No matter how you feel about your move, moving is a lot of work, and it can be expensive. Even if it’s all DIY, you’ll likely need a dolly (which many people don’t own), and you might need some friends, who you have to pay in pizza and beer.
On top of any moving costs (pizza, alcohol, a moving company or rental truck), one thing you probably don’t think of immediately is moving boxes. After all, how hard could it be to get moving boxes? It turns out, when you need them, it’s difficult to find moving boxes. On top of that, many places charge $1+ for one medium sized moving box.
As someone who will be moving in a few months, and who has moved over 5 times in the last 6 years, I’m here to tell you: don’t pay for moving boxes! I repeat, you do not have to pay for moving boxes. In fact, if you buy moving boxes, you either live in a small town or you haven’t tried hard enough to get free boxes. Here’s how to get free moving boxes for your next move!
Coworkers/Work
One of the simplest ways to get free boxes is to just ask. Although it may take advance planning, asking your coworkers is one of the best ways to get quality, free boxes.
Consider asking up to 2 months in advance: this gives coworkers enough time to save up boxes from all their Amazon shipments, plus find any other leftover boxes (like those plastic bins) they can “donate” to you and your move.
In addition, consider asking your supervisor or the secretary (whoever has the authority) to save any empty boxes for you. After all, printer paper and toner come in decent-sized boxes, and most companies go through several boxes a month.
Craigslist
Craigslist is the next best way to find free moving boxes. Although these might not be as quality as the ones from your coworkers, this will be the fastest option if you’re in a time crunch.
Simply go to Craigslist’s “free” section and type in “moving boxes”. Here in Phoenix, there were 4 different people today offering moving boxes, and two of them were still in pretty good shape!
You’ll have to be quick to get the moving boxes, as many people on Craigslist put their boxes out on the street as “first come, first serve.” However, if you need free moving boxes immediately, Craigslist is a great place to look first.
Facebook – Free Stuff
Every city has it’s own type of “[Your City] Free Stuff” page – all you have to do is type your city name into your Facebook search bar and “free stuff”. While it may take a little more effort to scroll through the Facebook page, a quick search on one Facebook free stuff page came up with two different posts for free moving boxes.
Just remember to be safe when you go to someone else’s house to pick up boxes: take a friend with you, go during the day, and don’t go into someone’s house alone. For moving boxes, many people will simply leave them outside for you to take, but if someone invites you instead, be careful and remember “stranger danger.”
You won’t have as many options on Facebook for free moving boxes as you will with Craigslist, but it’s worth looking through to see if there are better quality moving boxes or if someone lives closer to you.
Liquor Store
The liquor store is a great place to find free moving boxes for two reasons: one, liquor (which you may need after a stressful move!) and two, sturdy boxes. My personal favorite for finding sturdy boxes is Total Wine, although BevMo and other specialty liquor stores will work just as well.
You can either buy liquor, and get a box that way, or visit and see if they have any extra boxes you could have. Liquor boxes make excellent vehicles for transporting heavier items, like books or picture frames. Not all liquor boxes will have lids, however, so you may want to use these boxes to transport items by your car instead of packing them in a truck where things could fall on them.
With all of these options for free moving boxes, there are very few reasons why you’d need to buy your own. Save money and search out for your free options first!
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Personal Capital lets you see all of your accounts in one convenient place. Sign up now for free.What are your best tips for getting free moving boxes?
Grocery stores… talk to the manger and found out when they do their most stocking each week… Go in right after and they usually have a plethora of empty boxes.
these are all great ideas, when I was in the military, I always used craigslist and was amazed. What’s more amazing is how much these things can cost! great idea for a post!