Do you keep the packaging?

[BombleMomble]

We currently have a wall of empty boxes from various things (crock pot, electric roaster, playmobil, legos, etc) in our basement. We are not collectors and don't buy things with "resale value" in mind, so is it worth it to keep all the boxes? I always think that they will come in handy for storage or moving, but I'm not sure.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

Thanks!

[rhiOrion]

i did when we were moving frequently. now that we've bought a house and are staying put for a while, i recycled them all.

[~Adorkable~]

I keep boxes only for fragile electronics or things that take really strange packing. We do move every few years, so that makes sence to me. Saving others or when you are not planning to move any time while you have the stuff, is just more keeping than anyone need.

[ThisCat]

We used to keep them "just in case." After years of tossing them in the attic, we had a real mess on our hands, not to mention potential kindling for a house fire.

So we broke them down and recycled them all (which took forever...like days). My husband did keep his precious stereo component boxes (for what I don't know...just in case I guess ).

Now I just recycle them right away. Sometimes I'll stick one in the laundry room for a few weeks for an item I'm unsure of, but after that it gets recycled.

ETA - We aren't pack rats by the way. But we were certain when we moved in here that would only be here like two years or so and felt a move was in our future.

[zjande]

I keep packages & boxes just long enough so that I know the product works & I won't need the package to return it. So, a couple days.

[TwinMom]

Same as zjande. It seems like a lot of wasted space and, as a PP said, a fire hazard.

[ChristyMarie]

Originally Posted by zjande

I keep packages & boxes just long enough so that I know the product works & I won't need the package to return it. So, a couple days.

That's what we do.

However, if we ever buy another flat screen tv I WILL save the box. It costs an absurd amount of money to have movers construct a box for it if you don't have the original.

[sunnysandiegan]

We tend to keep most boxes for about a week before recycling them. DH keeps electronics boxes about a month before I talk him into recycling them.

We do, however, have some specific original boxes in an awkward under-the-stairs storage closet for fragile items....about a dozen. Nothing else we own would fit in this space, so it is fine with us.

[cappuccinosmom]

Nope. The only exception are for things like computers with the foam inserts. It's handy to have them. Although all of our recent moves have been local so wrapping them in a blanket for the 2-15 mile ride works just as well.

Because we move so often, I will save a box if it is a particularly good size. But those get broken down and stored flat.

[lifeguard]

Dh used to - drove me crazy. In all the years he hung on to the boxes we NEVER once used one. Get rid of the clutter.

[linguistmama]

We've moved locally several times in the last few years and only keep the box for our large flatscreen monitor since I'm terrified of it breaking

[LaLaLaLa]

We don't keep boxes, either. My kids are mad everytime we get a super-sweet huge box from Amazon or something and they think they'll get to use it to play, then it's gone the next day.

Anyway, if you decide to move, you can get all the free boxes you want by walking into a liquor store; there's no need to clutter up your house for a just-in-case situation.

[ThisCat]

Originally Posted by LaLaLaLa

We don't keep boxes, either. My kids are mad everytime we get a super-sweet huge box from Amazon or something and they think they'll get to use it to play, then it's gone the next day.

Okay that reminded me of my exception to the rule of getting rid of them ASAP. I do keep the good ones to play with. As a matter of fact, there are two sitting in the living room that have been decorated by the kids. They like to get rides in them down the hall.

[kittywitty]

Only for important things that may need to be returned (within the warranty period) or if we may move and the packaging is easier with the box-like a DVD player. Otherwise, I recycle the boxes and keep only manuals for expensive things.

[OkiMom]

For big purchases (TVs, game systems, computers etc) we keep them for 30 days just to make sure it is going to work and keep working. After that we trash them. Small things I keep it until I plug it in and turn it on, it works the box is trash.

We don't have room to store boxes unless we wanted to get rid of something in our storage closet. Right now in there we have: kids clothes they are growing into, luggage, craft items and camping gear so nothing that can go to keep boxes.

[elsie]

We use to keep tons - now I only keep those that are extra special or belong to DH's electronics.

[mamadelbosque]

The only boxes we keep are for things w/ a warranty that we might have to ship back - computers, cell phones, dvd players, etc. Everything else gets tossed.

[amma_mama]

We keep boxes until we are sure that we are not returning the item (uh, we do that far too often ) or, like other PPs, if it is for something particularly expensive like our flat screen TV. We used to keep them for moving, which we did almost every year, but even then only kept a few "special" ones since we lacked storage space for much more.

We just moved into our first house, and are still unpacking, but almost all the boxes are going to recycling. For some silly reaon, I did put the flat screen TV box in the basement, though we have no intention of moving anytime soon since this is intended to be our long-term residence. I guess that old habits die hard. We are also keeping the good boxes that we bought, probably to give away to others in need since they are only gently used, sturdy (though not as sturdy as the free apple crates that we got at the supermarket) and I hate the idea of throwing away something that I only just spent good money on .

[Katie T]

For certain things like my Brother sewing machine and Bosch mixer I do because if you need it fixed you send it back in the box it came in. Otherwise I save them till I know the product works and then recycle or burn it. I used to save boxes that would be nice for packing when we moved a lot but now that we own a home they are all gone, and man it was a huge heap! lol

[trghig]

We keep packaging for quite a bit of stuff. However, that is mostly due to being military and moving often. In the 3 yrs DH and I have been married we have moved 5 times. I have all the boxes that my really nice serving pieces came in, that way when it is time to move again I can pack them all back in their boxes and then have the boxes packed into a bigger box by the movers. DH keeps all the boxes for things like our computers and electronics for the same reason.

However, if it wasn't for the fact that we move so often I wouldn't keep them.