photo by rick
As most of you know, we’re in the process of packing up and moving to another city–for the fourth time in less than six years. We always make it a goal to see how efficiently and inexpensively we can pull off a move so I thought I’d share a few tips we’ve found helpful for moving on a dime.
First off, we always move ourselves–with the help of kind friends and family. We prefer to do the work of packing up our stuff ourselves because it not only saves us money, but it also serves as a motivation to rid our home of unnecessary clutter. (You can read more on this here.)
Not paying for a moving service saves us quite a bit of money and since we try to keep our home pretty clutter-free in the first place and only have a small family, the job of packing things up is not too overwhelming. In fact, we’ve found we can usually do the whole thing from start to finish in less than four days.
However, doing the packing ourselves means that we have to find a source for good boxes. We’ve accomplished this in a variety of ways. The easiest way is to find a family who recently moved who has a bunch of boxes they’d love to have taken off their hands. Friends, acquaintances, FreeCycle, or CraigsList are good places to start with.
Another great option is to pick up extra produce boxes or paper ream boxes from grocery stores, Wal-Mart, or office supply stores. The only drawback to this is that you will likely need to hit these stores multiple times in order to procure enough boxes to pack up your home.
Last move, we were in a small town without a local CraigsList or FreeCycle, I was in the middle of morning sickness with baby #2, and we found out we were moving only a few weeks before we actually moved. So, after some simple research, I found 60 good-size boxes on eBay with free overnight shipping that I bought for $53. It wasn’t the best deal ever, but it was much better than the prices you’d find at moving stores and it was perfect for that current life situation.
This time around, I’m again in the middle of morning sickness with baby #3 and we don’t know of anyone who just moved with extra boxes to dispose of, so we began exploring other options. Ebay prices had dramatically increased, all the free boxes on CraigsList were snatched up within minutes of being posted, so we decided to try collecting boxes from local stores.
After two evenings spent making trips to three different stores and only 25 boxes to show for it, I landed upon someone who was selling their moving boxes on CraigsList for a good price. We were able to get over 100 boxes in many different sizes plus lots of packing materials for $35! It was just the deal we were looking for. I doubt we’ll end up using quite all of those boxes, but at least we’ll have plenty! And when we’re finished with them, I’m guessing we won’t have any trouble finding someone else on CraigsList to pass them onto. It works for me!
How have you scored moving boxes on the cheap? I’d love to hear.
Related: For those of you planning a move soon, I shared some tips for successfully moving here.
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We recently made a major move from a 6 bedroom home in Iowa to a 2 bedroom apt. in Tennessee. Finances were tight but we were able to secure all the boxes we needed for FREE from the local Wal-Mart and Hy-Vee grocery stores. We simply called the night before and asked them to save boxes for us and we went in early (5:30 AM) the next morning to pick them up. They were more than happy to give them to us…less boxes for them to to have to dispose of!
Starbucks boxes are small and tough, great for packing books, of which my husband has a ton! Ask when they receive shipments and when you can pick them up from the back of the store. Liquor store boxes are great for glasses as they have dividers. If you know anyone in an office, ask him or her to try to gather some of the paper boxes there. We also were able to get some wardrobe-type boxes from a friend who got them from her mom’s work, a men’s clothing store. It was nice to hang up clothes in them. My sister has moved multiple times and she has saved those type of boxes or other good ones she had to purchase. Also, contact a local paper or newspaper company for free or cheap rolls of plain newsprint for packing materials. I have also used our linens as padding for breakables.
We moved in May and were in the same situation needing to keep things to a minimum in way of expenses. I went to the back of our Target store and they had about 200 foldable, extremely sturdy cardboard boxes. I asked inside and the sales person told me to help myself! They were awesome because they folded so well, but didn’t have to be taped on the bottom as they folded open. We ended up keeping all these boxes in our new garage because they are so nice!
When I was a kid we moved a ton. Mom used to take us kids and hit the paint store and liquor stores in the area on delivery days. The boxes were free and sturdy, since they were made to accomodate paint cans and glass bottles.
I just moved and was able to get a bunch of sturdy boxes from my local liquor store. They are small but very sturdy and they have more than plenty to go around. They were the best boxes that i was able to get from local stores.
I wrote on this subject a few months ago as well.
We got the suggestion from a friend who informed us Target, Linens N Things and places such as those give their boxes away. You have to call in advance and then go immediately to pick them up, but after a while they will know you are serious and save you more and more boxes. We moved from a 2400 square foot home and did not buy one box.
We also recommend talking to any and everyone you know about packing peanuts, you never know who may have an extensive collection sitting in their warehouse at work. We have several fragile items that I would not just cram in a box. We ended up only buying one 5 foot bag of packing peanuts ($25.00) because we received 3 for free just because we asked around.
We have been collecting paper boxes from work. Since I work for a large company there usually 3-5 per week. It has taken quite a while but I would estimate that we have scored about 50 boxes this way. Since we planned on moving for about 6-months, this really helped to save expense.
I second the use of Mcdonalds Fry boxes- they make excellent sturdy cheap moving boxes, really alot of different boxes from there work well.
My husband works for a large corporation and when we moved he went to the imaging department and got tons of computer paper boxes. These were very handy for the small stuff and breakables. They had handles and lids. My MIL moved one month before us and she went to the local moving company and bought their boxes. These were super nice. I passed them along to another family when we were done with them.
My husband works for a large corporation and when we moved he went to the imaging department and got tons of computer paper boxes. These were very handy for the small stuff and breakables. They had handles and lids. My MIL moved one month before us and she went to the local moving company and bought their boxes. These were super nice. I passed them along to another family when we were done with them.
Liquor stores have great boxes for your glassware- they already have the dividers in them! Plus they are very thick and sturdy (drawback is they are harder to break down after the move). You can also remove the dividers for sturdy boxes for other breakables like dishes. They are perfect for books- not too heavy when fully packed.
My husband works in the operating room at a local hospital and always is throwing away tons of boxes. Whenever we’ve moved he has been able to get various sized boxes- as many as we need. It took a couple of trips but as I pack in stages that works fine. If you have any friends who work at hospitals or drs offices they probably can get you boxes too.— Also- we’ve moved a few times in the past few years— before our last move I organized all my closets and several drawers very well using a lot of plastic containers to keep everything organized and separate. All I needed to do was stick a sticker on the ones with lids to tell where it went or to put all the non- lidded ones together in a box and then when unpacking time came everything was already organized and just ready to go on a shelf. My house came together so fast that way and I used far fewer cardboard boxes!
This last time moving for us, we scored a large amount from Sears and Toys ‘R’ Us. My husband called around and found out when they were going to be getting shipments in and then had them hold boxes aside for us.
I work at a company that services business computer networks and telephone systems. The boxes that these devices come in are absolutely fantastic!
Server boxes are perfect for linens and larger things.
PC and monitor boxes can hold enough books that one person can move them without too much difficulty.
Small pictures and the like can go in the telephone processor boxes.
Hard drive or telephone boxes can hold little knick knacks. Pack them up, label them, and then put them in a PC or monitor box for great organization and protection for valuable little things!
When I last moved, I found the boxes that came with Elo brand monitors to be the best overall. They are 1/2 inch of heavy duty cardboard and they come with handle holes.
One very large project generated more than enough boxes for me to move (as a single person).
Moral of the story, look for a busy computer shop for boxes. Telephone companies would be my second choice.
Retail Computer stores typically sell the box with the computer, and are light on servers. Try to find a place that specializes in business computers, since they typically bring in the computer, install it, and take the boxes away to keep the office tidy.
One online resource you can use is the Microsoft Solution Finder at https://solutionfinder.microsoft.com/. If you have several choices in your area, look for the bigger companies – they are typically the Gold Certified Partners.
Another resource is the Cisco Systems partner list. If you sell Cisco, you are involved in business computing. Try to go above “registered partner” if you can, since the extra investment in personnel training tends to indicate larger companies who sell more product (and have more boxes). http://tools.cisco.com/WWChannels/LOCATR/openBasicSearch.do
If you go to local restaurants they often have a lot of boxes in their dumpsters that you can get for free. If you call ahead, they will tell you the day of their deliveries and sometimes they will even save them for you and not collapse them (less money spent on taping plus time saved too!). Another great moving tip is to have a moving party. Make several frozen pizzas and have some ice cream available. Invite all of your friends and have the moving truck ready. Feed them and then get to work! It is great! Girls help pack boxes and then clean the old place. Guys carry and load boxes and furniture. Then at the new place, do the same thing. Girls clean the new place and unpack and put things away. Guys unload the truck and arrange the furniture. I had a friend who did this from 7 pm to 11 pm. In that time she was moved out of the old place, the old place was cleaned, the new place was cleaned, and all of her stuff was unpacked and put away where she wanted it! She essentially was completely moved in, in 4 hours! With a lot of friends, it is fun and easy!
We recently moved from Oregon to Florida and we were blessed to be able to pick up many boxes, for free, from my husband’s former place of employment. They knew we were relocating for ministry purpose and bent over backwards to supply us with very nice boxes. He worked for a lumber yard so they were sturdy and came with lots of free paper!! We were so blessed. I only wish I had saved some to pass onto you!! But by the time we made the 3,500 mile journey and unpacked all of them…I didn’t want to see another box for a very long time. Blessings to you as you pack, rest, enjoy your children and look forward to the new things God is doing in your family.
We got some great boxes for moving from Sam’s Club. They always have a bunch at the front of the store. They are not always nice full boxes, but you can usually find some good ones going there 2-3 times.
Another vote for the McD’s fry boxes! I loved them for moving and could usually score a ton pretty quickly
I just wanted to let you know I posted a link to this on my blog today. Here is the link for your reference: http://juanshappywife.blogspot.com/2008/09/this-week-thursday.html
The BEST place for FREE boxes is the post office. Go to their website, they have boxes on there for free, big ones, & they are bundle packages, like 20-50 in a pack. I did this a few years back for christmas presents. You type in your info after you put them in your cart. Then they will deliver them to your door
Hope that helps.
We’ve had fabulous success in getting boxes from Wal-Mart. Every time they restock, you can find boxes (broken down and folded but easy to tape back together) in the aisles. You just ask the stocking clerk if you can have them (I’ve never been turned down). The best boxes come from the meat department, and these are not boxes you will find in the aisles; you need to ask for them and then know where they are. During our most recent move, I called Wal-Mart and spoke with the head stocking clerk. He told me that meat shipments are always unloaded and shelved daily by 10am, leaving a huge pile of heavy-duty boxes (excellent for books and breakables) just behind the meat counter. Your local time for stocking meat may vary, so do call ahead. I was able to go to our Wal-Mart any time I needed more boxes and get anywhere from 15-20 nicely-sized boxes from this department. I usually went around 9:30, because the boxes are supposed to be cleared out and in the recycle pile by 10am. All you need to do is ask the clerk where the meat boxes are kept and ask if it’s okay to step behind the counter to get them (in our Wal-Mart, it’s right next to the door that goes into the back of the meat department). The guys here were only too happy to have me come and take the boxes, so this was a veritable treasure trove of packing supplies! We did our last move without paying a cent for a single box. Gotta love that!
If you live near a military base, drive through one of the housing developments on trash pick-up day to look for boxes. Military families are constantly moving and generally happy to share their used boxes with other families on the move.
We have moved 5 times in 5 years, and we always get our boxes from the Goodwill. YOu have to ask for them, as they are usually broken down and loaded on a cardboard ‘garbage’ cart in the back of the store. But they have always had more than enough boxes and are more than willing to give away. And they are free! You do have to tape them back together. Good luck moving!
We had to move twice last year. We always go to the liquor stores for boxes. My step dad works at a school, so he gets me all kinds of boxes, too. We have never had to buy our boxes. We have moved short distances, so we have the ability to reuse some of our own boxes.
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