Who doesn’t love FREE? Everyone does…

picture of boxes that were freeAs long as you get what you need then scoring things for free is a no brainer.

And moving boxes is no different!

If you don’t want to buy moving boxes that are new, then you will no doubt love the resources below that you can explore and try to get as many moving boxes for free that you can.

1. Check Out Your Local Stores

You might be able to acquire some serious free moving boxes by stopping by a local brick and mortar store and charming the store manager into holding onto boxes that they no longer need and giving them to you for free. Be for warned though, a lot of companies have policies against this so you might bump into some obstacles but if you are a true freebie seeker than don’t let it hold you back.  

  • Office Supply Stores – these stores have lots of boxes in lots of sizes for the merchandise that is stocked on their shelves. Check out Office Max,  Staples or any other local office supply store in your area.
  • Book Stores – Although Amazon and the internet has done some serious damage to the local book store business, there are still ones out there you should check out for free moving boxes. For example Barnes and Noble or if you live by a college the local Coop.
  • Restaurants – You will be surprised at the boxes that local restaurants go through from their food deliveries. Have you ever seen a Sysco truck being unloaded? Stop by and ask the owner, chef or manager if they can hold onto some of them for you. It might help secure the deal if you ask while you are eating there and showing your support for their business.
  • Grocery Stores – Have you ever seen the boxes that paper towels or cereal come in? They are perfect for packing up your home. If you want to try to score some of these, make friends with the store manager or even better the night shift manager. After all, that is when the majority of boxes are being emptied for stocking the shelves.
  • General Merchandise Stores – Walmart, Target, Kmart, Sears etc are all stores that have a lot of merchandise flowing through them and a savvy person could sweet talk them into giving up some of the empty boxes.
  • Pharmacies – In the northeast, there is literally a Walgreens and CVS on most busy corners. With 1000’s of in stock items, don’t miss out on this opportunity to get a variety of different sized boxes for your move.
  • Liquor Stores – Next to most pharmacies is a liquor store, there are a lot of them out there and some move some serious amounts of liquor. Head over to one of the local ones and buy some beers or bottles of wine and see if you can get them to stash some of the boxes away for your move.
  • Home Improvement Stores – Home Depot and Lowes are two of the biggest but there are a lot of smaller mom and pop stores out there still. The smaller ones might be more agreeable to helping you out and putting aside some boxes that you can use for your move.
  • Membership Clubs – Costco, BJs and Sams club have some of the largest boxes I have seen. Some of these stores put boxes aside for customers to grab on their way out of the store. That’s because they usually don’t have bags for the items customers buy. If you have a membership to one of these clubs, stop by and see what cardboard boxes they have available for you.

2. UHaul Customer Connect

UHaul did something that is really valuable for their customers. They created some programs to allow their customers to get together and share rides, or buy, sell or give away boxes with each other. Right on their website, you can connect with other customers to share or exchange boxes, moving supplies or rides.

3. Loading Docks

Here is a tip for the most dedicated freebie enthusiast. Drive around anywhere in local business districts and look for buildings with loading docks. Once you find one, stop in and make friends with them, ask them about their business and work into the conversation your desire for taking some of their empty boxes off their hands.

4. Craigslist

At this point, Craigslist is a huge valuable resource for people to use for exchanging goods and services. You can either search the site for free moving boxes or post your desire for them and see if anyone contacts you.

5. Facebook

There are 2 ways that you can use Facebook to your advantage to get some boxes for your move. 1- Simply post to your newsfeed that you are moving and need some boxes and see if your friends take the bait and hook you up. 2- If you have not joined any of the local Facebook Groups, now is the time to do so. Once accepted into the group, you can post to all the other members asking if anyone has any boxes they want to get rid of. You will be surprised how many people are willing to help you out after you ask nicely!

6. Your Neighbors

Depending on your relationship with your neighbors you could knock on their door or call them up and ask them to save any boxes that they would normally break down and recycle. People love a sense of community and will be happy to help you out.

7. Just Sold Homes

Have any homes recently sold around you? If so, head over there and introduce yourself and let them know you are moving also. Simply ask them if they still have their boxes and if you could take them off their hands. Be sure to talk up the neighborhood and don’t gossip if you are frustrated and thats why you are moving out. After all, they just moved in and don’t want to hear the drama!

8. Real Estate Agents

Similar to the just sold homes around you, the local Realtors know exactly who is moving in and out of town, even outside your immediate neighborhood. Find one who would not mind putting you in contact with them and see if you can score their moving boxes for free!

That about sums it up, I brain dumped every resource for FREE moving boxes I could think of into this post.

If you can think of any others or have a comment about your success or even failure, drop it into the comments at the bottom of the page.

 

Further Reading: Looking For More Moving Resources? Check These Articles Out!

 

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