When planning a move you will have more stuff to pack than you might have thought possible. Boxes are the natural container to use as they are lightweight, flexible and can be found for free. Indeed, the “free” part of finding boxes can greatly reduce your packing costs. You will still have to pay for packing tape and labels, but the savings you’ll enjoy for the free boxes can help you keep your budget in line.
1. Area Supermarkets. Supermarkets receive shipments every day and much of the food items that they stock comes in larger boxes. Those boxes are typically broken down and recycled or they may be bundled and sold. In any case, ask your supermarket manager if she might spare some boxes to aid in your move.
2. Your Hardware Store. Like supermarkets, your local hardware store receives inventory, but generally only two or three times per week. How they dispose of their boxes may vary, but most stores will happily allow you to take whatever they do not need.
3. Major Department Stores. You might wonder how department stores move their inventory. Well, a lot of their goods are shipped in crates and plastic boxes, and neither will do you much good. But not all items are shipped that way and most large retailers receive dry goods and household items in boxes. Furthermore, the variety of box sizes can be beneficial to you.
4. Local Warehouse Clubs. Warehouse clubs typically have their customers bring their own bags or will supply cut down boxes to make it easy for people to cart of what they buy. Providing boxes serves another purpose — it helps these clubs reduce their recycling overhead. Here, you will want to approach the manager and ask for some of these boxes, but before they put a knife to them. You just may get the lion’s share of your moving boxes at the club provided that the manager accepts your request.
5. Liquor Stores. You might not like the “Jim Beam” or “Absolut Vodka” markings on the boxes, but liquor store boxes can do the trick too. One of the better types of boxes out there, these boxes are compartmentalized and ideal for packing and separating your breakables explains Smart Box Storage.
6. Visit Freecycle. The Freecycle Network is comprised of thousands of groups with millions of members, individuals eager to share what they have without cost. If you spend some time on the local message boards, you will discover a whole host of items that people do not want, including moving boxes. Act fast as packing boxes are hard to get and will disappear fast.
7. Your Place of Employment. Don’t overlook your current employer as a possible source for boxes. This is especially true if you have a larger copy machine — all those cartons for holding paper need to go somewhere and they’re ideal for moving books, music and your not-so-important documents.
8. Your Neighborhood. If you live in the city or the suburbs, your neighbors put out stuff for every junk pick up day. Included in those items may be moving boxes for your pickings. Another way to ensure that you get boxes is to check out who just moved into your neighborhood and ask them for their boxes. They may be happy to oblige, especially if you help them unload their moving truck.
Your Savings
How much would you pay for a box if had to buy them? Quite easily, they can run from $3 to $7 per box and if you need 100 boxes you could end up spending $500 or more for something you can usually get for free.