apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Try Craigslist. Although I didn't find any listed when I was packing to move last summer, that's how I passed them on to a number of grateful people!

I loved getting new boxes from U-Haul. They are sturdy and stackable and they'll buy back whatever you don't use.

Paper boxes from work (also great for storage)
The cardboard bin at my apartment complex
Mom and Dad - Mom saves every box, Dad hates that she does; when I take one, Mom feels justified, and Dad is glad to get rid of it! :)

The last time I moved I got almost all my boxes from work. Around the time I signed my new lease I started collecting boxes from supply deliveries and other large packages by flattening them and stacking to the side of my cubicle once they'd been emptied. Worked out great!

Post a WANTED: Moving boxes listing on Freecycle. I had boxes in my basement after a move, and got rid of them slowly by offering them to people ready to come-pick-them-up-right-now.

Try a bookstore -- I worked at Borders last time I moved and used book boxes almost exclusively. They're the right size for all but a few things, and are nice and sturdy.

Usually there are a lot of extra boxes that get thrown out at a bookstore every day. Call ahead in the morning and ask if they'll save their extra boxes for you, then go pick them up in the early afternoon when they've finished unpacking the day's delivery. I only needed one trip to get all the boxes I needed. When my mom moved she went to the Borders near her, and she had to go back a couple times. Still -- free is free!

search the trash. specifically large dumpsters used by restaurants or retail. I know they are locked up, but I'm sure you know someone who works somewhere...

also, condo buildings produce the best take worthy garbage! boxes galore!

Freecycle or craigslist

Chicago U-Hauls are hellish but thanks for the news. I would think craigslist.

On a side note, anyone know how to sign up for Freecycle. I used my yahoo account to "sign up" for membership but they denied me?!

At least around here (Rockford, Illinois), the local grocery store gives them away on certain days. So I have heard anyway.

I work at a hospital, and there are a million boxes available here. I'm collecting only boxes that hold disposable gloves - they come on a pallet, so the boxes themselves have never been mailed and are clean and unsquashed. Ask before you start taking things, but if you can find the right person, they'll probably be happy to let you take some away.

The past couple of times I've moved, I've gotten my boxes from the local grocery store (Publix). I called the produce section and they gladly gave me the leftovers. The boxes weren't huge since both times I never had that much stuff to move (fresh out of college) but I was happy to get what I could and they were sturdy enough for my stuff! =)

I moved three years ago, and here's what I did:

1. Made friends with the people at the grocery store I frequented. They saved me apple crates and all other types of sturdy boxes. Whenever I asked, they would save them for me, and tell me the best days to come by to collect them.

2. My brother worked at Kohl's at the time. WOW, talk about good sturdy boxes! Make friends with people there too, if you can.

Of course, I gave them to other movers after this or recycled them.

I live in Utah where all of the liquor stores are state owned which means they have large stacks of empty boxes available to take. Liquor boxes are the perfect size because you can't pack so much in them that they become unbearably heavy. Nevermind that after every move we look like raging alcoholics with the amount of empty liquor boxes we carry out to discard for several weeks.

Liquor stores. I agree with Meowsk.

My mom works at a store that sells wine and the wine boxes are a great size for moving because they're all pretty uniform in size which makes stacking easy. Plus they're small enough that you're never in danger of overloading a single box with so much heavy stuff that you can't carry it.

also check with your IT department at work -- the boxes that laptops ship in also fall into the small-but-sturdy category, and larger boxes from desktop PCs and monitors are great for lighter stuff. my last move happened almost entirely in computer boxes. (but then, I'm in IT, so I was just cutting out the middle man. :)

I have a dozen boxes and some bubble wrap available in Brooklyn, ASAP. If you want them, contact me at jplee1974[at]gmail[dot]com

I got some really good smaller boxes for packing books and heavy things from Starbucks.

We used liquor boxes (state owned stores in NH, too), book boxes from the library where I work, purchased boxes (Home Depot is cheaper than UPS), and scavanged boxes from other places (one supermarket chain saves them up front), then recycled the cardboard as we emptied them.

One note about liquor boxes. They are small enough to be lighter weight, especially when full of books, BUT around here they were opened initially with a utility knife, so it's hard to close them securely. Movers we hired, showing their muscle, would stack three of them on top of each other and haul them out. The structural instability of the boxes even when taped shut nearly led to disaster. So don't pack your glassware in them!

the last big move I had, I got boxes from an auto supply store so those are all in oil and windshield washer boxes. they are square and a good size so that you can't pack in too many books.

also, try you local copy shop. paper boxes are perfect, can hold a fair amount of stuff and make a great game of tetris when packing up the u-haul. plus they are a uniform size, so there shouldn't be any shifting on those long moves.

Costco - my local one had SO many boxes last weekend, I'm sure I could fill my entire apartment with them!

-Ruth

It may sound like a waste of money but on a recent trip to Ikea I purchased a pack of 2 moving boxes. I hated that I spent 6 bucks on them but getting them for free elsewhere is a hassle.

The Ikea boxes saved the day. They were sturdy, held a lot and didn't require any tape to build. They have handles, the cardboard is thick.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60047151

-Eleazar
http://www.blogazar.com

I got free clean boxes from Craigslist listings, including book boxes, dish boxes, and even perfect wardrobe boxes. I plan on passing these boxes on when I finish unpacking in PDX... on the other hand, Home Depot has lowered their price for packing boxes down to less than a dollar per piece (from about $2.80) if you absolutely cannot find anything recycleable.

trader joes will save boxes for you if you call ahead. they are free

Midori Montsta, I'm in PDX and moving at the end of May, I would be happy to relieve you of your boxes once you are done unpacking... Let me know! aclilley[at]yahoo[dot]com

I had luck with the Target store by Elston/Diversey when I moved in February. Call customer service the day before you need them, and they will tell you the specific steps to follow. It took a bit of work, but let me tell you, it was worth it! We got around 30 medium and large boxes (for free), which was more than enough to pack up our apartment.

I also got boxes from the Borders I worked at a few years ago. They're a little bit smaller and oh-so-much-easier to lift and carry than bigger boxes. It limits how many books and heavy objects you can pack in one box, and your friends and/or the packers will probably thank you. The bookstores unpack dozens of boxes each day; call ahead and have them hold them for you. Another thing I've done that has worked really well is packing soft stuff (like linens, blankets, pillows, etc.) in plastic bags, which can be stuffed in those odd-shaped leftover nooks in the truck, and can also cushion other fragile items. The bags can then be reused later (most will make it intact).

I moved cross-country last year and got boxes from every conceivable source, from friends' basements to warehouses to UsedCarboardBoxes.com. I wanted to save money and the planet as much as possible.

It's worth it to have good boxes, though, especially if you're going with movers, as I was. For some special items I ordered boxes through U-haul's website - the nice thing about that was that they came in another box!

I'm in India where we don't have U-Haul or Ikea for new boxes. I asked the manager at the local supermarket outlet and was offered a variety of cartons in various sizes. My boyfriend was incensed because when he asked earlier they told him they recycled their boxes for cash.
Getting rid of boxes is easy. We have these 'ruddiwalas' who come to your door with weighing scales and will buy anything recyclable like cardboard, newspapers, old plastic or glass bottles.

I'm moving in mere days, and all my stuff is currently packed away in excellent boxes I "stole" from Barnes & Noble's cardboard dumpster. I've gone there a few times to pick some up, and I find them to be consistently in great shape, a perfect not too big not too small size, and I've been able to get a bunch that are exactly the same size, which makes for much easier stacking. I haven't gotten yelled at for taking them so far, either.

I moved twice and have bought boxes from usedcardboard boxes.com, once for a local move and once for a cross country move. I also asked my local library for book boxes and my liquor store for boxes with dividers to pack my glasses and plates. I know subway gives away boxes for free but they smell of food, so if you dont mind that then go ahead....
craigslist boxes are hit or miss ....ive scored few from freecycle too...i know my local grocery store leaves boxes out everyday but the place where they leave them out is very icky and i wouldnt want to store my stuff in them not knowing what has crawled into those boxes before....
i gave away all my boxes on craigslist after my move....

Hit up factories and warehouses, or just check their trash. Recycling dumpsters, if you happen to have any in your area, are also a GREAT place to look.

~Q

If you're striking out at larger, chain stores check out the smaller, independent shops. The more one-on-one environment often makes people much more willing to work with you. Also think outside the box. Stores aren't the only places that get boxes in!

I no longer have boxes in Brooklyn. Sorry!
--JP Lee

Usedcardboardboxes.com

I am moving to another state, and used them to purchase boxes. They save gently-used cardboard from being thrown out. All of the boxes I recieved came from warehouses or offices originally and were in great condition. Plus, they were cheaper than UHaul and came with tape and a box cutter.