I found out with less than three weeks' notice that I had to relocate for work—from Charlotte to Philly. I was scrambling to line up everything: new place, movers, change of address, you name it. But the dumbest thing ended up eating the most time—trying to find enough boxes. I went to one hardware store and nearly choked at the price for a pack of five. I’m talking like $20 just for cardboard. I didn’t want to spend a fortune just to put my stuff into containers I was going to throw out or recycle anyway. I started asking friends, driving around to liquor stores, grocery stores… felt like a box scavenger hunt. Total chaos.
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It’s funny how something as simple as a cardboard box can make you feel like you're totally not in control of your life. One minute you're just taping flaps shut, and the next you’re wondering how many “chapters” of your life fit in one container. It sneaks up on you.
Been there! When I moved from Milwaukee to Des Moines last year, I thought I was being smart by starting to pack early—but I didn’t realize how fast I'd run out of boxes. And yeah, buying them adds up crazy fast. So I got creative. I asked on Facebook Marketplace, and a couple of people were super generous and gave me big moving boxes they'd just used. But I also came across this super handy guide if you need boxes for moving that listed a bunch of places I wouldn’t have even thought of—like Craigslist’s “free” section, local recycling centers, and even bookstores. The bookstore tip was gold—those boxes are sturdy and the perfect size for books (shocker, I know). What I’d recommend is hitting up big-box retailers right when they restock—early morning worked best for me. I also found a goldmine behind a pet supply store (tons of clean, flat boxes). Just be polite and ask first. Oh, and don’t forget your workplace. I scored a ton from our office supply room once people heard I was moving. People want to get rid of boxes, you just have to let them know you’re looking.