Speaking of storing small quantities of small things in small boxes, I wish I could find a supply of lightweight, unprinted plain card boxes. To buy in small quantities they would have to pack flat and simply push together. What's frustrating is that almost everything you buy now comes in such a box.
The smaller sizes you need for Rs, Cs and semicons in individual types can be found in those clever little card boxes for sweets which have an ingenious but effective closure mechanism (cardboard engineering). You can probably realise a more plentiful supply for E12 or E24 series parts by recruiting older friends to save boxes for statins and heart-pills, which tend to be similar sizes and can be packed on end.
The Stores Dept. where I worked kept small components in folded and stapled plain card boxes, similar to those used for MOD spare parts issue. We sometimes also used clear plastic jewel cases. Searching and eBaying for small plain boxes you'd think they didn't exist, but every 'thing' you buy comes in one!
The next size up commonly found is the light-bulb box, which is a convenient size for things like pots and switches, but unfortunately they open at the top, not along the long side. Can't bulb manufacturers be persuaded to make a slight change in their packaging