.