Advice from our moving experts to make your next move smoother, safer, and less stressful.
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Published on Apr 25, 2025
•6 min read
By Mike Stackable,Founder
Did you know that moving homes is one of the most stressful events in life? In fact, except for death and divorce, it is the most stressful event you are ever likely to experience!
While that kind of information can be worrying, it is also empowering. The more seriously you take your moving preparations, the more ready you’ll be and the less unnecessary stress you’ll experience in the process.
One of the best ways to lower the stress of the moving process is to find the right packing materials for moving. Read on to learn 9 ways you can get the most efficiency possible out of your packing materials.
There’s no one best place that you’ll find in every city that has the most affordable packing materials. That being said, make a mental note to look at some of the cheaper stores in your area.
Remember, your packing materials only need to last for the duration of the move. That means that they don’t need to have the same durability or presentational quality as more permanent home fixtures.
Dollar stores just might be the best place to buy packing supplies in your area. They’ll almost certainly have at least some of the materials you’ll need. That can include basic items like tape or packing paper.
If you’re lucky, they may also have boxes you can buy at low prices. It’s even possible that they’d be willing to give you some of the boxes they would otherwise just throw away or send for recycling. Just keep in mind, the smaller the boxes, the more time the move will take.
These days, dollar stores have an impressive selection, so don’t count them out. You might be surprised how much you can find it there!
If you take a look around your house, you might be surprised by how many useful items you already have. All kinds of more permanent home items can be repurposed for moving needs with little effort.
Your travel bags, suitcases, and duffle bags, for example, can be great tools for packing. If you want cheap packing materials, it’s hard to do better than the ones you already own and can use for free.
You have to move your desks and dressers, anyway, so you might as well fill their various drawers with items such as clothing. Anything that can roll around and break or damage the furniture itself is not reccomended. This can free up room in other packing materials. You can also use long sections of cloth like your towels and bed clothing to wrap up a large volume of light items.
Before you start googling for cheap places to buy boxes, try looking for places that rent instead. Renting items can not only be cheaper, but it can also provide better quality at the same time!
Most people move infrequently, so they only need to use an item once. It’s the perfect setup to rent instead of own. Plus, the stores that rent boxes out probably intend to use them again. That means that their boxes will be higher quality than others that might be intended for only a single-use.
Even cheaper than renting boxes can be finding them for free. While this probably won’t provide you with extremely high-quality packing materials, the price is unbeatable. Just keep this in mind when comparing pricing to quality.
There are plenty of stores that receive items in cardboard boxes only to throw them away the next day. We take cardboard for granted these days, but it was really something of a miracle material when it first appeared on the market. Surprisingly durable and extremely cheap, cardboard is a standard for packing materials.
On top of boxes, local stores may be willing to provide you with all kinds of other packing materials. These might include bubble wrap, packing peanuts, packing paper, and more.
One of the easiest ways to end up losing money on your moving process is by over-purchasing. Many homeowners are stressed by the prospect of moving, so they plan haphazardly.
It’s far better to take things slowly. Prepare in advance and take a careful inventory of how much stuff you’ll have. This will allow you to buy only as many packing materials as you actually need.
While you’re making that inventory, don’t just unthinkingly decide you’ll need to box it all up. There are plenty of items you’ll come across that you don’t need anymore.
As much as possible, throw away or donate things you don’t need anymore. Getting rid of excess clutter can make the moving process that much easier.
If you know you’re moving in advance, then start holding on to any useful packing materials. If a package arrives in the mail, keep the box and use it again later.
There’s no need to buy materials when you’re already receiving them!
Your inventory will need to take into account more than just total quantities. Make sure to pay attention to the types of items you’ll be moving.
If something needs bubble wrap for moving, estimate how much bubble wrap you’ll need. Make further estimates for boxes, bags, and any other packing materials you’ll need.
Your movers may have all kinds of useful tips for moving. There may be some unique features of your local area that they’ll be able to tell you about.
They’ll know the cost of moving boxes and can help you decide how important it is for you to hunt for free ones vs it being affordable to just buy or rent.
We hope that these tips have helped you find the best packing materials for moving. To learn more about how to make moving easier for you, or find quality movers in Austin, TX, get in touch with us here.