It’s no secret that moving house can be a rather expensive endeavor. Even if you choose to organize a self-move so that you don’t have to pay for professional moving services, you’re going to have to dig deep into your pockets to cover the inevitable move-related expenses that will keep piling up as you’re getting ready to move out.
One task that will require both time and money to complete is packing up your things for the upcoming move. That’s right – packing for a move will be the most time-consuming job in your moving checklist but that’s not all – you shouldn’t forget about the cost of packing supplies.
The average cost of packing materials when you’re moving out of a 3-bedroom home is $300-$400 but the total sum can be way higher depending on variables such as the number of items to pack, how efficiently you pack up your things, and whether you purchase all packing supplies brand new.
If you happen to be moving on a tight budget, then your main goal should be to save as much money as possible. As a rule of thumb, the more money you spend on your move, the more stressed out you will feel, so employing smart cost-saving tricks will also keep the overall level of stress within bearable limits.
And now that you know where to get free moving boxes, let’s turn our attention to bubble wrap – the second most essential type of packing material (after cardboard boxes, of course) that can help you save a few hundred dollars if you do manage to get bubble wrap for free.
Read on to find out where to get free bubble wrap for all your packing needs.
Is it really worth getting free bubble wrap?
As long as you can spare the time to look for free bubble wrap, then the short answer is YES.
The major reason for wanting to get bubble wrap for free is because the air-filled plastic material is not particularly cheap. And when you have tons of fragile items to pack such as dishes, glassware, artwork pieces, collectibles, electronics, and more, then you’re going to need A LOT of bubble wrap to protect those breakable items in the best possible way so that they arrive in the new home perfectly intact.
A roll of Enviro-Bubble (16’’ x 10’) costs around $5.
One box of Enviro-Bubble (150 FT) costs roughly $20.
One bulk roll of Enviro-Bubble (12 in x 250 FT) costs $30.
You may be able to purchase bubble wrap that’s cheaper than the example prices above. However, the cost difference won’t be too substantial so your efforts to find free bubble wrap can turn out to be pointless when you draw the bottom line.
In other words, as long you’ve got the time to look for free packing supplies (especially cardboard boxes and bubble wrap), then it’s always worth the trouble. Think about this – why should you pay a few hundred dollars for something that you can get for free?
The idea of NOT spending any money that you don’t have to spend should always be in the back of your mind. It’s OK, you can thank yourself later after the move is over.
When looking for free boxes and bubble wrap, your very first thought should be to ask your friends, neighbors, and even co-workers if they happen to have any bubble wrap in their homes that they don’t currently need and don’t plan to use in the foreseeable future.
Whoever gives you the biggest roll of bubble wrap should be your next best friend.
This option to secure bubble wrap without paying for it does make sense because of the fact that the people close to you will best understand the tough situation you’re in at that time.
Most of the people in your friendly social circle will have moved house at least once in their lives so they will know what it’s like to be in dire need of packing supplies while moving out on a limited budget.
Mind you that when asking your friends for free bubble wrap (and possibly other free packing materials as well), you won’t be seeking their sympathy but rather their empathy. Anyone who’s ever moved house will surely understand your immediate move-related needs without asking you any meaningless questions.
The easiest way to ask your friends if they have any bubble wrap to spare is to do it with the help of Facebook, Twitter, or another social network platform of your choice. This way, your question will reach most of your pals at once and they can answer back easily and quickly. A single post can do wonders and the thing is that you’ve got nothing to lose anyway.
Bubble wrap is a very durable material so it can be reused over and over again. Besides, it can be used throughout the house for various home projects so most people will prefer to keep any non-damaged sheets of bubble wrap instead of throwing them away immediately after the first use.
Of course, some of your friends, neighbors, and colleagues may not have Facebook accounts, so if you think there’s a chance that any of them might have any bubble wrap you can use, you’re still going to have to call them on the phone or meet up with them in person.
Your hunt for bubble wrap should definitely include some dedicated websites where you have a good chance of scoring some bubble wrap without paying money for it.
There are people who care about their community so after they move to a new place, they don’t rush to throw away perfectly usable bubble wrap (plus other packing supplies such as cardboard boxes and even wrapping paper). Instead, they offer those materials online for free, thus doing something good for the people in their living area.
And thanks to such considerate people, you too have a chance of getting free bubble wrap which, after your move is over, you can gift to strangers in need.
Where to find free bubble wrap for the upcoming move?
Freecycle
Your first stop should be Freecycle – a non-profit organization that’s dedicated to keeping good and usable items away from landfills. It’s an honorable mission and the staggering number of registered Freecycle users (close to 10 million) proves that some causes are just too good to be dismissed easily.
So, all you have to do is join the Freecycle Network (registration is free, of course) and do a local search about bubble wrap. All items on the website are supposed to be offered free of charge, so with a bit of luck, you should be able to find somebody who’s trying to get rid of their supply of bubble wrap.
Craigslist
Everyone’s familiar with Craigslist but not everyone knows that the website has a free stuff section as well.
So, pick your immediate area, go to the freebies section, and search for bubble wrap. Again, if you’re lucky, you can easily find all the packing supplies you’ll need to pack up your things.
Just make sure you’re picking up those materials within a reasonable distance – otherwise, the increased transportation costs will ruin the original idea of getting bubble wrap for free.
Facebook Marketplace
Another possible source for free packing materials – and in your case, free bubble wrap – is Facebook Marketplace.
It’s super straightforward – all you have to do is type BUBBLE WRAP in the search bar and check if anyone who lives nearby is offering bubble wrap and maybe other packing supplies for free.
If yes, the next step is to write them a private message through Messenger and arrange how and when to pick up the free bubble wrap that they don’t need anymore.
Facebook Groups
Another way you can go about searching for free bubble wrap is to join a local Facebook group and ask the members there if anyone has more bubble wrap than they actually need.
Go to Facebook Groups and join the largest ones in your current town or city. And when you do, all you need to do is post a short message that you’re on the lookout for free bubble wrap.
With a bit of luck, you should be able to find all the bubble wrap you need without having to spend any hard-earned money on it. The truth is that you can only win by trying it out so go ahead and do it.
Note: Even when you’re specifically looking for free bubble wrap, it’s always a good idea to see ALL packaging materials that are offered for free in your town or city.
Get free bubble wrap from local retail stores
Mission successful!
Another good method of acquiring free bubble wrap near you is to visit several large retail stores in the vicinity and ask the store managers there if they have any packing supplies that they no longer need.
Big stores get shipments almost every day, so they should have enough cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, and even wrapping paper that you can take for yourself.
If you’re not sure what types of stores you should go to for a chance of getting free bubble wrap and boxes, then here’s an example list that can help you:
Home electronics stores. Since electronic devices are very sensitive and highly fragile in general, almost all shipments to big electronics stores should contain plenty of bubble wrap to protect the expensive goods.
Home improvement stores such as The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, Target, and so on. Again, those stores offer tons of fragile items so they are likely to have an excess of bubble wrap you can use for your packing needs.
Large supermarkets such as Walmart. At the end of the day, such large retail stores will have to recycle the packaging materials they don’t need anymore, so they might as well save themselves the effort and give them away to anyone who’s requested them.
Furniture stores. Don’t forget to call a few furniture stores in the area and ask them if they happen to have any amount of bubble wrap they don’t need.
There are a couple of ways you can go about getting free bubble wrap and other packing supplies from various retail stores in your area:
Speak with the managers of those stores and ask for any free packing materials they can give you. In most cases, they should agree to give you as many supplies as they can spare. Don’t get discouraged if you get a NO from a specific store manager – there’s nothing shameful in what you’re doing, you’re just trying to save money on your move.
Take a look at the recycling areas around large retail stores. If you do notice packaging materials that have been thrown away for recycling but are still in decent condition, then nothing should stop you from taking the ones you think you’ll need to complete the packing task as scheduled.
Get free bubble wrap from a recycling center
The good news is that bubble wrap is a very durable packing material that can be reused many times to protect all types of fragile household items. You can definitely use the plastic material even if it’s slightly torn – there’ll always be packing boxes that will require some padding materials to keep the things inside them perfectly intact.
If you’re serious about finding free bubble wrap, then a quick trip to the local recycling center may prove to be a great idea.
Another idea for procuring free bubble wrap that you may not think of is to visit a local recycling center and see if they have any bubble wrap left at the facility to be recycled.
And if they do, then they wouldn’t normally mind giving it away to whoever asks for it so there’s a good chance that you leave the recycling center with enough plastic padding material for all your packing needs.
However, make a mental note to inspect carefully any pieces of bubble wrap you take for free from a recycling center. If you do notice any traces of possible infestation, just leave it behind since the risk is never worth it.
It’s important to note that finding free bubble wrap and free moving boxes requires time that you may not really have. When you only have a few days to pack up your things, then it won’t make sense to lose one full day, at least, in search of free packing supplies.
When time is against you, do consider hiring full-service movers who will pack up your things with their own high-quality materials.
Get a free quote from top-rated full-service moving companies in your city or town to learn how much the packing service will cost you.
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