Canadians move 5 to 6 times in their lifetime and 70 per cent of moving is from June to September. This is the most expensive time to move because moving companies raise their prices due to high demand and limited resources.

That said, moving expenses can easily add up as you have to pay for the moving services which could include a moving truck and labor, pizza for family members who come to help, equipment for special furniture and on top of that, moving boxes.

But why pay for moving boxes if you can get them for free?

To save on your moving expenses it would be smart to get free items like reusable cardboard boxes. It can be tempting though to use whatever you get your hands on, but this can lead to serious damage. You must find the right-sized boxes that fit the things you need to move inside. Try to choose smaller boxes that don’t become overweight quickly and can easily be held in arms.

Where to Find Free Moving Boxes?

You should never have to pay for moving boxes again if you go to these places to find free reusable cardboard boxes! You can find free moving boxes by just asking an employee of the following stores or a warehouse worker if they have any available.

Free moving boxes can be found at LCBO, Chapters/Indigo, Starbucks, Walmart, Costco, Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace.

1. LCBO

LCBO boxes are perfect for moving because they are sturdy, and extremely durable due to their ability to carry glass alcohol bottles.

Each store will vary, but you just have to ask when they receive shipments of bottles and then ask them to set some aside for you. Just make sure to go in the afternoon before they are super busy with the night rush!

2. Chapters/Indigo

How do books travel? In sturdy boxes. What do you want to use when moving? Sturdy Moving Boxes. So where should you go to get your boxes? A bookstore! Any Chapters/Indigo bookstore will do, as long as they have frequent shipments!

Just find out when they have their book shipments and be right on time, because I bet more people than just you know about these tricks!

3. Starbucks

We all have to have our coffee. To make coffee we need the coffee grounds, machines, filters, flavorings, and cream. All of which come in nice little boxes! The typical Starbucks cafe can have anywhere from 2-3 shipments of supplies a week. They have the entire range of boxes so I imagine you’ll be able to find a box for anything you want.

4. Walmart

Walmart is the holy grail of finding boxes. They have every size, shape, type, or cardboard weight you can imagine!

5. Costco

Costco is known for reusing their boxes or repurposing them for other uses. However, if you call ahead of a shipment then you could snag a bunch before they all get used up!

6. Local Classifieds

Local classifieds marketplaces, like Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace, have thousands of listings from local folks giving away free boxes. With a simple search you can find hundreds of people willing to give you boxes for free or sometimes sell you their boxes for pennies. This is easily one of the best ways to find cheap boxes!