Key Takeaways
- Used boxes can be a useful way to cut packing costs, but check them before you pack.
- Keep heavy items in small boxes because loads above about 50 pounds can increase lifting-related injury risk.
- Pay for specialty boxes, tape and wrap for fragile items, and use linens as padding.
- Sort each room into heavy, bulky and fragile items before ordering, then top up as needed.
Moving supplies rarely look expensive one item at a time. The cost builds through another trip for tape, a stack of boxes that never gets used and the specialty box picked up halfway through packing. Buying affordable moving boxes and supplies is less about the lowest price than about getting the right mix from the start.
Used Boxes Can Cut Packing Costs, but Check Them
There’s no shortage of used cardboard. EPA’s figures on packaging waste put corrugated boxes as the largest single product category in U.S. municipal solid waste in 2018, at 33.3 million tons. Grocery and liquor stores, neighbors who recently moved and local online groups are all worth asking.
Check each box before it goes into the pile. Skip any that are crushed, stained, damp or missing flaps, and save boxes that have already made a trip for lighter items like linens and pillows. Some produce boxes have open tops or vent holes, which can make them harder to seal and stack. Liquor store boxes with cardboard dividers can work well for glasses.
Heavy Things Go in Small Boxes
Box size should follow weight, not just volume. Workplace guidance on heavy lifting from OSHA notes that lifting loads heavier than about 50 pounds increases the risk of injury, and it recommends smaller, lighter containers as one way to reduce it. A large box full of books can pass that mark quickly.
That’s why books, records, tools and pantry cans belong in small boxes, while bedding and pillows can fill the big ones. Boxes with hand holes are easier to carry, a point OSHA’s guidance makes about handholds in general.
Where New Boxes Earn Their Price
New boxes are available in consistent sizes that can make packing and stacking more orderly, and some items are hard to pack well without the right container. Wardrobe boxes, dish packs and boxes for mirrors or art are the usual examples, and dish packs are typically sturdier boxes sized for kitchenware.
Some movers sell supplies directly, which can save a separate shopping trip. Maison Moving, a Southern California mover, sells affordable moving boxes and supplies, and its list works as a size guide. The small box is about 16⅜ by 12⅝ by 12⅝ inches, while the medium is about 18⅛ by 18 by 16 inches, and the wardrobe boxes let clothes hang directly inside.
Count by Room Before You Order
Guessing a single box count can leave you with a pile of spares or a late-night run to the store. A quicker method is to walk each room and sort what’s in it into three groups:
- Heavy and dense: books, tools, records and pantry cans.
- Light and bulky: bedding, pillows, lampshades and toys.
- Fragile or awkward: dishes, glassware, framed art and lamps.
Heavy items point to small boxes, bulky ones to medium or large, and the fragile group tells you which specialty boxes to buy. Kitchens and garages often need more small boxes because that’s where dense items tend to collect. Order what the walk-through suggests plus a few extras, and top up later if you need to.
Spend on Tape and Cushioning, Save on Filler
Tape is one place where saving a few dollars can backfire, since a seam that gives way mid-carry can mean broken contents. A tape gun speeds things up if you’re packing a whole house. Bubble wrap can be useful for glassware and other fragile items, while towels and linens can cushion less delicate belongings.
Sweaters and sheets work the same way, and they have to move anyway. Packing paper is worth a small order for dishes, since it wraps flat and fills gaps. Mattress bags are another inexpensive item that keeps a mattress clean in transit.
Price Out Plastic Bins Too
Reusable plastic bins are another option. Some companies rent them by the week, and bins tend to stack neatly and hold up to repeated use. With some rental services, delivery and pickup are included, which can eliminate the need to flatten and haul boxes at the end. Rental periods and delivery areas vary, so compare the total against buying boxes before you commit.
What to Do With the Boxes Afterward
Once the unpacking is done, flatten what’s left. Neighbors, coworkers and local buy-nothing groups are often glad to take boxes in good shape, and a few kept flat in a closet can cover the next storage project. The rest can go to recycling, and EPA’s data put the recycling rate for corrugated boxes at 96.5 percent in 2018.
Buy the Mix, Not the Maximum
Affordable packing tends to come down to the mix rather than the total. Borrow boxes that hold up, pay for the ones that protect heavy or fragile things, and top up the order as packing shows you what’s missing.