8 Places to Get Free Moving Boxes

Moving can be expensive, but there are simple things you can do to cut costs. Check out our guide on how to establish a moving budget in NYC, and how to estimate the cost of your move.  One of those things is finding free moving boxes. If you’re in a hurry, you can purchase boxes from your NYC movers and office movers. If you’d like to get them for free, check out these eight sources:

Liquor Stores

Liquor boxes are perfect for heavy and fragile items like dishes and glassware because they’re designed to carefully transport glass bottles full of liquid. They’re generally smaller than traditional moving boxes, so they’re also perfect for books. Call ahead to liquor stores and ask for the best time to pick up empty boxes.

Grocery Stores

Produce boxes are larger; they’re nice for packing clothing, bedding, food, and all kinds of household items. Most produce boxes also come with lids, and they have handles, which are helpful for moving them around. It’s not uncommon for grocery stockers to flatten boxes as they empty them, so ask them to save a few for you. Produce boxes can be as high quality as the ones you’d buy from your New York movers. Sometimes, though, your clothes will end up smelling like apples and bananas.

Craigslist

You can often find people trying to get rid of their moving boxes on Craigslist. That’s because it’s easier to have someone come pick them all up than to try to get them all to recycling. Try to find someone who lives relatively close to you. You might score an entire move’s worth of boxes in one easy trip.

Warehouse Clubs

Stores like Costco and Sam’s Club go through an amazing amount of cardboard boxes, and they usually save them for patrons to use instead of grocery bags. While many of these boxes lack lids, they can be very handy for transporting house plants and other items that shouldn’t be stacked.

Fast Food Restaurants

Fast food restaurants receive shipments of food every day, and most of the food they receive is frozen, so the boxes they come in don’t retain food smells. Try stopping by the local fast food restaurants in your neighborhood and asking if they’ll hold some boxes for you.

Recycling Centers

Most recycling centers require people to flatten their boxes before they bring them in, but you might be able to re-fold and re-tape boxes that have already been brought in. Also, if you call ahead of time, they may be able to snag a few for you before they get flattened.

U-Haul Customer Connect

U-Haul has created a Customer Connect message board that allows people to post about many things. Including sharing rides, buying and selling boxes, and other moving-related topics. Sometimes you can find people in your neighborhood who have moving boxes to get rid of if you’ll just come pick them up. It’s worth taking a look.

Universities

If your move happens to coincide with student move-in or move-out dates, you could score on boxes. Many universities have designated areas for dropping off unused or previously used boxes. Ask campus officials if it’s okay to come grab a few boxes. They’ll probably be happy to let you come; the fewer boxes left at the campus, the less they have to pay in recycling pick-up fees. If you’re going to find free moving boxes, start early. It can take some time to make phone calls. It takes time to stop in at local shops and transport them all back to your place. If you find that you’re running out of time, contact your favorite New York movers, and they’ll be happy to sell you the boxes you need. Once you have your boxes, you can really start to get organized as you pack. But again, if you don’t want to do the packing yourself–or if you find yourself crunched for time–your New York movers can help you there as well. Check out our NYC moving checklist to learn more about what you can do before an NYC move. Contact us today to take advantage of one of our NYC moving promotions.