We will be taking a look at places to get free moving boxes when you do need to move in and out of your apartment and you need to pack your things in boxes for easy movement.
Moving can be an expensive task but there are ways in which you can cut moving costs to the barest minimum through planning. One of the many ways to cut costs when you do decide to move is to find ways in which you can get free boxes to package your items before loading them into the truck.
However, let us take a quick look at what moving boxes are, the different types of moving boxes available, and what functions or purposes they are meant to serve before we consider places where you will find free moving boxes.
What is Moving Boxes?
Moving boxes are important items that are meant for packing your belongings. Moving boxes are simple constructed objects folded to protect and accommodate your belongings for a successful relocation.
They are expected to be strong enough to carry and offer the required protection for your items or belongings. It is important that these boxes should be able to withstand the weight of your belongings and the handling around as they are moved in and out of the truck.
Types of Moving Boxes
Moving boxes come in different sizes and shapes depending on the purpose you want to use them for. Some moving boxes are made to be strong enough to handle and support the weight of all kinds of items that will be put into them.
The major determinant of the kind of moving box you will go for is the size and weight of the items you want to put into these boxes. Using the right moving boxes will save you a lot of stress and will go a long way in making your relocation a lot easier.
We have different types of boxes such as small boxes, medium boxes, large boxes, dish pack, special purpose moving boxes, mirror and picture boxes, hanging wardrobe boxes, and mattress boxes.
Functions of Moving Boxes
The main purpose of moving boxes is to serve as a container to carry your belongings and prevent them from any form of damage as they are transported from one point to another.
Hence, it is important that you ensure that your moving boxes are tough enough to carry your belongings without any damage to them. Moving boxes are all around your home and neighborhood, you can also get them from stores that may want to dispose of them.
14 Best Places TO Find The Moving Boxes
You can save money on your next move by sourcing for boxes from different places in your neighborhood. Most of these places where you can get these boxes for free are even looking for ways to dispose or get rid of them and as a result of this, they will be happy to let you cart away as many boxes as they have available for free without paying a dime. Top places to find free boxes are listed below.
1. BOOKSTORES
One of the tops or common places to source for free moving boxes is bookstores. Most bookstores have books delivered to them in packed boxes of different shapes and sizes, most times when they unpack the books in these boxes the boxes become waste and they are looking to get rid of them.
All you need to do is to look around for bookstores, walk into these stores and ask if you can get these boxes, I am sure they will be more than happy to hand over these boxes to you at no cost.
The exciting part of getting boxes from bookstores is that if these boxes are durable and strong enough to carry and offer support for books then you are guaranteed that they will be able to provide the same support for your belongings.
2. OFFICE SUPPLY STORE
If you are in search of sturdy boxes to pack your loads, then the right place to source this kind of boxes for free is the office supply store. Office supplies are usually packed and shipped with solid and strong boxes to safeguard the office equipment from damage in the process of haulage or transporting them around.
Search for office supply stores in your neighborhood, visit them and politely ask if they can let go of these boxes for free for your move. Boxes from office supply stores are very strong and perfect for different household items and most of them have lids; all you need to do is to tape the lids.
You can specially request for printer or copier paper boxes as they are stronger and durable and would offer maximum protection for your belongings.
3. OFFERUP
OfferUp is an app that you can employ in searching for free moving boxes and other free items that can be useful for you. Download the app and try it out to find several people on the platform who are willing to give out moving boxes and other things for free.
4. GROCERY STORES
Here is another sure place to source or go in search of free boxes you can use for your move in order to cut moving cost. Once you decide that you want to move, start to ask your grocery store for boxes or find out their next shipment date.
You can get durable boxes from your grocery stores as well as boxes that are used for packaging apples and bananas are strong and can be perfect to pack some of your belongings that need air-breathe.
Make sure you keep track of their shipment date as you never can tell if there are other people who may want to come and get the boxes as well. If there are, then in this case, it might be a first-come-first-serve scenario and I am sure you wouldn’t want to miss out.
5. WINCO
You can call a WinCo manager or stocker who can help you to keep aside a couple of moving boxes for you. Make sure you call ahead before visiting though.
6. LIQUOR STORES
Small open boxes are used to ship drinks and they are always very sturdy. If you get these kinds of boxes for your move, you can use them to pack valuable belongings but you will have to find covers for them.
Liquor boxes are durable and sturdy to withstand rough handling during packing, loading, and unloading into the truck. Visit liquor stores in your area to request for their unused boxes and they will be happy to give these boxes to you for free.
7. RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Restaurants and bars are other top places that you can get free moving boxes. Bars and restaurants are known for stocking a large number of canned goods, liquor, glass bottles, toiletries, and other household consumables that are shipped to them and most of these items are packaged in boxes that are strong enough to protect your belongings.
You can visit any restaurants and bars in your area to politely ask them for free boxes that they don’t need and you will be taking off the worry of how to dispose of these boxes them.
8. CHEMIST OR PHARMACY
Chemist or pharmacy is another place where you can get free moving boxes as most of their goods are shipped to them in boxes. You can walk into any of the chemists or pharmacies in your locality to make inquiries about how you can get their unused boxes and how you can track their delivery dates. The boxes come in different sizes and you can stack them together to carry as much as possible.
9. CRAIGSLIST
Craigslist is another place where you can also get free boxes, craigslist is where you have about the biggest free section of any website.
They have enough boxes for everyone, all you need to do is to go to the free section and search for storage and moving boxes and you will be amazed at the many options that are available to choose from. From experience, it is likely you will get more boxes when you search on this website at the beginning of the week.
10. WALGREENS
You can also get free moving boxes at Walgreens but you have to notify them ahead of time by giving them a call so that they can save some boxes from their shipment.
They usually throw their boxes away or recycle them as fast as possible and this why you have to give them a call ahead of time. You can also walk to them during their in-store hours where they are less busy and politely ask them for a fee or unused boxes.
11. PETSMART
Although dogs do not come in boxes their food, toys, water containers, and beds among others come in nice boxes. You can check out local PetSmart around you and ask their manager for free and unused boxes that you can use for your move.
12. WALMART
Walmart is a top place to get moving boxes, they have almost all types, sizes, and shapes of boxes you can think of or may need.
13. U-HAUL BOX EXCHANGE
U-Haul’s customer connect is a place where people from across the country connect to find moving supplies. Visit their website online and enter your location, a keyword such as free boxes and you will be connected with someone in your area who is giving away free moving boxes.
Most people giving away these boxes are people who just moved recently and need to get off the moving boxes after they have unpacked the contents.
14. FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
You can also get moving boxes from your friends and neighbors. Ask your friends and neighbors of they have boxes from recent deliveries that they are not using.
You can put your request for free moving boxes on your social media pages like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and any of your friends or followers who have free boxes might just contact you.
Remember the world has gone global and you can never underestimate the length your post requesting for moving boxes may go.
Other places where you can get free moving boxes include home improvement stores, recycling centers, local schools, warehouses, and toy stores in your neighborhood.
You will be amazed at the amount you will save if you are able to get free boxes to package your belongings, the money saved can be used for other purposes.
When you pack your belongings, make sure you label them accordingly with similar items in the same boxes, this will save you lots of stress when you get to your new apartment as you will not have to be looking for which containers is housing what belonging as long as they are well labeled. Interstate moving companies will charge you less if you have your boxes sourced and well-packed.
You need to make sure you pack only items you need in your new home as well as packing items that you no longer need will make your load become bulky and you will be requiring more boxes to pack them.
Hence, start sorting your belongings ahead of time. If you pack items you do not need, you will still have to start looking for ways to dispose of them and this may even cost you money to get these boxes off your new home so that they don’t litter your home space.
