Where to Get Free Packing Supplies

It’s no secret that moving home is an expensive endeavor and as such, you’ll have plenty of move-related costs to worry about.

In most cases, moving expenses will add up pretty quickly, so you must stay within budget throughout your home move.

Provided that you haven’t requested professional packing services, one thing you can do to really cut your moving costs is to obtain free packing supplies.

It may sound too good to be true but it’s quite possible to get free packing materials – that’s right, without paying a single penny for them. It will probably cost you some time and a bit of effort, but the money you’ll be able to save at the end of the home packing process should be well worth it.

Do you believe that one man’s trash is often another man’s treasure?

From free moving boxes through gratis bubble wrap to costless packing paper, find below where to get packing supplies for free and enjoy a perfectly affordable move to the new home.

Do you really need free packing supplies?

You may wonder why you should go to the trouble of getting packing supplies for free when you can purchase them effortlessly online, from a local office supply shop, or from a local moving company.

After all, cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, and packing paper can’t be that expensive, can they?

Actually, they can.

The thing is that when you’re packing up your entire home, you’re going to need A LOT of packing materials, not just a few pieces of each type. So, it will really add up.

For example, if you’re moving out of a 3-bedroom home, then the average price of the packing supplies needed to pack all your stuff will cost you about $200.

It must feel nice to get something without paying for it but you should be ready to sacrifice some of your time to obtain free packing supplies – and time can be a valuable commodity during a home move.

Also, you’re going to have to make a real effort to get your hands on such packing materials, and that’s something you may not be willing to do during an already crazy busy period.

So, if you can afford to purchase the required packing materials brand new, then that’s certainly the easiest and safest option for you. Still, $200 (or more!) is a substantial amount of money, especially if you’re moving on a budget.

Ultimately, why pay for something when you can get it for free, right?

What free packing supplies do you need?

Before we move on to explain how you can find free packing supplies, let’s first touch upon the subject of what type of packing materials you will actually need for the upcoming packing task.

Moving boxes

Cardboard boxes are the MOTHER of all packing supplies.

In reality, no packing job can be finished successfully without the use of those versatile, convenient, and affordable containers.

You’re going to need clean, dry, and strong packing boxes of various sizes.

Keep in mind that boxes will be your biggest packing expense by far, so getting free moving boxes is almost always worth the trouble.

Where to Get Free Moving Boxes Near You

Bubble wrap

Bubble wrap is the best protective material for packing delicate, fragile, and breakable items for a move.

In fact, the air-filled plastic is so indispensable during the packing process that you must seriously consider purchasing a few rolls if you fail to get any bubble wrap for free.

Where to Find Free Bubble Wrap

Packing paper

Packing paper is another multifunctional supply that you must have close by before beginning the packing process. Packing paper is known to resist oil and dirt so it’s ideal for protecting glass surfaces and all types of delicate items.

Moreover, paper is also a perfect cushioning and padding material for filling up any spaces inside a cardboard box.

While looking for free packing paper, you need to make sure that the quantities you do find are clean enough to be reused.

How to Use Packing Paper When Moving

Newsprint

Newsprint will be the easiest packing supply to find for free. In most cases, today’s newspapers are tomorrow’s packing supplies, won’t you agree?

A word of caution: While newsprint is great for cushioning boxes and filling up any unwanted spaces inside the containers, it should not be used for creating initial protective layers when packing delicate items because of possible ink stains that are really hard to remove afterward.

Other packing supplies

There are a number of other packing materials you could probably obtain for free but the chance of that happening is relatively low.

Nevertheless, if you’re looking for free packing peanuts, plastic wrap, moving blankets, packing tape, and so on, your best chance is still to follow this very checklist of sources of free packing supplies.

Packing Supplies for Moving You Can’t Do Without

Where to find free packing supplies: The checklist

Now that you have a better understanding of what type of packing materials you will need to get the packing job done, let’s take a closer look at the various ways to get free shipping supplies.

Here’s how to find free packing supplies:

Friends

Friends are truly life’s treasures. Seriously, what would we do without our friends?

Whenever a house move is just around the corner and you really need to stay without your budget this time around, it’s time to turn to your good friends once more and ask them for assistance.

See, some of your pals will surely have a stash of packing materials they won’t ever need again – maybe some of them have had to move home recently, in which case we’re talking about scores of boxes, bubble wrap, and paper that can be yours just for the asking.

• Use the proven power of your preferred social networks to reach all of your friends at once. It’ll only take a few minutes to compose a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram post, something along the lines of I need packing supplies ASAP. Can somebody help?
• If you use chat groups (Facebook Messenger, Viber, Skype, etc.), then you can ask your buddies there.
• Of course, nothing can possibly beat asking your mates for free packing materials face to face.

Even if your friends can’t help you out this time, some of them may actually get you connected with other friends of theirs who will be willing to get rid of no-longer-needed packing materials.

The thing is, there’s really no reason to be skeptical – after all, you can only win here.

Get Your Friends to Help You Move

Colleagues and neighbors

Your work colleagues and neighbors can also be a good source of free shipping supplies.

Of course, you’ll probably also have good friends among them, but we’ve grouped coworkers and next-door folks separately because you may get them to help you even if you’re not that close with them.

Thanks to the fact that you share common things with those people – the same job and possibly similar interests with your colleagues and the same neighborhood or residential building with your neighbors – there’s this mutual feeling of community solidarity that should help out your relocation cause.

Don’t rely on social networks in this case – instead, meet your coworkers and next-door neighbors in person and ask if they should have any spare packing materials they can give you for free.

Online

There are a couple of websites that can really aid in your quest to get free packing supplies for moving and thus save good money in the process.

• Freecycle. Freecycle is a non-profit movement whose main goal is to keep usable things out of dumpsters and recycling bins. Interestingly, the Freecycle Network has more than 9 million registered users in the world in than 5,000 registered groups, so there’s a very good chance that you’ll be able to find and join and Freecycle group near your location. It’s not only free to become a Freecycle member, but all posted items on the website are offered absolutely for free, including moving boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, packing peanuts, or even rolls of packing tape. Search for the supplies you do need or post a WANTED request with more info about the pacing materials you’re looking for.
• Craigslist. Everyone knows about Craigslist, so if you still haven’t used that great online resource, it’s time to do so. Craigslist will let you search for FREE PACKING SUPPLIES near your physical location so that you won’t need to lose too much time or pay high transportation expenses to get your hands on the packing materials offered for free.

Brief History of Cardboard Boxes 

Local retail stores

Big retail stores are another great source where you can get free packing materials for the upcoming move.

Larger stores get scheduled shipments on a regular basis, and most of the goods they get delivered come in cardboard boxes lined with packing paper and sometimes padded with sheets of bubble wrap, depending on the nature of the products inside the boxes.

The good news for you is that those businesses are not only expected but also required to dispose of those packing supplies the moment they no longer need them. And that is exactly where you should come in.

Mark down the largest local stores in your town or city, then give them a call and ask to speak with their respective store managers.

Don’t worry too much about contacting those retailers – the worst that can happen is to get a negative answer, but since you’ll probably be doing THEM a favor (you’ll save them time and effort to recycle the cardboard boxes and other shipping supplies), you may get pleasantly surprised.

Here’s a list of potential local stores where you may find free packing supplies:

• Supermarkets (grocery stores);
• Shopping centers;
• Furniture stores;
• Home improvement stores;
• Electronics stores;
• Bookstores;
• Dollar stores;
• Liquor stores;
• Copy centers.
• Recycling centers.

Most retail stores usually get their shipments early in the morning, so you may have to schedule your pick-up of free shipping supplies accordingly. Some store managers may tell you to help yourself from the dumpsters behind the stores, and if that should happen, don’t pass up on that offer.

There’s nothing shameful or unworthy to pick some perfectly reusable packing supplies that have been left for recycling – predominantly cardboard boxes, but clean bubble wrap and packing paper can also be frequently found there.

A word of caution: Freebies are hard to reject, but reject them you must if it turns out that the packing materials are not safe. Do inspect the supplies you are offered and should you notice any troubling signs of damage or pest infestation of any sort, do not take them.

Keep in mind that safety when packing and moving is crucial, so accept only packing supplies that are dry, clean, sturdy, and undamaged.

Brief History of Bubble Wrap

Free packing supplies you already have in your home

Ultimately, your goal is to save money by NOT purchasing all of your packing supplies brand new. And now that you know where to get free packing and shipping supplies, you may be willing to go a step further and learn what free packing materials you already own in your home.

Yes, you read that right!

There are a number of free packing supplies in your home, you just never thought of using them to make your move more affordable. Never thought of that… until now.

• Buckets and baskets. If you’re taking any plastic buckets or baskets with you, why don’t you fill them up with household items instead of moving them empty? Not the perfect moving containers, but they’ll work fine.
• Suitcases. Except for protecting clothes during the move, suitcases are ideal for transporting heavy items such as books and magazines. If any of the suitcases are equipped with strong wheels on their bottoms, that’s even better.
• Trash bags. Clean trash bags can be very versatile as free packing materials. You can use garbage bags to pack your hanging clothes directly off the closet or wardrobe, together with their hangers. Folded clothes can also be packed in garbage bags, but they will have less protection this way.
• Ziploc bags. Sealable Ziploc bags are great for storing and transporting small elements that may get lost otherwise. Small fastening elements (screws, bolts, nuts, washers, etc.) and even small jewelry pieces should be safe in those plastic containers.
• Home blankets. Moving blankets (aka furniture blankets) can be pricey, so why don’t you use the ordinary blankets in your home instead? Just like bubble wrap, blankets are excellent protectors of fragile items. Make sure you choose to use blankets which you won’t really mind getting a little dirty during the move.
• Towels. Towels are thick and will provide an outstanding level of wrapping and cushioning protection for all your breakables. If you’re running low on bubble wrap and blankets, be sure to put your thick towels to good use.
• Socks. Maybe the last thing on your mind would be to use your winter socks as a substitute for packing paper and bubble wrap. And yet, glasses, especially stemware, will get an extra layer of protection when placed inside thick and clean socks.
• Newspapers. With some exceptions, newspapers are good substitutes for white packing paper. Obviously, the best thing about newsprint is that it can be found in great quantities, and for free at that. Just ask your neighbors for any unwanted newspapers or magazines, and the chances are you’ll get more than you will actually need. Recycling centers are an excellent source of newsprint as well. Just make sure you don’t use newspapers to pack items with delicate surfaces as the ink may easily destroy those things forever.

Finally, don’t forget that most full-service movers will include all packing materials in the price if you choose to use their professional packing services.

This way, you may get a really good deal where you won’t worry about getting packing materials for free on the one hand, and you won’t need to worry about packing up your stuff on the other hand. Not bad, eh?

How Much Does It Cost to Hire Packers?