BARGAINS : TO SAVE ON YOUR PACKING COSTS, BOX CITY HAS ALL THE RIGHT MOVES.

Byline: Trisha King & Deborah Newmark

As if moving isn't expensive enough, boxes and packing materials can put quite a dent in your moving budget. Anyone moving in the future would be wise to check out the discount prices of 30 percent to 50 percent below retail at Box City.

Let's start with packing tape. Most moving companies charge $3 a roll, but you can purchase a higher quality roll or package tape at Box City for $1.59. If you buy a dozen rolls, the price drops to $1.30 a roll. Buy a case of 36, and the price works out to 80 cents per roll.

So you don't get tangled up, it's a good idea to use a tape gun, and Box City has two options. You can either use one of Box City's for free (a refundable $4.95 deposit is required), or you can purchase a tape gun for $9.98 ($14 to $18 elsewhere).

As far as boxes go, whatever size you need, Box City has it. A 1.5-cubic-foot box (great for packing books) that sells at moving companies for $1.50 is 98 cents. Buy 25, and the price is 89 cents each. If you buy 100 at a time, the price is 62 cents. Depending on the quantity purchased, a 3-cubic-foot box that sells elsewhere for $3.50 runs $1.09 to $1.69, and wardrobe boxes with metal bars run $4.50 to $6.98 each ($10 to $12 each elsewhere).

If you need boxes you can't get at Box City, there is a delivery charge of $20 for purchases under $100. Delivery is free on purchases over $100. Also, any unused boxes can be returned for a full refund.

Box City locations include 12800 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, [phone]; 16113 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, [phone]; and 23403 Lyons Ave., Valencia, [phone]. Hours for all locations are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa are accepted.