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In times of soaring food prices and credit crunches we can clip coupons religiously and make supermarket rounds for the best deals, but we can also get creative with our food habits. Author Michael Pollan suggests a revival of the local food system as a means to improve public health, the local economy and community togetherness. He challenges us to “declare our independence from the industrial food chain,” and suggests that we start seeking alternatives.

Tough times provide a good opportunity to simplify your lifestyle and use what you have on hand. It can be as easy as seeking out fruit trees growing in your neighborhood that are yours for the picking, or challenging yourself to whip up a meal with whatever you have in the fridge. Try Inviting friends over for weekly potlucks, like Lynne Oliver, a New Jersey librarian and editor of The Food Timeline, who notes that “potlucks are all about community and human exchange, their purpose is bringing together communities of people.”

The concept of taking food matters into our own hands has been around for centuries. Consider The victory garden movement that arose during the Great Depression and both world wars. The movement reduced pressure on the public food supply and had the added benefit of boosting morale during hard times. Today the movement is making a comeback.

Another time tested practice, is Gleaning-the gathering of leftover crops in a farmer’s field-which has been around since biblical times (Lev:19-9-10). A contemporary form of urban gleaning is freeganism, which makes use of second-hand food and goods. For some, being a freegan is a matter of necessity. For others, it is an ideological or lifestyle choice. The idea is to buy only what you need, and to recoup everything else by bartering through Web sites such as craigslist and freecycle, or by scouring public alley ways for food discarded by restaurants and super markets.

Freeganism may gain traction as the economy sinks and the price of food rises. Grocery stores throw out large amounts of cereal, produce and baked goods every day to make room for newer, “fresher” items. This food can be perfectly safe to eat since it is often tossed because of minor damage or impending expiration dates. Some items may be wrapped in protective packaging, meaning it never touches a dumpster. Think of all the perfectly good bananas that are thrown out because they are considered overripe. Brown bananas make yummy banana bread!

But freeganism is not just about dumpster diving. Here are some tips for some other ways you can join the effort-and save money:

1.Furnish your apartment with items your neighbors left out on the curb, free for the taking. Or go to garage sales, church bazaars and Salvation Armies to find perfectly good second hand items.

2. Adorn yourself with second hand clothing. Hooray for hand-me-downs!

3. Host a clothing swap with friends. Your trash may be another person’s treasure.

4. (Free) fresh food can sometimes be found at farmer’s markets. Wait until the end of the day and ask farmers if they have any leftover produce for you or your pooch. You will often find bruised fruit or the tops of fennel or beet leaves. I once found a whole apple pie!

5. Host a potluck. This way you can cut down on groceries and restaurant bills-and catch up with those dearest to you. After all, food tastes better with friends.