Three Ways To Get Moving Boxes For Free
Posted on: 17 March 2016
As you plan to move your household, one way to keep from being totally overwhelmed by the amount of work involved is to find a few steps you can take far in advance of moving day. These include things like booking a moving company, acquiring moving boxes, and starting to pack belongings that you won't need until after the move (such as out-of-season clothing or holiday decorations). Getting your boxes ahead of time is an especially good move because it allows you to take the time needed to find sources of free boxes. Here are three different ways to find cardboard boxes for free.
1. Environmentally-friendly storage companies
If you use a self-storage facility in the area, check to see if they have eco-friendly options such as a drop-off and pick-up station for used packing materials. If they do and you're a regular customer, they may allow you to take some of the secondhand cardboard boxes to use in your move, on the understanding that you'll bring them back later. Be sure to ask before taking the boxes. Even if they want to keep the boxes in circulation at the facility, you may still want to take advantage of them. You can store infrequently used belongings in your storage unit during the move to reduce clutter, and if you transport them yourself, this can also reduce the weight of belongings involved in the move and thereby reduce the price charged by the moving company.
2. Online ads
Many people place free ads online for their moving boxes after a move, allowing someone else to make use of them and forestalling the need to take them to the landfill. Because they're used boxes and you're doing the previous owner a favor by hauling them away, these boxes are usually listed for free. But if you do find a free boxes ad online, you'll have to move quickly; they're usually gone before long, snatched up by a budget-conscious mover like yourself.
3. Grocery stores and other businesses
Grocery stores often give away for free the boxes produce (such as bananas) and other merchandise are shipped to the store in. These boxes would otherwise be thrown away, which is why they tend to give them away with no charge. Different stores have different policies, though, so you may need to ask around. Other types of businesses that may provide free boxes for your move include:
- Liquor stores
- Coffee shops
- Bookstores
- Dollar stores
- Large retail stores
Remember that the more similarly-shaped your boxes are, the easier it will be to load them on the moving truck together. So if you can find one source that will provide all or most of the boxes you'll need for the move, that's the most convenient option. Otherwise, measure the boxes you already have and try to find boxes that are nearly the same size. And after you've completed your own move and unloaded everything, don't forget to give the boxes to someone else who's about to move! Contact a company like Affordable Transfer Co Inc. for more information about moving.
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