If you are not incorporating the price of your shipping supplies into the bottom line, you may be in for a real surprise as your profits shrink at the end of the quarter. One of the ways you can reduce shipping expenses is to utilize this list of DIY shipping boxes ideas.

Checking the Mail
One of the easiest ways to come up with some DIY shipping boxes is to simply check your mail each day. Packages arriving in all different sizes can be re-purposed for your shipping needs. It doesn’t matter if you got a delivery of clothing from an online retail store or you ordered parts to repair your vehicle, those boxes can be opened, then flattened out, cut, and put back together inside out to hide any exterior branding. Simply tape the box back together and you can use it to ship just about any size items you have. Be sure to mention to residential and business neighbors that you are collecting a variety of sized boxes, and simply cut them open and stack them by size in shelves until they are needed. In no time you will have an impressive amount of empty boxes.

Your Local Supermarket
The local supermarket is a treasure trove of different size quality boxes. Depending the size shipping boxes you need, you can wander into the store while employees are unpacking inventory and get a good idea which will work best. If you’re shipping large items, diaper boxes are the most durable and largest boxes in the store. Show up and ask the employees what days are deliveries, then be in that aisle on that day to collect your free boxes. Depending on the sizes of the boxes that you need, you can wander the store and see them as they arrive. Boxes for soup are smaller but very strong, as well as boxes that hold bottled juices, frozen foods, and baby foods. Once you get the delivery routine down at the supermarket, you can arrive each week and collect unlimited empty boxes that you either use as is or cut open and turn inside out again.

Local Neighborhood Run
With more people being energy conscious these days, you will find that more families and businesses are recycling. These days you will have one day where the trash company picks up all trash, while another day is dedicated to picking up only recyclable materials. Start in your own neighborhood on recycling day, and drive through a few streets when the trash it out for the night. You can also try early in the morning before the recycle truck begins it run. These boxes will either be stacked next to the curb or cut and stacked on top of the recycle bin. Within a few miles you could come across hundreds of packaging material you can use as your DIY shipping boxes. These pick-ups are weekly, so you will have an endless amount of supplies to use for your shipping needs.

By focusing on these DIY shipping boxes ideas, not only will you start to safe yourself money in shipping costs, you will begin to reuse resources that may have been headed to the landfill. The more you focus on these ideas, you will be surprised how many new ideas you come up with on your own each month.

Whether you are moving across town or across the country, the process can be a hassle. Moving all your belongings from one location to another is just difficult. Once you find a moving service, the question still remains: “What am I going to use to store my precious belongings in transit?” Today, we are going to go over the most creative and best ways to find and use cheap moving boxes.

The first part is to find boxes. Here are some of the different avenues you can take to find them.

Lowe’s/Home Depot – At the store, large boxes with dimensions of 22x21x22inch can be found for around $2. These boxes provide a lot of versatility because of their strength and size. Almost any household possession minus a television can fit inside one of these large boxes.

USPS Flat Rate Boxes – Many people do not know this, but you can get any size flat rate box for free from the post office. They can even be ordered online and delivered right to your door. The only drawback is that the largest size is only 12.25×12.25x6inch.

Now that you have these boxes, what are you going to do with them?

Storage – Even if you are not moving, these boxes can come in handy if you want to store items that are seasonal or ones that are not used that much. Because of their shape, they are easily stackable to maximize the storage space without spending a whole lot of money. I would recommend using the large boxes from Lowe’s or Home Depot for storage.

Moving – Obviously, this makes the list because it is in the name. However, not all boxes are created equal. For large items, like gaming consoles, the Home Depot or Lowe’s large boxes would suffice. For smaller and more valuable items, like jewelry and watches, the free USPS small flat rate boxes are the best choice.

Now, once you have moved or have stored all the items you want, you probably have leftover boxes. Here are some of the fun ways to use them.

Fort – By connecting just a few of these boxes together, you can easily build a fort for your children. The design can be as intricate or as simple as you want. Regardless, kids will have a whole lot of fun using the fort made from moving boxes.

A Living Area for your Pet – Cats sure seem to like these boxes. Have you seen the videos where they peak their heads out from the box? Just a simple moving box can be turned into a really comfortable space for your pet. I would recommend using the large boxes for this. Oh, and remember to not seal the top of the box!

Moving boxes are versatile. Whether you get spend no money or a very small amount of money, they can be very useful. Not only are they great for moving and storing, cheap moving boxes can be the source for a lot of fun.

Are you planning a move across town or across country? Do you feel as though you know how to prepare for moving day and so are not worried about getting everything done in time?

If so, you may actually be surprised to learn there are some things you may have forgotten about. Common moving mistakes that can suddenly make your move go from easy to problematic.

1. Not planning enough time

The biggest mistake most people make when it comes to moving is to not plan enough time to get organized. Starting too late means you suddenly come up against a time crunch and panic begins to set in.

The easiest way to allow enough time is to look at your actual moving date and then count backwards about two months. This time frame will give you enough flexibility to hire the right moving company, buy the shipping boxes you will need to pack, come up with a budget and get everything organized.

2. Not contacting enough movers

While it may be tempting to hire the first moving company you find that is in your price range, this is rarely a good idea.

Instead, be sure to contact five or six companies, ask for free quotes from each and then ask for the names and phone numbers of their references.

Speaking to former customers will give you a good idea about the reliability of each mover. You can then choose the one you think will work for you and your move both price-wise and reliability-wise.

3. Not reading contracts correctly

While most movers are reputable, one common mistake people make that does come back to haunt them is not reading the moving contract thoroughly.

A good company will have an easy to understand moving contract but will still usually go over all the additional fees with you before you sign it. A mover that is trying to hide something will not. Read any moving contract carefully before signing it, no matter who the company is.

If you are still in doubt as to what are acceptable fees as well as what rights you have, be sure to also pick up a copy of a booklet called “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move”.

The booklet is put together by a regulatory organization called the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It tells you everything you need to know about your legal rights in a move.

4. Not getting rid of things you do not need

Remember, you pay for moving everything that goes on the truck. That is why you should be sure to get rid of all those items you have not used for a long time and likely never will.

You can either donate them to a local non-profit and get a deduction on your taxes, or you can hold a yard sale and make some extra cash.

5. Not allowing for the right amount of packing time

Packing your belongings always takes far longer than you expect it to. The biggest mistake people make is not allowing enough time to do so.

Remember to schedule enough time to buy shipping boxes, to wrap items in bubble wrap that could easily break and to put your small things into boxes and then tape them carefully shut.

Be sure to also label all your boxes carefully so, once you get to your new home, you can easily find the shipping boxes that are holding needed items like cutlery and plates, towels and sheets.