Moving can cost $500 to $2000 when hiring a truck and movers to help, and the last thing you want is additional costs. Free moving supplies for packing up your apartment are easier to find than you might think. Plan ahead, set a reasonable budget for the things you can’t find free, and get organized.
What Packing Supplies Do You Need?
Needed supplies depend largely on what you have to pack and how much it is overall. Collections of fine china require sturdy boxes and bubble wrap, for example. Some packing supplies are non-negotiable: boxes, fluffy packaging or some types, labels, and tape.
While this may not seem like a lot, buying it all from an office or moving supply store can take a good bite out of your budget. Get as much as you can for free and save money for more important things.
Where to Find Free Moving Supplies
With a bit of ingenuity and some legwork, you can find free moving supplies for packing your apartment.
1 – Friends, Family, and Neighbors
Ask people you know if they have any boxes, packing peanuts, shredded paper, newspapers, old fabric like sheets, or anything else to help pack your belongings. With the popularity of online ordering, most households have shipping boxes on hand.
Strangers in the neighborhood or surrounding region might be able to help too. Use one of the online groups like Freecycle or various Facebook pages to request free supplies.
2 – Behind Stores and Businesses
There are two essential rules for driving behind stores and businesses to take free boxes and possible packing material. First, make sure “dumpster diving” is legal in your area. Secondly, stay safe. Free moving supplies are not worth a trip to the police station or a nasty, infected cut.
In places where it is legal and that have open dumpsters, you can easily find sturdy boxes to help you pack. Some regularly toss out clean bags or packing peanuts or similar too.
3 – In Your Own Home
After exhausting your boxes and bins and all the crumpled paper or bubble wrap you had on hand, do not head to the store for more. Instead, Cheap Chicago Movers suggests packing small items in drawers, using extra suitcases to stack dishes or books, or using sheets and towels to cushion statues, lamps, and knick-knacks.
Supplies almost impossible to find free include bubble wrap, tape, and large rolls of cling plastic wrap to support and condense stacks of stuff safely.
No matter how much you end up saving on moving supplies, it will mean nothing if your property gets damaged during the trip from old apartment to new home. Pack dense, keep heavy things on the bottom, pad items, so they will not scratch or rattle and carry the most precious cargo in your private car.
