The cost of moving boxes could either be nothing at all, or hundreds of dollars. Used cardboard moving boxes can be had free of charge is you are willing to devote time driving to retail and department stores alike to see if they have any lying around. Keep in mind that some stores may not have boxes on hand, or they may be in poor shape. Another way to get free moving boxes is by asking family, friends, and co-workers if they happen to have any. This process is fine if you know far in advance that you’ll be moving. But what if you only have a few days or weeks? Or, you would just rather buy them because it will be a huge time saver?

While saving money is a priority during a move, time is more important. The moving process demands so much time, and searching for moving boxes on short notice is not always practical.

Buying moving boxes takes very little time, plus you can be sure that they have the strength to handle the rigors of the move.

The prices for boxes online are pretty similar among most stores. The standard is free shipping, so if a store doesn’t offer it then you might be best served buying elsewhere.

Here is a price comparison between two box stores: UBoxes.com and UsedCardboardBoxes.com

	U-Boxes	Used Cardboard Boxes
Small	$37.75 (25)	$36.99 (25)
Medium	$40.90 (20)	$41 (20)
Large	$44.63 (15)	$38 (12)
X-Large	$40.90 (10)	$41 (12)
Kitchen	$39.85 (4)	$40.95 (8)

As you can see, the prices are very similar across the board. The number in the parenthesis is the number of boxes being offered. There appears to be a discrepancy in the value offered with kitchen boxes. However, the size of the ones offered at U-boxes are 27% larger.

The prices are very close among most online moving box stores. What you have to pay attention to is the shipping. Most offer free shipping, but some do it faster than others. U-Boxes.com ships the day you order if it’s placed before 4:00 pm. UsedCardboardBoxes.com promises delivery within 1-2 days.

What’s nice about buying moving boxes is that you can re-sell them to get some of your investment back. Or, you can hang on to a few for storing some items.

You can buy all your boxes and supplies from one of these stores and have them delivered to your door in the next day or two. Then, it will be one less thing you have to worry about as you prepare for your move.