Cost & time calculator
What does moving with cardboard actually cost?
Boxes are the cheap part. The tape, the tape gun, the store runs, the folding, and the evening you spend flattening it all afterwards are the rest of the bill. Pick your move and see both sides.
One-bedroom homes. A medium box holds a shade more than one of our totes (2.78 cubic feet against 2.5), so 30 totes’ worth of belongings fits in 27 boxes.
Buying heavy-duty boxes
$146.70
plus about 2 hr 16 min of your time
- 27 × heavy-duty medium boxes20" × 16" × 15" · $3.78 each
- $102.06
- 1 × heavy-duty tape6-roll pack, 2 rolls needed
- $19.98
- Tape gun
- $9.99
- Markers
- $3.49
- Sales tax (8.25%)
- $11.18
- 1 store trip for 27 boxes45 min
- Folding and taping 27 boxes41 min
- Flattening them afterwards20 min
- A run to the recycling center30 min
Renting our totes
$119
plus about 20 min of your time
- 30 totes, 2 weeks
- $119
- Lids
- Attached
- Tape
- None
- Tote dolly
- Included
- Sales tax
- None
- Delivery & pickup in Chico
- Included
- Answering the door when we arrive10 min
- Stacking them by the door at the end10 min
- Folding, taping, flattening, recyclingNone
You keep $27.70 and save about 1 hr 56 min.
Renting 30 totes costs less than buying the cardboard to hold the same amount, and hands you back most of a working day.
Reserve 1-bedroom totes