Packing Supplies and Solutions

One of the first questions you are probably going to ask yourself when you find out that you are going to be moving is, “How many boxes will I need?”  To which I will respond, “A lot!  More than you think, even.”  In fact, it’s a really good idea to hop on the internet and use a moving calculator to help you figure it out.  Then, add an extra ten percent for good measure.  After that, I suggest you go through each room in your house and get rid of everything you haven’t touched in the last six months (unless it’s seasonal of course.  That would just be silly.).

You can have a yard sale to sell all of that old stuff and hopefully make enough cash to fund those moving boxes.  But wait!  You want cheap moving boxes?  Of course you do!  Unfortunately, there’s no such thing, really, as cheap moving boxes.  Cheaper, perhaps, but not really cheap, when it’s all said and done.  After your yard sale, check these three places for the best deals:

• Craigslist is the king of cheap moving boxes.  Anyone else that has just moved knows how expensive the boxes can be, and so they are selling theirs to get some money back.  This is good for both of you.  Don’t forget to look in the FREE section, either.  Some people are just giving them away.
• Behind local businesses. I once saw an enormous stack of boxes out behind a Cracker Barrel, and I kind of started to itch a little bit.  I was really hoping that someone who went there to eat that morning was going to be moving, so that they could see the veritable gold mine and bring it home.  Most retail stores and liquor stores are more than willing to hand over their stash.
• The internet. Nowadays, what with all the hype about going green and recycling (and rightfully so!), there are entire websites devoted to matching up potential movers with used moving boxes.  You can also sell them back your boxes, depending on what condition they are in.  Finally, you can get a lot of boxes from online retailers at wholesale prices.  These are brand new, for a good price, which is pretty hard to come by.  You can also select from moving “kits”, that offer extra supplies like bubble wrap and packaging tape.

The most important thing to remember, no matter where you find your cheap moving boxes, is to get more than you think you will need, because you will definitely wind up needing them!

Does anybody remember that show from PBS, back in the day, with the guy that did the home improvement projects?  Actually, I think he might still have his show, but his name is Bob Vila.  I certainly wouldn’t nominate him for an Oscar, but he made wood-working look as easy as spreading butter on a piece of bread.  And I admit that I’ve even gone to his website and watched tutorials on how to put up drywall- even better, I think they actually helped!  Leave it to Bob, though, to honor the merits of cardboard boxes, be them ever so humble.  What am I talking about?  I mean, come on, there are posts all over the internet about how to upcycle, recycle, and transform cardboard boxes, and Bob Vila is probably the master of them all.  Here are a couple of his awesome suggestions, which you know are going to be good:

Gift cards and Postcards

This is probably one of my favorite ideas.  Use thin cardboard to make home-made cards and then stenciling something on the front.  Or even make a cardboard postcard that can be sent just like a regular postcard.

Napkin Rings    

Toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls can be cut into lengths and covered with fabric, and then used as napkin rings.  I make these for themed parties that I host at my house, and then I throw them away when I’m done with them.  They add a nice element to the table and I don’t have to worry about spending money on them and feeling like I need to keep them.

Plant Box/Plants

It’s become super popular to find creative ways to recycle cardboard boxes, instead of just throwing them out.  One of those ways is to use them as plant boxes.  They are also really great for gardens and composting.

Drink Coasters

Who knew that cardboard could be so helpful when it comes to hosting a party?  When I’m throwing a themed party I cut some circles out of cardboard and cover them to match the napkin rings.  Again, after the party I can just throw them out.

For the Cat

Cardboard makes amazing cat scratching material.  You can even by cardboard cat scratchers directly from the pet store.  I, for one, like to make my own by cutting strips of cardboard and rolling them into a large, thick disk.  It lasts for an extended period of time and then I just make another one when I need to.

Here’s the thing: when it comes time to move it’s not recommended that you get your hand on any cheap moving boxes and start stuffing them with your belongings.  It turns out that there’s kind of a science to the whole thing, which is why people wind up hiring someone else to do it for them.  That’s all fine and good, but it’s also ridiculously expensive.  Thankfully, with the help of the internet, anyone can have access to the best information about moving boxes and packaging tips.  Here you will find which type of box to use for which move.  Now don’t be alarmed.  You were excited about your healthy stack of cheap moving boxes, and that’s great! You will definitely be able to use those.  But you should really take into consideration the following suggestions:

Starting with the hardest room of the house, anyone who has ever packed up a kitchen knows just how weird it is.  What to do with enormous mixing bowls that weigh nothing, tiny jars of spices, and dishes galore?  If in no other room, in this room cheap moving boxes are simply not going to cut it.  You need the reinforced, double-wall, corrugated boxes, to include the dish and glass dividers.  You can find these dish-packing kits for cheap online, or even at some local department stores.

If packing kitchens is weird, so is packing up a closet.  You’ve got some grubby clothes and you’ve got some clothes that you absolutely don’t want getting wrinkled and smashed.  You’ve got tennis shoes and dress shoes, ties, belts, purses… It’s all just really awkward stuff to pack.  Don’t even sweat it: use wardrobe boxes.  Pack the bottom with your shoes and then hang your clothes.  It reduces the headache of moving by about forty percent.

Living rooms and family rooms don’t have very many challenging aspects to them aside from artwork hanging from the walls and a lot of electronics.  Both of these pose significant issues when it comes to packing.  Boxes specific for wall-hangings is a must.  You should also probably invest in a TV box.  Now you don’t have to worry about what the bumps and jolts are doing to your precious items.

Use plastic bins and totes when it comes to packing up your bedrooms.  This is a super efficient way of keeping seasonal clothes together, and also keeping other items organized.  The bins make it easy to stack in the garage or basement to pull out gradually.

File, or bankers, boxes are the best ones to use for packing up the home office.  They are small enough so that you can’t overpack and make them too heavy, and heavy duty enough to support all of your books and papers.  The handles and lids make these exceptionally useful.

If you are an ecommerce business, then you know that business is more about packing up some shipping boxes and sending out some products.  And you are probably already well aware that the rate of returns has been rising.  Online shopping has more or less taken the shopping industry by storm.  It’s so easy to buy stuff online and get it in a reasonable amount of time.  And then, it’s pretty much just as easy to return it if you don’t like it.  Therefore, you have more buying and returning on a whim.

However, having a lenient return policy actually improves sales.  So, as the owner of an ecommerce business, how you do you manage a return process that keeps the customer happy and doesn’t gouge your company?  Well, there are a couple of helpful tips to consider:

Be Specific about Your Product

When a customer clicks on your product details, they should have all the answers, right down to what kind of shipping boxes they should expect their items to show up in.  Always include any specifications, sizes, manufacturer information, with lots of pictures featuring many angles.  Take the information that you get in your feedback to annotate if something “runs small”.

Keep Your Vendors in the Loop

Let your vendors know how much of their product is being returned, and how often.  Also, if customers are informing you that specs are off, you should notify the vendors so that they can change the information.  Improper specs are enough of a reason for someone to return something.

Answer Customer Questions

Have a system set up where you can answer customer questions about a product before they buy it.  Even if you have every detail possible listed in the product description, someone still may feel like they need to ask you something.  In the end, you know that shipping boxes don’t grow on trees, so using them simply to have something returned and then having to use them again is enough of a reason to answer those questions first.

Offer Clear Limits

As a business owner, you do have the right to set any limits on returns that you see fit.  The more limits, the less freedom a person is going to feel shopping for your products, but they are definitely still necessary to have.  Items like personalized or clearance products can easily be marked as ineligible for returns.  Make sure this is clearly listed for the customer to see and you won’t have any problems later on.

Make a Deadline

Most department stores don’t have a limit on when something needs to be returned by, but that isn’t the case for most ecommerce stores.  Establishing that a product must be returned in sixty or ninety days is perfectly acceptable.  Offering only thirty days is cutting it a little bit close.

Moving to a different house is quite an undertaking.  Moving to another state is that much more complicated.  Moving to a different country…that’s in a league of its own.  If the best advice for domestic move is to be prepared and well-organized, that is going to a hundred times more important when it comes to an international move.  It’s not as simple as packing your belongings into cardboard boxes.

You need to choose what is going to be necessary for your new home, and the different factors that go into that.  Only then can you begin to figure out how to handle shipping and storage.  Thankfully, lots of people have gone before you, and they offer their experiences and advice all over the internet.  Here are a couple tips to get you started:

What to Pack

It’s a good idea to purge whenever you move, but it gets more important the bigger the move you are making.  Not only does it make the whole process easier, it really helps reduce the overall cost (less of those cardboard boxes, for one).  There are a couple things to think about when packing for an international move:

• The reason for relocation. If you are moving for school, focus on bringing the items pertaining to school.  If you are moving to a rural area, focus more on things that will keep you entertained and plugged into your community.
• The type of home you are moving into. If you are moving into a smaller home, which is highly probably, you will need to think and rethink what you need and don’t need.
• The weather of where you will be living. If you are moving somewhere that doesn’t have seasons, but stays warm, that will really impact what you are going to use and wear.
• What the new country does or doesn’t allow. A lot of countries have their own restrictions on what can be brought across their borders, to include animals, plants, weapons… Make sure you know your new country’s restrictions before you start packing.

How to Ship

Okay, so you’ve got a giant stack of cardboard boxes, full of your stuff and ready to go.  Now what?  There are two options when it comes to how you can ship your stuff, and they each have their pros and cons.

• Shipping by air is incredibly expensive, but it is also quite fast. If you have an employer helping front the cost of the move, this is probably a realistic option for you.  You are going to need to make sure that everything you have packed follows regulations, though.
• Shipping by sea is the cheapest option, and also the slowest. You could consider sending more important things by plane, and the rest of your belongs (like furniture and clothes) by sea.

You might not think that people are searching the internet for tips on how to pack for vacation these days, but they are!  As a matter of fact, people are turning to tips from the internet for just about everything, and they wind up having a much better experience because of it.  Why not use technology to help you have the best experience possible?  Not maximizing your resources is like using cheap moving boxes as your luggage just because you didn’t know any better.

No way!  Good luggage is the start of an awesome journey, and the tips don’t stop there:

1. Make a list and check it twice.  Write down everything that comes to mind that you think you might need on your trip, and then cross it off as you pack it.  Going back over the list will help you determine if you really do need that item, or it may spark a reminder for something else.  Include important steps like “take out of the trash”, “set out the hide-a-key”, “turn up the AC”.

2. A lot of blogs will suggest you take things like a first aid kit on your trip. You should absolutely make sure that you take any and all prescriptions, and maybe even some ibuprofen if you are prone to needing it.  That being said, you can find just about any other kind of medication or bandaids at any number of the Wal-Marts or apothecaries around the world.  Once again, this would be like using cheap moving boxes as your luggage simply because you don’t know where to find luggage.

3. Make sure you observe airline restrictions and regulations. In case you haven’t flown in a while, YES, the FAA is still enforcing rules about liquids and toiletries.  No liquids can go through the security checkpoint, even if you just bought it at the Starbucks inside of the actual airport and even if it’s a completely sealed can of soda.  They won’t allow it.  Also, all of your toiletries need to be travel-sized and able to fit in a clear, pint-sized plastic bag.  However, they DO allow snacks that you may have packed at home, like a baggie of pretzels or granola bar.  Also, be sure to check the sizes and weights of appropriate carry-ons.  The overheard bins in airplanes get filled very quickly, and if your bag is too big you are going to wind up needing to check it, which you were probably trying to avoid in the first place.

4. Last, but not certainly not least, if you are going to roll your clothes you might as well be using cheap moving boxes as your luggage! Okay, I know I’ve said that one too many times by now, but it’s true.  You wind up needing way more space when you roll your clothes, although you can probably avoid some wrinkles if you roll your pants.