Let's compare an illustrative 40-box U-Haul purchase with a 40-crate Geaux rental. Our starting recommendation is 40 crates for a 2-bedroom home and 60 crates for a 3-bedroom home; adjust for your belongings. This 40-container example is not the default 3-bedroom recommendation, and matching counts do not establish equal usable capacity. Check box and crate dimensions against the same inventory.

The U-Haul column

Boxes: Use $1.39–$3.49 per box as illustrative assumptions retained from the original example, not current verified U-Haul prices. At 40 boxes, that gives a mathematical range of $55.60–$139.60. The endpoints assume all 40 boxes are bought at the low or high unit price; your actual size mix and current product prices determine the basket.

Tape and shared supplies: Allow an illustrative $15–$20 for tape. Packing paper, bubble wrap, mattress protection and writing supplies may be needed with either option, so they are excluded from both subtotals. Price any needed supplies for both options before comparing final quotes.

Your time: Obtaining, assembling and taping boxes takes effort. After the move, you can assess suitable boxes for storage or reuse and check local recycling acceptance for the rest. Travel and disposal costs depend on your arrangements; we have not assigned a cash value to your time.

Illustrative boxes-and-tape subtotal: $70.60–$159.60, before tax. This is not an all-in move budget. It excludes transport, shared protection, tools and writing supplies.

The Geaux column

First-week rental subtotal: $225. Applicable distance charges, tax, optional supplies and extra weeks are separate. The 40-crate package includes:

• 40 industrial reusable crates with attached lids
• 4 dollies (one per 10 crates)
• Moving labels
• Delivery to your door and scheduled pickup
• First 15 miles of each delivery and pickup trip included, then a $2/mile distance charge

No tape is needed to close the crates. No box assembly, breakdown or crate recycling run is needed; we collect the empties at your scheduled pickup. Your belongings may still need cushioning and other protection.

Reading the side-by-side

Under these assumptions, the $225 crate rental subtotal is $65.40–$154.40 higher than the box-and-tape subtotal. Both figures exclude shared supplies and tax, and any transport, distance charges or extra rental time must be added separately. Adding paper and wrap only to cardboard would make the comparison misleading.

The crate package includes delivery, scheduled pickup, dollies and labels. With purchased boxes, check any delivery option, collection trip and handling equipment you need, then add those actual costs. Equal counts alone still do not prove the two baskets hold the same belongings.

Cardboard is the lower cash subtotal in this illustration. Crates offer a service that may be worth the premium to you. The value of avoided assembly, collection and disposal work is personal; it is not a verified cash saving.

If the service sounds better, the real cost math breaks it down further, and our packages run 10 to 100 crates. Or just call or text (888) 615-2699 — we'll help estimate your crate count.