Temptations beckon from every corner. Soft music and enticing aromas fill the air, and a white-coated salesman offers samples and a smile. Before you know it, you've done it again -- spent more than you should have and gotten less than you should have.

Sound like your favorite department store? Wrong. The scene -- acted out at least once a week for millions of Americans -- is your supermarket, where more than 10,000 items are competing for your food dollar.

Many shoppers still practice tried-and-true methods to cut back spending -- like clipping coupons and going with a list. (In fact, nearly half of all the consumers in a recent Food Marketing Institute survey say they use coupons.)

But the best route to saving money at the checkout counter may be the simplest and most sensible, from a health standpoint, experts say. Buy what's in season, and follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Guide pyramid, which emphasizes complex carbohydrates like grains and beans (read: cheap).

Stop serving "big hunks of meat at every meal," says Pat Edwards, author of "Cheap Eating: How to Feed Your Family Well and Spend Less" (Upper Access Books. $9.95). "Even a lifelong habit of sirloins can be broken if the alternatives taste good. Eat more rice and pasta and potatoes."

"Buy food in its 'original' form and you'll save money," says Amy Dacyczyn, author of "The Tightwad Gazette" (Villard Books. $9.99) and the monthly newsletter of the same name. Adds this mother of six: "I'm not convinced coupons save you money. People who use coupons tend to stress what they are saving, not what they're spending, and they buy more convenience foods because these are what coupons are issued for. You'd be better off changing your diet and eating meals made from scratch."

Finally, be flexible when you shop, advises Melanie Barnard, co-author of "Cheap Eats" (HarperPerennial, $9.95). "We've all been told to go to the store with a list. But the biggest mistake people make -- and this sounds like an old adage, but it's true -- is not to wing it at all. If your list says asparagus, and that's expensive, you have to be flexible enough to switch to another vegetable."

Resisting the siren call of the supermarket can be tough, especially for time-pressed shoppers who tend to rely heavily on convenience foods. But you don't have to be a slave to the kitchen to shrink your weekly food tab. Ms. Edwards, Ms. Dacyczyn and Ms. Barnard tell how.

Breakfast

* A 2-ounce serving of a popular pre-sweetened cereal cost 42 cents in a Tightwad Gazette survey. By comparison, a 2-ounce serving of oatmeal costs 15 cents, two pieces of French toast cost 8 cents, two homemade muffins cost 7 cents, and an egg with a slice of toast costs 11 cents.

* The worst choice of all? Frozen microwavable single-serving breakfasts, priced at $1.49 apiece in the Tightwad Gazette survey.

* The best cereals (from a price standpoint) are puffed wheat, puffed rice, store-brand cornflakes and store-brand oat circles. If you like them sweet, add your own sugar.

* Depending on whether it's generic or name-brand, pancake syrup costs $1.59 to $3.19 for a 24-ounce bottle, says Ms. Dacyczyn. So make your own in minutes for 80 cents a batch. Her recipe: Bring to a boil 3 cups granulated sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, 3 tablespoons molasses, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 teaspoons butter flavoring and 1 teaspoon maple extract. Stir until sugar dissolves, turn off heat, and leave pot on burner until bubbling stops.

Lunch

* Use leftover meat, vegetables and noodles to make a big pot of soup, and serve this instead of sandwiches made with cold cuts.

* When you do buy cold cuts at the deli counter, only buy what's on sale -- you'll save more than $1 per pound, in many instances. For sandwiches, use Swiss for provolone if it's on sale that week, or substitute sale-priced Alpine Lace for Muenster.

* Freeze odd bits of cheese and use them for tacos, omelets, lasagna and souffles.

* Don't buy processed blends of fruit juices, which cost more than other juices. Make your own lemonade from water, lemons and sugar.

Dinner

* Choose the tougher cuts of beef, such as flank, brisket and chuck. Braise or stew to tenderize.

* Only buy meat on loss-leader sales (advertised on front and back pages of the store's weekly fliers). These are the items stores actually take a loss on, hoping to lure you in to buy other items not on sale.

* Beware rice-plus-pasta mixes, and rice mixes. They're less nutritious than plain rice, and contain additives. Get in the habit of adding your own spices. A box of rice, an onion and a pinch of oregano costs slightly more than half what a box of "gourmet" rice mix costs, says Ms. Edwards.

Snacks

* Serve homemade popcorn instead of potato chips or cheese curls.

* Make from-scratch pudding instead of using the instant mix. While you may spend about 30 seconds more in the kitchen, the savings are worth it. Ms. Edwards costed-out both, and found that pudding from a mix costs 21 cents a serving while home-cooked pudding costs 8 cents a serving -- and it's chemical-free.

* Eat produce in season. In winter, substitute vitamin C-rich sweet potatoes and broccoli for more expensive fruits. They're every bit as nutrient-dense and, right now, a better buy.

*

These recipes are from "Cheap Eats."

Lentil, sausage and kale soup

Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) lentils, rinsed and picked over to remove any grit (use either brown or green lentils)

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes

1/2 pound kale

12 ounces kielbasa or other garlicky smoked cooked sausage

1 (16-ounce) can plum tomatoes, with their juice

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Heat oil in large kettle or soup pot. Cook onion and celery over medium-low heat until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add 6 cups of water and the broth, lentils, bay leaf and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash kale, discarding stems and tough ribs, and thinly slice the leaves. Slice sausage into 1/2 -inch rounds. Add kale, sausage and canned tomatoes with their juice to the soup. Bring to a simmer, breaking up the tomatoes with the side of a spoon, and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes longer. If the soup is too thick, add up to 1 cup more water. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. (The amount of salt will depend on the saltiness of the sausage.) Ladle into large soup bowls to serve.

Garlic orzo with carrots and marjoram

Serves 4

1 cup orzo (about 8 ounces)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small carrot, peeled and grated

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the orzo for about 10 minutes, or until al dente, tender but firm. Drain into a sieve.

Meanwhile, heat oil in small skillet. Add garlic and cook over low about 2 minutes, until slightly softened and lightly browned.

Return orzo to cooking pot set over low heat and add garlic oil, carrot and marjoram. Toss until heated through. Season with salt and pepper before serving.