Jill Austin of Emlenton jars tomato sauce made from ingredients grown in her family's backyard garden. "My husband's philosophy is we don't grow anything in the backyard that we can't eat," she said. Austin preserves fruits, vegetables and herbs so her family can eat off them through the winter, thus saving money on rising produce prices.

Jill Austin spends much of her summer tending to a backyard vegetable garden, fruit trees and even a patch of herbs.

And this winter, the backyard bounty will surface on her dining table as spaghetti sauce, jams, jellies and vegetables.

Whether it's clipping coupons or freezing and canning produce, Austin is among a growing population striving to combat rising food prices.

According to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for foods served at home have risen 7.5 percent since August 2007. The prices of fruits and vegetables have taken the biggest jump at 12 percent, followed by cereal and bakery goods at 11.7 percent, and dairy products along with meat, fish and eggs at 5.2 percent.

The Austin family's Emlenton backyard is filled with fruits and vegetables Jill turns into affordable food by canning jars of spaghetti and pizza sauce and salsa. The mother of five also freezes her homegrown vegetables along with her harvest from apple and pear trees and blueberry bushes.

"My husband's philosophy is we don't grow anything in the backyard that we can't eat," she said.

Additionally, the family purchases beef from a brother-in-law, and her husband, Randy, provides venison, which is cubed or ground for later use.

"We can really save a lot," Jill Austin said.

Esther Voelker, nutrition education adviser for the Penn State Cooperative Extension in Butler County, said fruits and vegetables from your backyard garden or a farmer's market are a great way to save some money on your food bill.Many fruits and vegetables are plentiful in the fall, traditionally harvest time, and locally grown produce is typically cheaper. Farmer's markets also give consumers the added benefit of knowing where their produce comes from and when it was harvested, Voelker said.Kim and Bryan Butler are already planning a bigger garden for next year. But even with a garden, Kim Butler said the family's food dollars are "not stretching far enough," although she cans spaghetti sauce and applesauce and freezes green beans and corn.Butler of Emlenton makes her own bread, rolls and sweet rolls, noting her family prefers homemade bread, but she said it also is cheaper to make the sweet rolls than to buy them at the store.She also uses less cheese in her lasagna and homemade macaroni and cheese recipes."The taste isn't really noticeable," Butler said, describing mixed reactions from the couple's children, Jeff, 17, and Kelsey, 14."(They're) okay with it, but they would prefer it the old way," she said.She said the children also accompany her to the grocery store, so they've seen the increases first-hand.Mary Ann Stephenson takes another route for food savings.The Harmony resident clips coupons and scans grocery store ads for the best sales as well as the best deals on double coupons."I'm always looking at ads," she said. "Ads and coupons."Stephenson said she scans ads from a number of grocery and discount stores, as well as some pharmacies, when planning her shopping tripsShe even has cut some favorites from her grocery list like apples and apple juice because of the high prices.Stephenson also combines trips to save on gas."I will not go food shopping unless I'm going to an area (anyway)," she said.Although the family usually plants a garden, they did without this summer.Voelker said coupons are helpful only if they make items you typically purchase cost less.

She also cautions shoppers against buying an item simply because they have a coupon and advises shoppers to verify that a coupon gives the best buy, since store brands are sometimes cheaper than name brands even with the coupon.Coupon clippers should keep a designated coupon drawer or envelope and check them when making a shopping list. If a coupon will soon expire, Voelker suggests adjusting your menu to include the soon-to-be expired voucher.Butler also does comparative shopping, checking unit prices and supermarket fliers and stocking up on sale items.But, Voelker said, prices are sometimes deceiving. Consumers should check the unit prices of items instead of choosing the product with the lowest price. Cheaper is not always the cheapest. Unit prices show shoppers what the item cost per ounce or per pound.Robin Kruk of Cranberry Township has created dozens of recipes utilizing leftovers, slashing her food costs. Many of the creations cost about $1 per person per serving."People tend not to think about leftovers anymore," she said.Kruk will use a rotisserie chicken for dinner one evening, then turn the leftovers into a chicken soup by boiling the bones and adding vegetables, and she also puts together other inexpensive soups she says are high in fiber and protein."Soup can go with anything, and the prep time is nothing," she said.Kruk doesn't use coupons but does shop at discount food stores once a month, stocking up on dry goods such as noodles and rice and canned products. She also buys in bulk whenever possible.

Although Kruk did not plant a garden, she sometimes gets produce from friends or neighbors, who usually get a pot of soup in return.Austin also makes her meals do double duty for her husband, Randy, and their three teen daughters who still live at home.A roast will later turn up as vegetable soup, and she uses leftover chicken and vegetables for fried rice. Leftover mashed potatoes can be thickened with egg and fried to make potato patties.A good stir-fry can be made by boiling the dark meat of chicken thighs and legs, typically cheaper than white meat breasts, and adding vegetables and sauces, Voelker said.Voelker advises people to make a list before heading out to the grocery store, but she said she has to be flexible. If an item is cheaper than one on the list, she considers changing her menu plans for that meal. She also advised checking sale fliers for items that are too good to pass up or are family favorites or staples and adding them to the list.When planning, Voelker advises checking to see what supplies are have on hand that can be incorporated into meals for the coming week.Voelker also offered other tips for savings on food bills, such as buying a lot of something you use often when it's on sale as well as using coupons, canning and freezing, and comparative and unit pricing."I think that if you put (these ideas) into practice, it will help," she said.

Robin Kruk of Cranberry Township makes miniature meatloafs. She said she takes full advantage of leftovers and has created numerous recipes to save on her family's food budget. She estimates some meals only cost about $1 per person.

Mary Ann Stephenson of Harmony sorts her coupon folder, which she said saves her money. She also plans her shopping to coincide with other trips and visits several stores to get the best deals.

Jill Austin of Emlenton picks tomatoes from her family's backyard garden. Besides eating from the garden in the summer, Austin preserves her home-grown produce for the winter to save on food bills. In the case of the tomatoes, she uses them for pizza and spaghetti sauce, as well as salsa.