Cheapest Places to Get Moving Boxes – Some Even Free!
Moving can easily become an extremely expensive process, but you can keep costs down with this list of the cheapest places to buy moving boxes.
With your home sold, moving will involve you boxing a lot of stuff up. There is no other way around it – relocating successfully will take a lot of boxes.
But buying new boxes can be harsh on your wallet. Looking to save money when moving? Learning where to buy moving boxes cheaply can make a massive impact.
Before doing so however, you need to set aside 24 hours and get your mind in the game. Free or cheap boxes for moving actually quite easy to find – if you know where to find them.
1. Check the Web To See Where To Buy Moving Boxes
The first thing you should know is how many boxes you need for all of your belongings. You can use Home Depot’s moving calculator, which will give you an accurate estimate on what you need.
Once you’ve worked out a quantity in the rough ballpark, you can make a list of the sizes and amount of boxes that you need. There is no need to be disgruntled if you have to run out for some more, or have too many.
The fact is, you could always give surplus boxes to someone else that needs to move.
Once you’ve got your estimations close to what you think is accurate, hit the Internet and find some sources of cheap boxes. Below are some resources we think will help you get the job done:
Amazon
Our favorite choice? Amazon. Find boxes like Bankers Box SmoothMove Classic Moving Kit for cheap (around $37 per kit). They have tons of other cheap solutions for boxes, and the good news is they deliver, fast and cheap.
Home Depot
Home Depot sells moving boxes, kits, and specialty boxes (i.e. wardrobe boxes etc). You can order them online of as little as $0.88 a box. Options include small – extra large boxes. Artwork boxes, heavy duty boxes, picture boxes, TV boxes, and more. You can also get them online. Click here for details.
UBoxes
Uboxes sells Moving Boxes & Packaging supplies with free shipping delivery in 48 states. Their kits start at $29.99. You can get kits for 1 room up to 10+ rooms. They sell specialty boxes for mirrors, lamps, office files, and wardrobes. See pricing here.
Craigslist
Regardless of where you live, Craigslist can help you out massively. All you have to do is select your city, and choose the free section on ‘for sale’ and search for some boxes.
U-Haul Customer Connect
U-Haul let you take advantage of a drop-off location in all of its stores. In these locations, people offload boxes not being used anymore and other people can take them for free.
OfferUp
OfferUp is a free app that can be used on android, iOS or desktop computers. It’ll let you get hold of people locally that are giving away boxes or selling them for a low price.
Letgo
Similar to offer up, this app lets you check for free box listings in your area.
Naturally, Facebook is a hub for getting hold of anything you might need. Try searching for boxes to aid your move.
Nextdoor
NextdoorNextdoor is a social network that lets you connect to people in your area. Being able to connect to people like this allows you to ask for a variety of things – in our case, boxes.
You can do so without having to knock on any doors. Try selecting your local area to maximize results.
2. Get in Touch With Friends and Family
It’s a great idea to get in touch with people that you know, especially if they’ve moved recently. Contact your family and friends and see if they have any boxes that you can use.
You’ll probably be doing them a favor by taking the boxes off their hands, too. Hunt for boxes over the weekend – this maximizes the chances that you’ll find them.
This is because people move more often on the weekend, and there will be the highest volume of boxes available.
3. Take to Your Car in the Afternoon
This is where you can hit the streets and find some boxes for your move. It might shock you to learn about all the places in your town that you can get boxes free of charge.
All it takes is going up to them and asking. Below are some of our picks for places to get boxes:
Liquor Stores
Liquor stores often have boxes that have been previously used to ship liquor. The advantage of this is that they will be very durable and strong, which makes them great for moving belongings.
Talk to the manager and see if they’ll let you have some boxes. They will usually let you know where you can find them or will plan to set some aside for you.
Bookstores
As you can imagine, books can be quite heavy and so need strong boxes to facilitate them. Go into your bookstore and ask for some boxes. You’ll be surprised at how easily they’ll let you take them off their hands.
Target
Target receives the biggest shipments during the week. Specifically, Monday Tuesday and Wednesday are when you can expect them to come in.
A good idea is to go to your local target before midday and speak to a manager. If they don’t have any boxes at the present time, they’ll probably set some aside for you.
Starbucks
StarbucksStarbucks typically gets a large shipment once a week. Generally, this is on a Friday. Go down to the Starbucks nearest to you on a Friday morning and ask to see if they have any boxes.
If everything has not been unpacked yet, they may set some aside for you so you can arrange a pickup.
Office Depot
Office Depot receives their shipment every Tuesday. After the shipments, they often have a huge amount of boxes that need breaking down.
Rather than breaking them down though, you can be the person to take them off their hands. A lot of the boxes also come with lids, which is extra handy for moving.
Grocery Stores
Talk to the manager of your local grocery store. Because of the frequent deliveries, they often have plenty of boxes to offer, many times coming with lids too.
Plenty of Boxes to Go Around
As you can see, there are ample places to buy moving boxes as you get ready to relocate. Look around and do some research – finding them is easier than you think!
Need moving tips? Head over to our site to see the best way to pack up properly.
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