Sometimes what happens to us is out of our control, but we have to stay in control in order to work through the difficulty. Yes, the United States is the largest consumer of energy on the planet, but China with a population of more than four times that of the U.S. is second on the list.

The list of reasons for rising oil prices is lengthy, but a weaker U.S. dollar is just one of the reasons.

Higher oil prices translate to higher prices at the pump, all around the world. A modest budget for fuel for the family vehicles has climbed and to come up with that extra money to cover higher fuel prices, you have to pull it from somewhere.

Maybe it means a little less play money for Saturday night, or postponing a trip to the dry-cleaners, or one less car wash; after all, the car isn't that dirty.

Rising fuel costs mean that it costs more to harvest crops, process food, transport it, and bring it home from the store.

How do you cope with soaring food prices, or better yet, how can you still eat well, but spend less. Most people will opt for buying quantity. Check out the BMWs and Benzs in the parking lots of the warehouse discount stores.

Here are some of the downsides to buying food in quantity. When you buy in quantity, you will eat more. One of the reasons that you eat more is because you have more to eat.

Potato chips, which once only whispered from the cupboard, now have the collective power to scream, at you for attention and consumption. A weekend treat becomes a nightly ritual.

Is it just in my house, or does it happen to you as well; when you have more food in the house, you have a tendency to prepare more elaborate meals. When you're down to your last roll of paper towels, they seem to last longer, than if you have eleven additional rolls in the pantry ready for service. I can make a facial tissue last a day, with use, when I'm on my last box.

This scenario could go on for paragraphs and make you dizzy from nodding in agreement.

Companies love tough times, because that makes the appeal of their coupons a lot more attractive. Saving money by using coupons, usually leads to purchases of items that you don't normally buy, have to buy in quantity (and I already covered that spiral), or buying bigger packages than you are use to purchasing.

Coping with soaring food costs has some simple solutions and will take some effort on your part, but once you learn the tricks of the trade, you can reward yourself with savings for the rest of your life.

1) Make a list of what you need to buy. I know you've heard this one before, but hear me out on this.

2) You have to list everything that you need.

3) This is a little bit harder, but this is the step that can really help to keep from flattening your wallet. Investigate different meals to prepare. Eating the same foods all the time is in many respects, a big reason why your food bill is growing.

If you are a meat eater, preparing meals using different cuts of meat can really save on the food bill. I am not asking you to buy cheap meat; I'm suggesting that you substitute a familiar ingredient that may add a whole new flair to the meal.

People spend a fortune on cookbooks every year looking for new recipes and meals to prepare; beat them to the punch.

4) Make a list of items that you normally buy that you consider to be expensive or a luxury. Paper towels can be replaced with a rag in many cases. Do you need name-brand aspirin, or just aspirin?

5) Discover the savings of eating meatless meals. When you can serve a delicious meal without meat; you're really cookin'.

When I first became a vegetarian in the 1980s, restaurants were baffled on what to offer; now, many have separate vegetarian menus. I'm back to eating meat, but not as regularly as I used to. The reason; I've discovered great vegetables and combinations of vegetables to eat in lieu of meat dishes.

Here's a favorite that I have often. Consider how much you pay for orange juice, fruit juice, or a gallon of milk. I've discovered banana milk, it's easy to make, the children love it, and I never grow tired of it.

The formula is this; put a banana or two in a blender and add a bit of peach, strawberry, or kiwi if you want to give it some pizazz. I prefer, just the bananas. Add cold water, or water with ice, and liquefy.

Delicious and the more bananas to water you use, the thicker and richer it tastes.

6) I encourage you to talk to friends and neighbors and do a kind of brainstorming about alternatives to the same-old dishes to serve.

7) Rather than switch to cheaper brands at the market, go for substitution, what could you use as a substitute to sugar, salt, or an expensive spice? This is how, again, great recipes come into being.

I'll share this thought with you. Wine is all around the world, but it is not all made from grapes, there's wine made from rice, and there's wine made from; sorry, I'll save this for another article.

Don't substitute with a cheaper brand of the same item, seek out less expensive alternatives to the items that you are use to using.

Now, multiply this way of thinking across all your purchases. Necessity is the mother of invention and with the world economy faltering, the mother of invention will be working a lot harder, but is begging to be working for you.