Getting ready to move? There is a lot to think about when you are relocating, from hiring a moving company to packing your things. But what you pack your belongings in shouldn’t be one of them. If you are packing up your home, you can find free packing supplies with these simple tips:

Grocery and Warehouse Stores

A great resource for finding boxes and crates is where you do your food shopping.  Every day your local grocery store is receiving shipments of new food and household products. What do they do with those boxes? Most likely, they are going to be broken down and thrown into the garbage. Give your grocery store a call and see if they would be willing to let you take some of their boxes. The same thing goes for large warehouse stores such as Costco or Sam’s Club.

Go Online

Check out sites like Craigslist.org for packing supplies. The site has a “Free” section where you may be able to find people giving away boxes, crates, bubble wrap, and other moving supplies. And if your local newspaper or city website has an online forum section, use it for your benefit. Post a message and see if anyone has any moving supplies that they would like to give away.

Neighbors, Family and Friends

Know anyone who subscribes to a newspaper? Ask if you can have it when they are finished so you can wrap breakable items like dishes, photo frames, and glassware with it. Know someone who has just bought something that comes in a box, like electronics? See if you can use the box before they throw it away. By asking around, you can find an array of moving supplies for free all while helping the people you know get rid of materials they may not need. Another resource? Anyone who has just moved into your community. They are bound to have moving boxes and crates that they will want to get off of their hands.

With these tips, finding free packing and moving supplies should never be a problem.

Check Movingood.com for more information on moving supplies.

When considering moving house, particularly on a tight budget, often one of the suggestions can be to rent a truck and invite friends and family members to help instead of paying for professional movers. At first glance this can seem like a good way to save a considerable amount of money particularly if you have lots of friends who owe you a favor! As well as the cost savings there is also the hope that because the people handling your possessions know you well they will take more care than hired help.

One of the downsides of using friends to help with the move is the risk of something happening to one of your team or one of your possessions. Professional movers typically have extremely comprehensive insurance which covers their employees and your goods. What would happen if one of your friends were to injure their back or drop a heavy crate on one of their feet? You could find yourself in a tricky situation particularly if there was a permanent injury or if expensive medical treatment was needed.

Similarly if one of your friends or family was to accidentally damage any of your possessions during the moving process it could put a strain on your relationship with them. Or even by asking friends or family you might be putting them in an awkward position. They may feel obliged to help you even though they should be fulfilling other commitments.

Although professional movers are typically more clinical, they will also have a wealth of moving experience, be properly insured and have staff that will be committed to getting your move completed as their payment will depend on it.

So why not leave your move in the hands of the professionals and let your friends and family just join you in your house warming party in your new home. Your friendships will remain intact and you can save yourself a lot of trouble.

Whether you decide to rent a truck and move on your own or have a professional move you, MovinGood.com has you covered with a comprehensive list of resources.