One of the ways I get the most of out of my grocery budget is to find secondary uses for the containers that my groceries and food items are packaged in. Instead of throwing discarded packaging in the trash or recycling bin, I find others uses for these items as a way to save money and stretch my budget.

Upcycling grocery packaging is not only ""green,"" it reduces waste. Reusing these free materials around the house is an easy way to minimize your trash output while increasing your savings.
Large coffee tubs: There's no need to run to the store for buckets when you've got a steady supply of oversized tubs coming in with the groceries. Instead of tossing the tubs in the recycling, I save money by turning these containers into countertop compost holders, paint containers, and craft organizers.
Bottles: My new favorite way to use old bottles is to place them in the vegetable garden as solar heat collectors. This low tech trick helps warm the soil and boost plant growth.
Cellophane produce bags: Why buy food storage bags when you can upcycle free produce or bread bags? These sturdy cellophane bags can be hand washed, line dried to disinfect, and then used to store baked goods or leftovers. My favorite way to use these bags are as sleeves for 8x8 casserole dishes -- the bags are wide enough for the dish to slide neatly inside; a twist tie closure keeps the food fresh.
Wax paper cereal box liners: A staple in every cook's kitchen, wax paper keeps cakes for sticking to pans. I save money by recycling wax paper cereal box liners for my baking needs instead of buying wax paper on the roll.
Margarine and butter wrappers: Greasing a cake or casserole dish is both a waste of butter and a paper towel. My free, green alternative is save the butter and margarine wrappers in my butter keeper and use these to grease cake pans.
Milk jugs: Plastic gallon milk jugs have a million and one uses. My preference is to use them in the vegetable garden as ""caps"" to protect new seedlings from frost.
Cottage cheese containers: If you aren't keeping these to use as free leftover food storage containers, you should be. Cottage cheese and yogurt containers are made of a durable plastic which is ideal for storing leftovers in the fridge or freezer. Recycled plastic containers like these are perfect for sending home leftovers with friends and family, too.
Cereal and cracker boxes: When my kids were in elementary school, dioramas used to be popular homework assignments. Packaged food boxes -- such as cereal and crackers boxes are the right stiffness for this type of crafting and are a free alternative to poster board. I still use cut up cereal boxes to stiffen up envelopes for shipping photographs, as signs for yard sales, making paper frames, and for crafting into small gift boxes.
Twist ties: Yep, I recycle these too. In addition to using them to seal storage bags, I'll use twist ties to tie up telephone and appliance cables to keep them neat and for staking my vegetable seedlings until they can stand on their own.
Coffee bags: Wax lined coffee bags can't be thrown in the recycling bin, but can be upcycled into free grease disposal bags. Chilled bacon grease, meat fats, and chicken bones can be dropped into a used coffee bag, sealed up and then safely disposed of in the garbage can. (Source: shine.yahoo.com