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Grocery shopping. Love it or hate it, we all have to do it. Grocery budgets vary wildly from person to person, yet food is one of the easiest areas in which average consumers can economize – if they shop strategically using these 12 tips.

If the supermarkets in your area offer loyalty rewards cards that extend special prices to members, sign up immediately. They're free and will save you money. If you've forgotten your card at the checkout, be sure to ask the cashier to swipe his or hers to get the benefit of the sale prices.

The old image of clipping coupons from the Sunday newspaper circulars is outdated. Today, online res such as The Krazy Coupon Lady can help you find the best deals in your area without your leaving the couch. The Krazy Coupon Lady also provides links for printable coupons that some (though not all) stores accept just like newspaper coupons.

Additionally, most stores now have e-coupons that you can load onto your rewards card. These coupons nearly always align with the coupons that ran in the paper during the week, but you don't have to clip them. You can often download your coupon lists to your phone so you can see the details about which items the coupons apply to. Be aware that most stores do not let you use an e-coupon and a paper coupon for the same item, so you can't double up by using both.

That said, many stores have one-day-a-week promotions where coupons are worth double their face value. Ask at customer service if your store offers a double coupon day and plan your shopping schedule accordingly. Other offers might include discounts for seniors or members of the military on a certain day of the week.

Finally, with the advent of shows like Extreme Couponing, expertise about coupons has spread across the country. Local coupon clubs where you can swap coupons and share tricks and information are organized in various states and are just a Google away. For more, see 5 (Not-So-Extreme) Coupon-Saving Strategies.

Many stores have a sales cycle of 6 to 8 weeks. Tracking prices for your most-used items will allow you to stock up on nonperishables while they are at their lowest prices. Similarly, becoming familiar with produce prices and knowing what's in season will help you buy particular fruits and vegetables when they are least expensive – and most delicious!

Using your phone to track prices will help you get started learning about sales cycles. It can also come in handy in case you encounter a better price at another store, because many stores offer a lowest price guarantee.

You've just popped in to the store for a few items and suddenly your cart is overflowing. Sound familiar? Next time, try using a hand basket or a smaller shopping cart. Having spatial limitations will make it harder for you to go overboard, so instead of wandering the aisles and loading up on items you don't really need, you'll head to the checkout.

The point of a shopping list is not just to prevent you from forgetting ingredients; it also helps prevent extraneous spending and impulse buys. If you've planned out your meals for the week and you make a list of the ingredients you'll need to prepare them, you will be buying exactly what you need and no more. And most likely, you will be making healthier choices as well. If, that is, you stick to the list once you're in the supermarket.

Shopping on an empty stomach increases the likelihood of impulse buys. Have a filling meal before you go to the store and you'll be less likely to stray from your list.

While those pre-sliced melon chunks and pre-shredded carrots in the produce section are tempting, you will pay a premium for the convenience. Food that has been prepared for you is simply going to cost more than food you prepare yourself. This rule also applies to the deli counter, the salad bar, even the seafood section.

An exception sometimes occurs around closing time, when perishable prepared foods (such as rotisserie chicken or bakery goods) may get marked down for the last hour or two that the store is open. Get to know your store schedules, or ask store employees if your store often does late-night markdowns. Bonus: Shorter checkout lines!

Many ethnic grocery stores or discount stores sell "seconds" – produce that has been deemed unacceptable by the major store chains. This produce is still perfectly good, but it may not have met the big chains' size or aesthetic requirements. Prices for this type of produce are often extremely low; moreover, you're doing your part to prevent needless waste in the food chain.

Taking advantage of seconds has been catching on in creative ways. For instance, a startup in Oakland, Calif., will deliver a crate of seconds to your door for just $12 to $18 a week, thereby saving you money on gasoline as well as groceries. (For additional reading, see Whole Foods and Wal-Mart Urged to Embrace Ugliness.)

It's no secret that meat and seafood are often the most expensive things on a grocery list. Eating more beans and tofu will provide you with good s of protein and cut your grocery bill significantly. Dried beans are even less expensive than (already inexpensive) canned beans; you can cook up a huge pot and freeze the leftovers for easy additions to many meals.

Need half a cabbage? Less than a whole piece of meat? Ask the produce department or the butcher to cut it down for you. Many stores today also feature bulk bins, where you can choose exactly the amount you need. This is especially helpful with ingredients you don't use often.

The average American household throws out approximately $640 worth of food each year. By eating or freezing leftovers, freezing produce that is about to go bad and regularly clearing out your refrigerator (by eating what's there), you can dramatically reduce your household's food waste. Fruit that's past its prime for eating out of hand will be fine in a smoothie, and those leftovers you're sick of now will make a delicious lunch next month if you freeze them. The website Love Food Hate Waste can help educate you in ways to reduce food waste.

Supplement your store-bought food food with food acquired in other ways. Cultivating a garden will provide you with fresh, healthy produce that, if canned or frozen, can continue to feed you year-round. Foraging for food is another fun and often eye-opening option, but only if you're absolutely sure you can identify safe plants, or are accompanied by someone who knows edibles. Hunting and fishing can also provide your family with fresh protein, but be sure to obtain the proper licenses and permits before you begin. Fruit trees often produce more than one family can eat, and the fallen fruit can get messy. Offering to help harvest and clean up the fruit of your neighbors' trees may provide you with some delicious, free produce.

Another option is to join a CSA (community supported agriculture) network. CSAs will provide a bin of produce each week for a specific period of time (often for a season) for a set price. The selection and quantities will vary, but most CSA owners end up with more than enough produce for an affordable price. (Also see How to Shop Locally and Save Money.)

With a bit of organization and flexibility, you can simultaneously save big on groceries and reap significant health and environmental benefits. There are many ways to save, so try a few and then use the methods that work best for you and your family.