When your belongings arrive at your new home, you want them to arrive undamaged and in one piece – that is if you haven’t disassembled it to make your move easier on yourself. The way dishes, mirrors, clothing, furniture, and all other items are packed directly affects the likelihood of them arriving in good condition.

Moving boxes can be purchased from a variety of places such as moving companies, home improvement stores, and even department stores. You may think that buying boxes is an expense you can avoid, but it's important to consider how much safer your items can travel when they are packed appropriately. If moving is a new experience for you, you may not be aware you can purchase boxes that are specifically designed for packing clothing, pictures, mirrors, dishes, and numerous other fragile items. These boxes, combined with the proper packing material, provide safety and security for your fragile items.

Choosing to use boxes you collect from family, friends, and local stores may seem like a budget-friendly option. If you are on a tight budget, you may be considering this as a way to cut your moving expenses. However, many times, used boxes are not as sturdy and secure as you need them to be to withstand the process of moving. Use the hand-me-down boxes for non-fragile items like your linens, towels, etc., but splurge to pack up that chandelier grandma passed on to you.

An ideal balance between spending money on moving boxes and saving money with used boxes can be achieved with some careful planning. Unbreakable items could be packed in used boxes as long as you reinforce the seams so things don't fall out. You could then focus on buying moving boxes specifically designed to protect the more fragile and expensive items you are moving.

You can comparison shop to find the best price on moving boxes just as you did comparison pricing on moving trucks, storage units, or storage containers. There are many reasons why moving boxes are a justifiable expense. The money you spend to obtain the ideal size and shape moving box for your valuable possessions will be less than what it would take to replace the item, if it gets damaged or broken due to improper packing.