How to find free moving boxes near you


Two people holding moving boxes
Moving to another house or apartment is an exciting, stressful, and expensive process. There are so many things that you should prepare before the move: hire a reliable moving company, sort through your belongings, and of course, find packing materials. During the process of relocation, expenses can quickly add up. While you will have to pay the professionals helping you, you can save big bucks on moving boxes. For this reason, we’ve made a list of places where you can find free moving boxes near you and have a low-budget relocation in New Jersey.

Decide how many moving boxes you need

Before you contact movers to help you settle in your new NJ home hassle-free, you need to be productive. To determine the number of boxes you will need, you have to take time and organize your belongings. Make a home inventory list and decide which items you will take with you. This is a perfect chance to declutter your home, get rid of the things you don’t need, and take with you only the items you will use.

Start the search for free moving boxes with your friends

When you determine the number of your items, start your search by asking people you know.  This is the easiest way to find free moving boxes. There is a big chance that some of your friends, family, or co-workers have some hidden away. You can also ask the people you know have recently moved, they must have some boxes that they do not need anymore.

A woman and a man carrying moving boxes.

Ask your friends and family if they have any spare boxes.

The Internet – the place where you can find almost anything

If you want to have a cost-efficient relocation, you should go online and do some research. There are many websites and applications where people try to get rid of the moving boxes that are taking up space in their garages. Some of the websites you should visit are:

  • Craigslist – this online marketplace has free moving boxes for everyone. All you have to do is to choose your location and go to the free section. You can see here if anyone in your neighborhood is giving away moving boxes.
  • Freecycle –  It is a nonprofit organization that tries to keep the waste out of landfills and reduce our ecological footprint. Freecycle is not equally popular in each state, but it is worth visiting the website and seeing if there is a community near you.
  • Facebook – You can find nearly anything on Facebook. Check and see if there are any free moving boxes near you that you can get your hands on.

Check out local stores

Items are shipped to most stores in cardboard boxes, and usually, those boxes are disposed of immediately after the transport. Before you go to the store, you should know how many boxes you need. Politely ask the store manager if they have any moving boxes for which they have no use. If they don’t have moving boxes at the moment, you can call the store later, ask if they have received a new shipment, and ask the manager to save set some aside for you. The stores where you can find quality sturdy boxes are:

  • Bookstores – Locally-owned bookstores and chain ones should have many boxes that you can use to pack your belonging. You can be sure that those boxes are not flimsy, given how heavy books are.
Books and cardboard boxes on the table.

Bookstores have sturdy boxes that you can use.

  • Liquor stores – These boxes are very sturdy and durable since they can carry glass bottles filled with liquor. They are also excellent for packing stemware as many of them have separators.
  • Walmart – Here you can find boxes of any shape, type, or size.

Find moving boxes in your office

Office buildings get tons of packages each day, which means that they have tons of free moving boxes. Go around your office and see if you can find some left over. If you can’t find any, ask your co-workers who work on supply orders and see if they can save you some boxes when the next shipment arrives.

A family packing for a move.

There are many places where you can find free moving boxes.

Check out the local recycling center

A recycling center is a place where people usually take unwanted moving boxes. Therefore, you should stop by your local center and ask an employee if you can take some of the cardboard boxes with you. However, before you take the boxes home, make sure they are in good condition. Double-check the quality of the boxes and see if there are any damages or tears.

Helping the planet while saving money

Not only will using free moving boxes save you money, but it is also an environmentally-friendly way of relocating. After your move, if the boxes are still in good condition, you can use them for in-house storage or for placing your items in a storage unit in New Jersey. On the other hand, you can opt for plastic moving bins rather than cardboard boxes, as they are sturdy, waterproof, and can you can reuse them an unlimited number of times.