Chances are sometime this week you’re going to be picking up a carton of eggs–if you haven’t already. That’s because while Americans buy, on average, about 72 million eggs each week, around Easter, eggs sales jump to more than 93 million, so says the American Egg Board. Add Passover to the mix (boiled eggs play a part in the Passover Seder), and you’ve got a lot of eggs changing hands in spring.

Though Passover won’t be here until mid-April, Easter is this weekend, and I’ll bet some of you will be dying eggs. Afterwards, you’ll be left with egg cartons, which I hope you don’t just toss in the trash. The cardboard kind of egg carton is recyclable, but more importantly, it’s easily reusable, such as when you turn it into:

* An hors d’oeurves holder
Serving deviled eggs or another kind of finger food at your next party? An egg carton with its top removed can be reincarnated into a clever serving tool

* A jewelry holder
My daughter is forever leaving her earrings scattered around her room. A couple of egg cartons could easily get her earrings in order. Finish it off with a pretty ribbon tied around or a scrunchy slipped on to secure it, and, voila, insta-jewelry holder.

* A bead or button organizer
Imagine a free organizer with 12 or 16 ready-made sections for keeping your beads or buttons organized. Well, that’s what an egg carton can do for you. Like the jewelry holder, finding a way to secure the carton closed would be the key to its effectiveness.

* A desktop organizer
Similar to the idea above, you can use an egg carton to organize your desktop supplies, from paper clips to push pins to rubber bands.

* A paint palette
If you don’t want to waste paint when your child decides to create her next masterpiece, pour a small amount of her favorite paint colors into the various sections of an egg holder. (Note: a Styrofoam egg container, while not recycling friendly, would work better for this trick since it won’t absorb the paint’s liquid like a cardboard egg carton might.)

* A makeshift piggy bank
If you’re helping your child to learn the difference between pennies and dimes, or to count money, use an egg carton to hold his coins as he counts.

* A potting tool
One of the great things about cardboard-type egg cartons is that they are biodegradable. That means that if you need something to hold saplings or newly potted seedlings, you can place them (dirt and all) in a divided section from an egg carton, and then plant them in the ground. Or you can use an egg carton to plant a garden starter with your kids.

* A fire starter
If you’re running low on newspaper to use in your fireplace or a campfire, a cardboard egg carton is an excellent stand in for the traditional fire starter.

Do you have creative ways to recycle and reuse your egg cartons? I’d love to hear them.

You know that I’ve had the recent, eye-opening experience of coming face to face with price increases at the supermarket. I mean, it’s one thing to hear the talking heads on TV spouting off about how the American economy is going into a tailspin, but it’s an entirely different (and more humbling) thing when you experience those economic realities first-hand–whether it be with a lost job, the realization that there are certain luxuries you’ll have to forgo for the time being, or the heart-stopping and ever-increasing total on your weekly grocery bill.

Here’s what a recent MSNBC story had to say about that: “People are really feeling it when you consider food accounts for about 15% of the average household budget. Rising prices are in large part driven by wheat — up 44%. Consumers are paying as much as 36% more than last year for common kitchen staples, like eggs, bread, milk, and chicken.”

And never mind how much it costs to drive to the grocery store. Last year we were all getting used to the notion of gas costing $3+ a gallon. I’m convinced that by 2009, $4+ a gallon will become the norm. Boy oh boy do I wish we sucked it up with the carpooling conveniences and gone with a hybrid car after all.

Despite this dour news, all hope isn’t lost. If ever there was a time to get smarter about your coupon clipping and food-shopping planning, it would be now. Thankfully, I have some advice to offer you, courtesy of two savings experts–Stephanie Nelson, The Coupon Mom, and Amy Bergin, creator of The Couponizer.

Here are three smart-shopping tips from these very smart ladies:

1. Establish a weekly shopping routine that includes planning and shopping.
Often times shopping is done with little or no planning, and this is a sure way to overspend. Inventory your current supplies, check your calendar, scan your recipes, and make a shopping list. Then line up coupons and weekly deals. One way I put this advice to work is to keep a running shopping list stuck to my refrigerator. As we use something up or discover that we need something, onto the list it goes. At the same time I’ve established five or so rotating dinner meals that I can make cheaply and in a snap, and I plan these menus a week in advance. Whatever supplies I’m missing for that week’s menu, I add to the shopping list.

2. Set goals for spending.
When you decide as a family how much money you have to spend each week or month for necessities, you tend to be more diligent in how you spend that money. Revisit these goals quarterly to see what is working and what is not. For a long time I’ve tried to stick to $150 a week for groceries. In reality that number has crept up to $180–perhaps because of some laziness on my part or maybe because, in reality, things simply cost more this year than last. After my $300+ shopping bill two weeks ago, I was pretty pleased to spend only $191 at the supermarket this week.

3. Track your savings.
If you total your savings for a month or two, you will be amazed at how much this total is (especially if you have been utilizing coupons and other savings opportunities). Just like seeing weight loss motivates you to keep dieting, saving money will motivate you to keep up your new plan–and using coupons is the easiest way. We track our spending and savings using Quicken. You could create a spreadsheet in Excel just as easily.

One last piece of advice: remember what your mom always told you, and don’t go food shopping when you’re hungry. That really is a recipe for overspending. Also, I try to avoid taking my I-want-it-now kids with me when I go food shopping. They always seem to convince me to buy items I don’t have on my list.

Do you have any tried-and-true methods for saving money on groceries? If so, I’d love to hear them.

[NOTE] Thanks to everyone for their patience during my computer meltdown. I appreciate the emails I received from folks who wished me well and hoped I’d get back online again soon. Well, I’m baaaaaaaack!