Free Packing/Mailing Supplies

1) USPS - The Post Office is a great source of free boxes and tape. The
size of your local Post Office will affect the availability of certain
items and the quantity they have on hand. Once you've gotten all you can
from the local offices it's time to ask them for the phone number to
your local fullfillment office. Just give them a call and they'll mail
whatever Priority Mail supplies (i.e. boxes and tape) you request at no
charge. You can also order free supplies through the USPS website here.
I'd recommend using the tape for anything but sealing the box (unless
you are going to actually ship it Priority Mail). Empty Express Mail
Boxes are great to use for packing and you can fill them with balled up
newspaper for some extra padding and the Priority Express Tubes are
great for posters.

2) UPS - UPS padded packs are great packing materials too. You can get
these for free at your local UPS center but eventually they'll cut you
off and tell you to set-up a business account in order to get any more
shipping supplies. You can also order free supplies on-line after
registering with UPS here.

3) FedEx - Like the Post Office FedEx offers multiple boxes for free at
both their locations and on-line. Like UPS they are quick to cut you off
and require you register an account with them before you can order free
supplies on-line.

4) Newspaper - Newspaper makes pretty good packing material and you can
use it to wrap items. Around here there are at least three free
newspaper/job paper/car paper boxes on most every main street corner,
but you can also pick up free papers at supermarkets. When it comes to
mainstream newspapers don't pay for one and steal the rest as the
delivery people have to pay for the losses themselves.

5) Cardboard boxes - If you ask nicely most local businesses and super markets are wiling to give you free cardboard boxes since they're just going to throw them out or recycle them anyway.