If you are well into the planning of your upcoming move, it is easy to feel like you’re getting nickle and dimed into the poorhouse.  It sure wouldn’t hurt to track down some cheap moving supplies for the big day, would it?  At least then you’d feel like you got a good deal on something when it comes to moving…

Cheap Moving Supplies

When it comes to the word “cheap,” most of us think of one thing: price.  Unfortunately, in the world of moving supplies, cheap also often means poor quality.  Like any other retailer, most moving supply vendors want your money, right?  And they hate losing some of your money by just lowering the prices.  Therefore, they need to sacrifice elsewhere.  Quality of the product is often one of the first things to get cut.  You might not notice it in the store, but you’ll definitely notice when your packing tape rips off and the bottom falls out of a moving box, or when the side of one of your boxes crumples and an entire stack topples over in the back of your moving truck.  These little quality cuts can cause big headaches on your moving day, so be sure to focus on maintaining quality, while increasing affordability.

Finding Cheap Moving Supplies

Ok, so now we know what type of cheap moving supplies we want, but where do we find them?  The best bet might be to simply check with the guys that are renting us the van, right?  Well, you’ll definitely find high quality moving supplies there, but you will not find low prices.  Most of their customers are last minute or impulse shoppers, meaning they can keep their prices high.  What about the department store?  They have good prices on everything.  Actually, department stores don’t typically stock moving supplies in significant enough quantity to allow them to offer low prices.  And even if you were to go the store route, it would likely take several trips before you would have enough for your whole move.

Cheap Moving Supplies Online

Maybe you’ve heard rumors from your friends or family about buying cheap moving supplies online.  Some people can be fairly hesitant to make big purchases online, but more and more retailers are setting up their operations strictly online to avoid the typical overhead costs of having a store.  Customer reviews are very high for the best online moving supply retailers.  Also, these retailers offer the absolute lowest prices on moving supplies anywhere.  These cheap moving supplies are as strong as, or stronger than, those you can find at the store or moving truck rental location.

Look, hardly anyone is in a good mood when they’re moving.  So don’t feel bad if you’re not quite as psyched about moving into your new place as you think you should be.  Actually, the lead up to the move is usually the source of most of the stress and anxiety.  This is especially true when it comes to the price tags at the moving supplies store.  Sure, moving the right way isn’t free, but who knew it was going to be this expensive?

Buying Moving Supplies

First off, it should be mentioned that you are doing the right thing by looking into moving supplies for your move.  Your breakables will thank you when you get to your new place.  But once you step into a moving supplies store, you might start thinking about just crumpling up newspaper and stuffing it between your dishes.  True, it’s been awhile since your last move, but what happened since then?  Is bubble wrap the new world currency or something?  Believe it or not, there are a few good reasons the places you’re looking at are charging so much.

Buying in Bulk

Anyone who’s been around a Sam’s Club or similar store knows the advantage of buying in bulk.  You save money, right?  Well, a lot of the big box stores don’t focus too strictly on moving supplies, meaning their demand for such products is relatively low.  This also means they don’t purchase these types of items in sizable quantities from manufacturers.  As such, their cost is higher than some other places, meaning they need to charge more for the product.  If you’re unfortunate enough to have already purchased moving supplies from a store like this, you can pretty much know for sure you paid too much.

No Demand, No Supply

The other danger with some moving supplies stores is the small quantity of moving supplies offered.  If their core business isn’t moving supplies, they are unlikely to stock an appreciable quantity of these items.  That can leave you in a tight spot if your move is coming up quickly and you need to gather all your supplies.  You can’t be sitting there waiting for another shipment with your move just days away.  Consider this a “hidden cost” of sorts when it comes to moving supplies stores.

Do yourself a favor and check out the moving supplies offered by online retailers.  But only if you want a wide selection at an unbeatable price, of course.

So, you’re thinking you’ve got plenty of moving boxes and supplies to get all your stuff packed away.  You’ve got extra large boxes for the light stuff, smaller boxes for the heavy stuff, and plenty of packing paper and bubble wrap to get you through.  If this sounds like you so far, then well done on taking a few important steps to protect your breakables.  But, what about that big cabinet in the corner?  Or how about your computer desk?  And it’d be a shame if something happened to the dining room table you got from your grandma.  Now, don’t freak out, moving blankets are here to save the day…

Durable Moving Blankets

Now, you may even think you were prepared for the scenario above.  You’ve got plenty of old comforters and towels, those should be good enough, right?  Actually, many moves have been ruined by ineffective covering of important furniture.  High quality moving blankets are designed to withstand the jostling and bumping that goes on in the back of a moving truck.  These blankets are woven, tough and able to handle the rigors of a move.

How to Use a Moving Blanket

Well, it may be reassuring to know that moving blankets are able to protect your furniture, but how do you actually go about using one?  The most important thing is to make sure your moving blankets don’t move or slide during your move.  This can expose your furniture to damage while it travels in the back of the moving truck.  If the furniture is small enough, simply drape the blanket over and slide the corners under the legs of the piece.  If the piece is big enough that the blanket doesn’t reach the floor, consider sliding a bungie cord or similar strap around the piece to keep the blanket in place.  Having a moving blanket that slides off is just like having no moving blanket at all, so be sure to keep them in place.

When to Use Moving Blankets

The average person would likely be shocked at the amount of shifting and sliding that goes on in the back of a moving truck.  If you were to see the inside of a full moving truck in action, you would quickly understand the importance of moving blankets.  You may think that since you only have one or two large furniture pieces that moving blankets are unnecessary.  Actually, other items can do a surprising amount of damage when you’re moving.  Even a box of books can leave a permanent dent or scratch on your furniture.  So essentially, the time to use a moving blanket is whenever you’re moving furniture that you would like to keep scratch free.

Much of the process of picking moving supplies comes down to a “safe or sorry” approach.  Moving blankets are the ultimate in protection for your furniture, as long as you select high quality moving blankets and use them right.