The cost of packing supplies, like most things when you are moving 🤦‍, can add up quickly. Luckily, there are lots of alternatives to packing paper, cardboard boxes, and bubble wrap that you already have sitting around your home!
1. Towels, Blankets, Sheets and Comforters
Soft cloth items are great for wrapping delicate things like plates and dishes. See the example below to get the most out of each towel/blanket.
2. Suitcases, Chests and Laundry Bins
Suitcases and chests are built for packing things safely, so why not use them to pack your stuff when you move? While we don’t recommend putting delicates inside, they’re great for clothes or other knick-knacks.
Have a locking suitcase? You can even use it to ensure your jewelry gets to your new home securely.
3. Trash Bags
Instead of folding your clothes to pack them up before the move and then unfolding them all over again, just wrap them in trash bags. They’ll stay clean and unwrinkled; you won’t even have to take the hangers off!
4. Egg Cartons and Newspaper
Newspaper especially is an excellent substitute to packing paper and bubblewrap. Use it to wrap your dishes and silverware or crumple it up to stuff bowls and glasses.
Egg cartons are designed to cradle fragile items and can be reused to do just that. Line the sides of a box with egg cartons using double-sided tape, place your tiny delicates inside them for protection, or use them to divide your boxes into layers or compartments.
5. Backpacks
Have backpacks laying around? They may not be able to hold much, but anything you can fit in there is less space you need elsewhere.
They’re also a great option to carry valuables that you’d rather have in your possession that on the moving truck. Think jewelry and antiques.
6. Clothes, Socks and Shoes
Clothes and socks are great for wrapping things for protection. You can even put smaller things inside of socks and ball them up for extra protection.
In addition, shoes tend to just get thrown in a big box and tossed onto the moving truck without much thought, but if you stuff the shoes with things first, you’d be amazed at how much space it will save you. It will also prevent your shoes from getting smushed and help them maintain their shape throughout the move.
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