With food costs going up at an alarming rate, some foods such as rice are already being rationed in parts of the country. There is no relief in sight as food inflation continues to rise at 4.5% per year.

That means your eggs have already gone up 30 % in the last year, and your milk, cheese, flour, bananas and even peanut butter will be more expensive to buy. All that comes on top of rising gas prices, which are predicted to double in the next four years.

In spite of all that bad news, can you still be in control of how far your food dollars stretch?

You can start saving money today with these simple, easy to follow tips.

1. Learn the secret food codes

Bread companies have their own codes for when bread is baked and delivered. Each company is different, but the general code is alphabetical. Monday-blue, Tuesday- green, Thursday- red, Friday-white, Saturday- yellow. Learn the codes, and look toward the back of the shelf to find the freshest loaves.

2. Do most of your cooking ahead of time

This saves time as well because you are more organized. Freeze the food and bring it out for individual meals as your family needs them. You can also give them more variety and choices. If someone would rather have spaghetti instead of a casserole, for example, they can warm up an individual serving. A deep freeze will more than pay for itself.

3. Get out of the grocery store as quickly as possible

Buy only what you need and leave. The longer you stay, the more you will buy and the store knows that. That's why your store's layout may not always make sense to you. They want you to wander around and yield to temptation to buy more than you need. Always ask yourself if you really need that gallon of "Death by Chocolate" ice cream just because it's on sale. Those extra impulse dollars can add up fast.

4. Never shop when you're hungry

Always eat first before you go to the store. The hungrier you are the more you will spend, and your spending will get out of control.

5. Always check label dates

You may be surprised at how much difference in food freshness you will find on one shelf. For example, prepared salad fixings can vary by several days. Again, look toward the bottom of the shelf. That's where they will put the latest deliveries. Get in the habit of rummaging through. You'll be richly rewarded for the effort.

6. Go for bulk

Join a warehouse club like Sam's Club(Walmart) or Costco. If you don't want to pay for a membership by yourself, go in with a friend and shop together.

Buy the stable items only such as canned vegetables, coffee, rice, spaghetti sauce, mayonnaise. These will be the items you use most often and they are the foundation of your pantry. Stay away from the bakery and free food sample give-aways, although some people have been known to eat lunch going from counter to counter.

7. Do most of your shopping in one trip

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