Where to Get Free Moving Boxes in Chicago?
If you’re getting ready to move, you’re going to need boxes. Cardboard boxes always seem plentiful until you need to move. Since moving is expensive, it only makes sense that you try to find a few ways to save.
It doesn’t matter whether you have a small apartment or a three-bedroom home, you’re going to need moving boxes to pack all of your stuff. Free moving boxes can help reduce the burden of your moving expenses, especially depending on how many moving boxes you need.
Jackson Moving & Storage is a reliable moving company that provides packing and unpacking services for local and long-distance moving. With storage solutions and moving supplies, we have everything you need for the smoothest move. In this blog post, we provide tips on where you can find free boxes in Chicago as well as tips for choosing the best moving boxes.
Places Where You’ll Find Free Boxes for Your Move
Free moving boxes can offset the cost of moving, but you need to know where to find them. In Chicago, there are plenty of places where you can find used cardboard boxes. Before you begin your search for free boxes, you should get a rough idea of how many boxes you will need for your move.
It will go more smoothly when you know how many cardboard boxes and other packing supplies you’ll need. You don’t want to be halfway through packing boxes only to discover that you don’t have enough to finish the job.
Grocery Stores
Grocery stores may be a good option for finding free boxes. However, many of the free boxes that grocers will have for you will have been used for transporting produce, leaving them with a bit of an odor. You may get lucky and find some that were used to transport dried goods, so unless you’re desperate for free moving boxes, you may want to look elsewhere so your new place doesn’t smell like old vegetables.
Big Box Stores
Big box stores and warehouse clubs are great places to find free moving boxes. Since they order in bulk, they should have lots of large cardboard boxes that you can use for your move. If you have bulky items, these boxes may be ideal to use as your moving boxes.
U-Haul Box Exchange
U-Haul offers a program that anyone can use to get boxes from others who have recently moved. With this U-Haul program, you may be able to get more free moving boxes that are of higher quality than you may find rummaging behind stores. However, check all the moving boxes you get when you use this exchange as they may have seemingly minor tears, which could cause a disaster on moving day.
Liquor Stores
Liquor stores get large shipments of delicate glass bottles on a regular basis. If you live near a liquor store, you may want to stop by and see if they have any boxes that you can use. The type of boxes that liquor stores use are perfect for fragile items as they are used to keep all sorts of wine and spirits safe in transit, making them smart moving boxes for your stemware.
Your Local Recycling Center
Recycling centers are another smart place to check for moving boxes. After a move, many people take their moving boxes into a recycling center to recycle them if they can’t find anyone who needs them. Some of the boxes that are taken to recycling may not be in good condition to be used for moving, but it’s worth a stop to check for yourself.
Fast Food Restaurants
Fast food establishments are great to find moving boxes for free. These restaurants get their food supplies shipped frozen, which means the boxes they have are sturdy enough for heavy items. Another bonus of these boxes is they’re not likely to retain an odor from the frozen food they once contained, which means your belongings won’t take on a weird smell.
Facebook Marketplace
If you have Facebook, use the Facebook Marketplace section on the social media platform to find the boxes you need. There are plenty of people who have stuff they want to get rid of, including boxes or even bins of various sizes.
Local Craigslist
Craigslist is another online option that can help connect you to people in or around your Chicago neighborhood with boxes. There are always people moving in and out of this location, and Craigslist makes it easy to connect with people that may have boxes to give away for free.
Another good resource for finding free moving boxes is any store or shop in your neighborhood. Coffee shops, shoe stores, your local Walgreens, a nearby office building, or the local bookstore are all places you’ll find free moving boxes. Additionally, check for garage sales and stop by them near the end of the day. They’ll be more likely to have empty boxes leftover that they might give you for free.
Tips for Choosing Packing Boxes for Your Move
When you search for free boxes to use in your move, you must consider a number of things first. Even though getting boxes for free seems like a great idea, not every box you get will make the cut.
Consider Box Sizes
When you get boxes from various stores, you’re bound to discover they are not all the same size. While you may find this helpful for packing your belongings, keep in mind that it may make it difficult for you to load your truck. You may want to hire movers to help with this part of your move to fit everything with ease without breaking your dishes and other fragile items.
Only Choose Sturdy Boxes
Boxes that you get for free are designed to hold different kinds of items. Some may be capable of holding a certain number of heavy things while others were meant for only light objects. If you fill a box that isn’t sturdy enough with heavier items, it may break when you try to move it, causing you unnecessary issues on moving day.
Never Use Damaged Boxes
When you get boxes for moving from a store or even from connecting with someone in your neighborhood through Craigslist, don’t use any damaged boxes. Recycle boxes that have tears in them, even if they are small because they compromise the box’s structural integrity.
Additionally, any boxes with crushed corners or previous water damage should never be used for a move. Continue your box search until you find good boxes for packing all your items.
Consider Reusable Boxes and Bins
You may find reusable boxes that you can rely on to store your seasonal items or choose bins that can be rented and dropped off at your current location. These reusable items can then be picked up from your new location. It will save you time since you won’t have to search for decent boxes and is a sustainable option.
Make Sure You Get Packing Supplies
You may be elated to discover that you’ve found enough boxes from local companies or yard sales nearby. However, do not forget the other stuff you need before you get started filling each box. You’ll need packing paper, packing tape, bubble wrap, and other packing supplies. Never simply toss items into a box as they will shift in transit and can easily become damaged.
Why You Should Consider Professional Movers for Happy Moving
When you’re moving, the cost of this process may be on your mind. However, it pays to have professional moving assistance to reduce the stress and hassle of moving. Movers have the right supplies and tools for the job. They can pack and unpack for you, saving you time.
Hiring professionals may seem like an added cost to your move, but when you consider how much it costs to rent a truck and how much time you’ll spend tracking down boxes, packing, loading the truck, and then unpacking, it will be money well-spent. You may have a time-consuming job or young children, which may make it difficult to devote enough time to this process.
Instead of trying to collaborate with a local store to find out when they’ll get their next shipment so you can use their boxes, you can get boxes, packing tape, and everything needed to move to your new place. Jackson Moving & Storage has been providing moving services for local and long-distance moves for over 100 years.
Since we have been doing this for such an extensive length of time, we have moving down to a science. We can pack all of your items with the same care we’d use to pack our own homes. We have teams of skilled movers who know how to efficiently load a truck without breaking anything fragile. We also help you unload and unpack to minimize moving stress. Call today to get a free move quote from Jackson Moving & Storage.