Seriously. Why shell out your hard earned money for something when you can get it for free? Take moving boxes for example. Sure you can drop $1-$5 for a brand spanking new, never been used before box from The Home Depot, Target, or office supply store… Or, you can kick it old school and get all you could possibly want {and more!} for free.
Here’s a list of my all time favorite places to score FREE moving boxes:
Grocery Stores – Apple and Pear boxes rule! They’re thick, sturdy and PERFECT for moving fragile items like dishes and glassware.
U-haul Box Exchange – U-haul has a message board where you to search for free boxes in your area by your location.
Freecycle – This is a great place to find some free boxes as well as some other fun things. Type in your area and look at what people have to offer. If you can’t find any in your specific town, try another town close to you.
College Dorms – If you live in or around a college, you’ll probably run into a few crazy students out way too late at night. However, around move in day, you’ll be able to find some boxes from the people coming into the dorms.
Office Buildings – Just go up to the front desk and ask if they have any boxes they need to get rid of. Chances are you’ll score some nice boxes.
Craigslist – You can almost always find free moving boxes when looking in the “free” section of this site. Try looking at the end of the week for more possible hits.
Local Retailers – Shipments come in to these places all the time, so they have to get rid of the boxes somehow right? Sure you could always go searching in their dumpster, but you should always ask them to snag some boxes instead. Good places include liquor stores, grocery stores, supply stores etc…
Libraries – Those new books that they get have to come in boxes, so next time you’re at the local library finding some great books to read, stop by the help desk and ask if they have any boxes that need getting rid of.
Apartment Buildings – People are always moving in and out of apartments, so chances are you’ll be able to find lots of boxes here to. Try checking around the end of the month. You could also ask who owns the complex if there are any boxes laying around. If you’re lucky, they’ll let you take them.
Recycling Centers – This seems like a no brainer, but if you have a recycling center in your area, this is probably the easiest place to find some free boxes.
Facebook Groups – With more of these groups coming out it’s likely that you will be able to find someone wanting to get rid of their boxes. Just look for the groups in your area that are more focused on freebies or bartering.
People Who Just Moved In – If you have a friend or family member that just moved, ask them what they plan on doing with all their moving boxes once they unpack. Or you could be creepy and wait for your new neighbors to move in. Then once they put the boxes outside next the recycling bin, go and snag them. 😉
How about YOU? Where have you had luck finding moving boxes?
~Mavis
KC says
Favorite place is Arby’s – it seems like all their frozen things come in boxes the exact same size and shape, so they’re perfect for stacking and fitting together in a truck (and the right size for most moving, and generally in very good condition).
UpstateNYer says
Egg boxes worked for me. I asked the manager of the department to save me some and arranged a day and time for pick up. In the cart they went and I had a ton of free boxes.
Computer paper boxes (from work) that the reams come in are a good size too. Any box bigger than an armful will be too heavy to lift once full.
Liquor store divided boxes are also great to pack glasses, nicknacks and decorations all in the same box
Brianna says
I love the Kirkland spiral ham boxes from Costco. They are heavy cardboard and have handles and white so you can write on them. They usually have them around the holidays and Easter.
Trish says
If your neighborhood is on NextDoor.com, you can ask on there. People are always wanting to get rid of boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, etc. I’ve even seen one person selling moving blankets for cheap. Excellent resource!
Claire says
Liquor store boxes are priceless. All those little compartments and strong enough to support a few bottles of wine.
MEM says
I worked in food service back in college and cockroaches LOVE to nest in the grooves of corrugated cardboard boxes. When we built our current home there was no way I was going to re-use boxes so yes, we did buy new from Home Depot. We re-used them for storage in the attic once we moved in.
ozarkat says
I work at a small town newspaper, we get advertising circulars in boxes. I would suggest you call your local paper and ask if that’s how they get theirs and can you get some boxes before they are broken down, what day would be good. They may even have expired newspapers to use for padding when packing.
Also, a hint when moving—put blankets, comforters, and pillows in a large garbage bag inside the box. Then take your vacuum and suck all the air out. Tie it shut before the air gets back in, now you have more space in the same box for shoes or whatever.
Tammy says
We got a lot of moving supplies from Craigslist. We did pay for some of it, but at a substantially lower rate than new! We also got a lot of packing supplies (paper, bubble wrap) which was helpful. Some of it had spiders, so there was that…
Maria says
I save boxes stuff comes in from amazon. I open them up so they lay flat and store them under a bed until they are needed. I also keep a supply of shipping boxes from the post office the same way. I ship alot of stuff to the grand kids via priority mail so I keep the boxes on hand. Use them, flatten them out and use them again.
Allyson says
Paint store boxes are great. They usually hold 4 gallon cans, so they’re really sturdy. They’re also small enough that you don’t accidentally overload them, making them too heavy. Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams are great. You might just have to call ahead so they save them for you.
Deb in SD says
My daughter works at a nursing home. They get adult diapers in big boxes that are good for clothing and bedding. They’re pretty good sized so might be too big for heavy stuff.
mandy says
So many great ideas here. Thanks for posting this. I always hit up the liquor store. Beer boxes are great sized and champagne boxes have the dividers that are great for breakables. I have to say, I have a large collection of suitcases and a few trunks as well. So, when moving they are all packed to the brim. And I stuff papers I want to keep flat in between book pages. And to save on packing material, I use blankets, linens, towels and clothing to wrap items in. I still have to use paper for some things, but using these items saves me so much money on bubble wrap.
s
Myeshia says
We got all of our moving boxes from the ABC store. There was a bin beside the doorway that had free boxes for anyone.
Jaime says
What is the abc store?
Trish says
The ABC Store is a liquor store run by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. In some states it is the only place to by liquor.
Kim says
I work at a small town newspaper. The advertising inserts usually come in boxes. We break them down and recycle, but will give them away if someone asks. Check with your local paper when the best day is to come get them. Like most places, if they hang around too long, they will be gone to the recycler.
Matt says
Liquor stores are key for finding free boxes. Good call.
Faith Epperson says
BoxGiver is a great resource for free moving boxes