Moving Supplies On a Budget

One item that often gets neglected when moving is the purchase of supplies. You’ll need boxes, of course, but there are plenty of other items that can make your move easier. Many people neglect to buy them. For instance, some helpful moving supplies include room labels for boxes, permanent markers, plastic bags and garbage bags, plastic wrap, packing materials and heavy duty tape. However, moving supplies can be expensive. If you’re trying to make a move on the cheap, here’s how to get all your moving supplies on a budget.

The first step is to plan your move in advance. You’ll need to decide what your budget is and try as hard as you can to stick to it. This means tracking the cost of your new space, parking, utilities, moving truck or services, and your moving supplies. Room labels , tape, boxes and other supplies might not seem like they cost much in comparison to other items, but they add up over time, especially if you have a lot to move. Once you’ve made your budget, you’ll have to stick with it, but you should be reasonable. Don’t assume you’ll be able to get everything for free.

That said, there are plenty of supplies that you can get cheaply or free. Boxes, for instance, can be found at local stores on the day they get their shipments. Produce boxes from grocery stores are popular, as are small furniture and electronics boxes from discount stores and other retailers. Ask politely, and don’t be pushy if the manager turns you down or tells you to come back on another day. Different stores have different policies about giving out their boxes. Most crush and recycle cardboard, so it’s actually an inconvenience to give them to you. However, if you’re friendly and polite, you’ll be surprised at the results.

Another place to get free supplies is from other people who’ve moved recently and who have a surplus. They might have extra tape, markers, room labels and other items. This is particularly common among students and other people who move frequently. Again, be polite and don’t assume that you’ll get anything for free. Every supply you don’t have to pay for is a bonus.

Once you’ve exhausted your options for finding free moving supplies, it’s time to move on to getting them cheap. Try discount stores and department stores to find sales, off season items, and other things that are at less than their usual price. Don’t be afraid to clip coupons and take advantage of well timed sale prices. This all means planning well in advance, but if you’re going to move well and cheap, you’ll have to sacrifice speed. Once you’ve exhausted your discount options, you’ll have to pick up the rest of your supplies for moving at full price. Hopefully, however, going through the sources for free and cheap moving supplies will knock a little off your budgeted needs