U-Haul Box Prices vs. Craigslist: It’s a No-Brainer
There’s just no getting around it, cardboard moving boxes are absurdly expensive. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are market factors that drive the prices of plain old cardboard boxes… but I don’t understand them. For goodness sake, it’s cardboard, right? Isn’t this the stuff we mastered back in the 1930s? How did it get so expensive?
Take a look at U-Haul’s Box Pricing… A large box: $3.00 each. Extra Large: $3.75 each. The ultimate moving kit (presumably a great deal) – a whopping $536.00! All that for disposable boxes…
U-Haul’s Not the Only One
But U-Haul’s not the only one charging aggregious amounts for boxes. UsedCardBoardBoxes.com sells used boxes for about the same price as U-Haul gets for new ones. UCBB’s claim to fame is that they recycle the old boxes so they don’t end up in a land fill. But, if you want them to come pick up used boxes from your new place, it’ll be an astronomical $150 to get them to come to your door.
There are other vendors too… Boxquest.com allows people to post about their used boxes so that others can purchase direct from them. A quick look in our region revealed only vendors disguised as average consumers selling boxes from warehouses… I couldn’t find a single average Joe looking to get rid of boxes.
Craigslist Offers a Better Box Option
So then I looked on Craigslist. In the last 8 days on Craiglist there are at least 5 different people who recently moved looking to sell their used boxes. The average price: about $0.50-$1.50/box. Two of the listings offerred boxes 100% free if you would just come pick them up.
Bottom line: There’s no reason to buy retail moving boxes.
What do you think? What other places have you found cheap boxes?
(photo: ejhogbin)
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10 Responses to U-Haul Box Prices vs. Craigslist: It’s a No-Brainer
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April 20th, 2009 10:22 am
When we move, we put in the extra legwork and collect boxes from grocery stores, liquor stores, retail stores, etc. I have never found a store that won’t let you take their boxes for free, as long as you’re willing to dig through their cardboard recycling dumpster to get them. The only boxes I’m willing to pay for are wardrobes, designed with a bar for hanging clothing (now those are handy, and there’s usually room on the bottom to toss all the shoes that sit on the closet floor).
April 20th, 2009 12:28 pm
When we moved, 16 months ago, we were fortunate to get boxes from someone in our church who had just moved. They wanted to get rid of the boxes and we needed them. It was a win-win situation.
I’ve also seen them posted on Craig’s List for free. I just can’t see paying for them either.
April 20th, 2009 8:54 pm
I used usedcardboardboxes for my recent move, and found them to be really reasonable. Sure, I would’ve wanted to get them free, but who’s got time to go running all around town, only to be told “sorry, we just gave them away”? The boxes were clean, in good shape, and the price difference between them and Uhaul was pretty staggering. Plus they were delivered to my home, instead of me having to go buy them from a retail spot and try to load them in the car. I think it’s a great service, and tell everyone I know about them.
April 20th, 2009 10:55 pm
@ET – Good call on picking them up around town. Sometimes we use boxes from those locations to organize our paper for recycling too.
@Carol – Church is a great no-cost location for boxes too… and just about anywhere a lot of folks are gathering. Almost all churches have a bulletin board where you can post “needs” that others might be able to meet.
@Nancy – Thanks for the feedback on that site… glad it was a good experience. So what did you do with the boxes after you used them? Did they come back and pick them up? Did they charge?
April 21st, 2009 12:49 pm
I actually got boxes from Uhaul that were free. I noticed it when I went to buy boxes that they have this “take a box, leave a box” program. I guess if you aren’t using your boxes anymore you can drop them off at a Uhaul rental place and they put them in this box that people can take freely with no charge. I took a few of them and then took them back when I was finished. Worked out perfectly. Just wanted to let everyone know it’s not always expensive!
July 20th, 2009 1:57 pm
U-Haul also has an online forum specifically for exchanging moving boxes. http://www.uhaulboxexchange.com. It’ll save you from having to sort through the Craigslist BS.
July 20th, 2009 1:57 pm
Oops. http://www.uhaul.com/boxexchange.
April 22nd, 2010 1:57 pm
The sign at Uhaul says they have already done the shopping regarding box prices. I believed them, but my son bought boxes at Home Depot for half the price if UHaul. It is not as easy to get boxes from stores as it used to be. You have to be there at the right time. Several store items now come in plastic crates instead of cardboard.
Wish I’d known about the U Haul box exchange before.
July 24th, 2010 2:56 pm
But, UHaul also offer buyback of their boxes (with receipt) and 100% refund.
http://store.uhaul.com/buy_back.aspx
So technically, you could use the boxes and after moving, turn them in. That way they don’t end up in landfill. Does anyone have experience with this refund process?
July 24th, 2010 2:57 pm
ah wait.. it says refund for “unused boxes”. my bad!