Packing for a move can be overwhelming and time consuming. Most households accumulate more belongings than they realize, and the idea of packing it all up is a headache. There are several ways you can make the chore of packing easier on yourself. Let’s look at some of the best packing hacks the professionals use.

1. Save Your Cords

As you dismantle your electronics, keep the cords organized using toilet paper rolls or cable ties. Stuff the rolled-up cords into the toilet paper rolls or simply tie them together with the cable ties. Label each cord so you can remember where it goes. For extra protection, pack the rolled-up cords into zipper bags labeled with the correct electronic device.

2. Clothing

There are several hacks for packing clothes efficiently. Keep your hanging clothes on their hangers and separate the hangers into bundles. Tie the bundles together with rubber bands and pack each bundle into its own garbage bag. Roll your folded clothes and stuff them between fragile items in boxes, saving you money on packing material.

3. Heavy Items

Avoid packing large boxes with heavy items. Instead, pack things like books into wheeled suitcases for easy transport. Use smaller boxes whenever possible for heavier items and avoid putting too many heavy items in one box.

4. Prevent Soap Spills

To protect your belongings from any leaky soap or shampoo bottles, remove the caps from the bottles and cover the opening with a bit of plastic wrap. This will keep the cap on more securely as well as prevent any spills. For extra protection, pack the sealed bottles in a zipper bag.

5. Take Pictures

Take several pictures of furniture and electronics so that you know how it all goes back together. A picture of the back of your television can be particularly helpful in understanding which cords go where.

6. Free Moving Boxes

Begin gathering boxes and packing material about a month before your move. Check out the “free” section of Craigslist in your area or visit big box stores during their stocking hours to see if they’ll let you take some boxes off their hands.

7.  Protect Dishes

Packing your plates between Styrofoam plates is easy and inexpensive. Use clothing to pad delicate items like wine glasses and be sure to separate bowls with packing material to protect them. Also, remember to pack plates vertically to keep them from breaking.

8. Grocery Bags

You finally have a use for the three million plastic grocery bags hanging on the kitchen doorknob. Use these as packing materials for dishes by stuffing cups or bowls with them, or pack knickknacks by slipping them inside the bag and wrapping the bag around the item.

9. Sandwich bags

You can use sandwich bags to pack and store small necessities like furniture hardware, electronic parts, and jewelry. Be sure to label hardware and electronic parts according to their rightful homes, or better yet, tape the bag of hardware to the correct furniture or electronic item to keep them together.

When you are preparing to move, there are a lot of things to get done. You must schedule a moving van, get your mail forwarded, contact the utility companies and so much more. One thing you must to do is pack. For this, you will need a lot of boxes and packing materials. And since you need them for such a brief time, you probably don’t want to spend a whole lot on them. To that end, here are some suggestions about where you can find inexpensive moving supplies.

1. Restaurants

Eateries receive regular deliveries of food and other supplies. Those supplies come in cardboard boxes. If you stop by a restaurant early in the day and speak with a manager, you may be able to get the manager to set aside boxes for you after their next shipment. She may even tell you when the truck is due so that she does not have to worry about keeping those boxes around for a long time. Fast food restaurants are your best bet if you are looking for boxes.

2. Retail Stores

Sometimes you can go into a retail store and ask the manager about boxes as you would in the restaurant scenario. However, if it is a store that sells moving supplies, you would be better off checking out the dumpster in the back. They aren’t going to give you free items if they can sell them to you. A box that has been flattened can be reassembled. One that has been torn apart or bundled may not be usable.

3. Dollar Store

You may not be able to buy boxes at the dollar store, but you can certainly find other packaging materials there for a bargain. You will need markers for marking boxes to let you know what is in them and what room the go to. You will need packing tape for securing those boxes. You will need packing materials such as paper and bubble wrap. You may find those materials at the dollar store for much cheaper than you will find them elsewhere.

4. Amazon and Ebay

You may not have considered your online options for moving supplies. And, you may not think that buying boxes online will yield you any worthwhile discount, especially if you are paying for shipping. But if you are buying those boxes in bulk, you might be surprised at the savings you can get.

5. Moving Company

Packing supplies are one place where a moving company might see an opportunity to make a few extra dollars. Check with your moving company or shop around before choosing a moving company. Packing supplies are likely to be a part of your total package.

When you are moving, you will probably need a lot of packing materials. If you are only going to be disposing of most of those materials when you are done with your move, then there is no reason to spend a whole lot of money on them. When looking for a bargain on packing materials, consider these suggestions.