Budget Packing (Do’s and Don’ts)
Buying moving supplies can be expensive.
It’s important to know these tips for packing on a budget to ensure your items are properly protected, and that moving your boxes (whether yourself or your moving team) is an easy process.
It’s important to know these tips for packing on a budget to ensure your items are properly protected, and that moving your boxes (whether yourself or your moving team) is an easy process.
Do's
Don'ts
Do Check out Box Dibs!
Check out Facebook Groups such as Box Dibs Chicago, where people post boxes or moving supplies for others to reuse. A tip to keep in mind: the lifespan of cardboard boxes lifespan is typically no more than 3 moves.
Do Not Use Worn-Out Store Boxes
Budget packers may suggest using supermarket boxes or liquor boxes. Boxes that have no lid, or lacks a solid bottom can be a costly mistake when trying to save a few dollars. All of the flaps on your boxes should meet each other, so it can be properly taped shut.
Do Decide to Donate, Throw, and Keep!
Reducing the number of items that you’ll be moving can reduce the cost of packing supplies, your packing time, and your final moving bill. Take consideration to donate to spaces like Humble Design, which reuse donated furniture or items (their cheat sheet includes bedding!) and give them to folks coming out of homelessness.
Do Not Use Your Old Address in Gift Registries
If you’re moving due to a major life change – such as a marriage, a newborn, or new job – provide friends and family with a “Save The Date” for your housewarming party. Receiving too many gifts leading up to your move can make it hard to provide an estimate for your moving team, and can extend your move day. Ask friends or family to hold onto gifts until your housewarming party.
Do Get Some Help!
If possible, ask for help from your friends and family. Make your packing day an exciting one. You can ask friends or family to save-up and bring their large amazon boxes, Chewy boxes, Food Prep Boxes, or boxes from their office/barista job. We recommend still keeping things Covid-friendly, but turning up the tunes, and getting a couple of bottles of wine, can make for a fun way to share memories.
Do Not Overpack Boxes
It can be tempting to overpack your boxes in order to save money on supplies, however this can be harder on you moving team. Our moving teams are skilled to lift, however if boxes are a two-person carry, it can cause a disruption in the assembly-line flow. It’s cheaper to buy a couple boxes, than for an opportunity where a box breaks on the team.
Do Properly Label and Stage Your Boxes
Labeling boxes can save time for your movers when unloading the truck in your new space. A bonus is labeling doorways with painters tape and/or paper with corresponding names (Bedroom #1, Bedroom #2, Bathroom #1, etc.) It can be helpful to your team to stage your boxes, by placing the majority in one room close to the exit used by movers, or at least keeping boxes together in a neat stack in each room.
Do Not Minimize Your Tape Use
It’s important to follow tips on taping boxes properly, especially the bottom of boxes. Folding flaps on the top of boxes, without taping them, can lead to a lack of stability in stacking boxes in the truck. Be sure that when you reuse boxes, such as Amazon or work-related boxes, that you re-tape the bottom of boxes.
Do Use Original or Quality Boxes For Electronics
If you’ve kept the original boxes from electronics (with it’s foam) reusing those boxes are typically the best to keep your electronics safe, as they were intended for transportation in shipping. If this is not an option, make sure to use quality or new boxes for electronics such as TVs, Monitors, or Gaming Systems. Make sure to pack them as the sole electronic in it’s box, with foam or bubble wrap.
Don't Follow Towel-Wrapping Advice
Budget packers may suggest you use towels or bedsheets for wrapping fragile items such as lamps, mirrors, or TVs. If you don’t have the opportunity to get new boxes for your electronics or mirrors, let your moving company help you out. Your team is trained to properly wrap TVs and Mirrors in professional moving blankets, which have a greater thickness compared to towels and blankets to protect your items.
Do's
Do Check out Box Dibs!
Check out Facebook Groups such as Box Dibs Chicago, where people post boxes or moving supplies for others to reuse. A tip to keep in mind: the lifespan of cardboard boxes lifespan is typically no more than 3 moves.
Do Decide to Donate, Throw, and Keep!
Reducing the number of items that you’ll be moving can reduce the cost of packing supplies, your packing time, and your final moving bill. Take consideration to donate to spaces like Humble Design, which reuse donated furniture or items (their cheat sheet includes bedding!) and give them to folks coming out of homelessness.
Do Get Some Help!
If possible, ask for help from your friends and family. Make your packing day an exciting one. You can ask friends or family to save-up and bring their large amazon boxes, Chewy boxes, Food Prep Boxes, or boxes from their office/barista job. We recommend still keeping things Covid-friendly, but turning up the tunes, and getting a couple of bottles of wine, can make for a fun way to share memories.
Do Properly Label and Stage Your Boxes
Labeling boxes can save time for your movers when unloading the truck in your new space. A bonus is labeling doorways with painters tape and/or paper with corresponding names (Bedroom #1, Bedroom #2, Bathroom #1, etc.) It can be helpful to your team to stage your boxes, by placing the majority in one room close to the exit used by movers, or at least keeping boxes together in a neat stack in each room.
Do Use Original or Quality Boxes For Electronics
If you’ve kept the original boxes from electronics (with it’s foam) reusing those boxes are typically the best to keep your electronics safe, as they were intended for transportation in shipping. If this is not an option, make sure to use quality or new boxes for electronics such as TVs, Monitors, or Gaming Systems. Make sure to pack them as the sole electronic in it’s box, with foam or bubble wrap.
Don'ts
Do Not Use Worn-Out Store Boxes
Budget packers may suggest using supermarket boxes or liquor boxes. Boxes that have no lid, or lacks a solid bottom can be a costly mistake when trying to save a few dollars. All of the flaps on your boxes should meet each other, so it can be properly taped shut.
Do Not Use Your Old Address in Gift Registries
If you’re moving due to a major life change – such as a marriage, a newborn, or new job – provide friends and family with a “Save The Date” for your housewarming party. Receiving too many gifts leading up to your move can make it hard to provide an estimate for your moving team, and can extend your move day. Ask friends or family to hold onto gifts until your housewarming party.
Do Not Overpack Boxes
It can be tempting to overpack your boxes in order to save money on supplies, however this can be harder on you moving team. Our moving teams are skilled to lift, however if boxes are a two-person carry, it can cause a disruption in the assembly-line flow. It’s cheaper to buy a couple boxes, than for an opportunity where a box breaks on the team.
Do Not Minimize Your Tape Use
It’s important to follow tips on taping boxes properly, especially the bottom of boxes. Folding flaps on the top of boxes, without taping them, can lead to a lack of stability in stacking boxes in the truck. Be sure that when you reuse boxes, such as Amazon or work-related boxes, that you re-tape the bottom of boxes.
Don't Follow Towel-Wrapping Advice
Budget packers may suggest you use towels or bedsheets for wrapping fragile items such as lamps, mirrors, or TVs. If you don’t have the opportunity to get new boxes for your electronics or mirrors, let your moving company help you out. Your team is trained to properly wrap TVs and Mirrors in professional moving blankets, which have a greater thickness compared to towels and blankets to protect your items.
Conclusion
This Do’s and Don’ts of Budget Packing is focused on helping you keep your packing costs low while keeping in mind the safety of your belongings. There’s a lot of great advice out there, but some corners just aren’t worth cutting (we suggest taping corners instead!)
Keep in mind that when packing items, you won’t have moving protection if any of your items break. Be sure to follow quality blogs such as Let’s Unpack to learn how to pack your boxes or breakables.
If you’d like A Move to Remember to help pack your items, even if you would like Partial Packing Services for just your kitchen or office, be sure to submit a request for a Packing Day in your client portal or our quote form.
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