Cheapest way to move to a different state

[Summersalt]

I have been thinking for a while that perhaps it would be best for me to move to a different state.
What would be the cheapest, smartest way to do this? I don't hold on to material stuff all that much, don't care about my furniture, it will be my paintings, electronics and some other things with sentimental value, all toghether would fit in 1 bedroom + 1 living room.

[Wyomann]

I have been thinking for a while that perhaps it would be best for me to move to a different state.
What would be the cheapest, smartest way to do this? I don't hold on to material stuff all that much, don't care about my furniture, it will be my paintings, electronics and some other things with sentimental value, all toghether would fit in 1 bedroom + 1 living room.

You're leaving your state?!

Cheapest would be to call up a friend with a truck that fits everything and hope they'll do it as a favor. Otherwise I'd just do a U-haul. You only rent the truck, but move everything yourself.

[ruichiux]

What would be the cheapest, smartest way to do this?

Start looking for a job in the area you want to move into. Once you have a job, start looking for apartments or people looking for roommates (this can be very risky) Plan and save now. Good luck.

[Summersalt]

You're leaving your state?!

Cheapest would be to call up a friend with a truck that fits everything and hope they'll do it as a favor. Otherwise I'd just do a U-haul. You only rent the truck, but move everything yourself.

Yes, I don't think my fate is to be in this state. I need to live somewhere with a diverse population where I can thrive.
I don't have friends with trucks. I thought about U-Haul, the challenge would be doing this alone. I also own a sedan.
It has to be a way, I just need to figure this stuff out.

[Summersalt]

I have started to apply but I'm not sure how would it work, employers may overlook me since I'm applying out of state.
I can't do the roommate thing, it would be an exceptional situation for me to do that. I have my daughter and I don't think people want to deal with my kid. On top of that, I'm very clean and I can't deal with other people's mess.
I'm working on the "plan and save" part
Thank you!

[megdaig]

One way rental box van with trailer/hitch to tow your car.

People may be willing to have you + kiddo as a roommate. Best thing to do there is a roommate agreement/contract where you set times and standards for use of common areas such as kitchen and living room [i.e. No personal affects to be in those areas, must be kept tidy daily, etc.]

But assuming you will be living in similar circumstances that you are today, the only delta cost is for moving + cost of living. Bigger the city = more the cost.

[Summersalt]

I like the idea of towing my car. No roommate for me.
I'm going to plan this out in detail, as much as possible I would like to be in a powerful position where I can make the move and stand on my own with my daughter. I'm opting out of big cities, part of the reasoning behind my decision to move.
I'm trying to figure the numbers out, am I going to spend thousands of dollars just to move?
I need a realistic starting point...

[megdaig]

I think the biggest cost of moving is closing/opening utilities accounts. Make sure you are in a position to cancel without big penalties fees.

Start scouring local grocery stores for free boxes as those are expensive (I spent well over $300 to pack up my house).

I can't speak to rental cost of U-Haul...but a 2 man moving crew will run about $100 per hour to unload a truck.

[LunaLifts]

I can't speak to rental cost of U-Haul.

Just a heads up, if you decide to go with a U-Haul, make sure you have the money to fill the tank before returning it. If you return it less than full, they fill it themselves, and charge you for it, and for whatever reason it costs way more for them to fill it.

[McNeelz]

I've moved using a Uhaul, though the move was only about 30 miles away, and it cost me about $100 to rent a 10-foot truck for one day. In addition to the cost to rent, they charge you for every mile you drive (usually at $0.60 - $1.00 per mile depending on the vehicle). Also, if you return a Uhaul to a different location than where you picked it up, they charge an additional fee. Their website has a tool that will estimate the cost for you, though you may need to add in the cost of the miles you drive.

Another concern when renting a Uhaul is insurance. If you go that route, you should probably call your insurance company to see if your policy covers you and the Uhaul. Uhaul will try to sell you expensive insurance, but if your auto insurance covers you, you don't need to buy it. Uhaul also charges for boxes and moving blankets (if you need them), so you can cut back on costs it you use what you have or borrow from a friend.

Megdaig's suggestion to get boxes from the grocery store is a good one that can save you a lot. For the weeks leading up to my move, I collected boxes from a couple local grocery stores on their delivery days, and that worked well.

[TrampasaursFlex]

I have been thinking for a while that perhaps it would be best for me to move to a different state.
What would be the cheapest, smartest way to do this? I don't hold on to material stuff all that much, don't care about my furniture, it will be my paintings, electronics and some other things with sentimental value, all toghether would fit in 1 bedroom + 1 living room.

Check out U Pack Relocubes. They're like PODS, but smaller and cheaper. I think you can get a pretty quick online quote on their website.

I recently moved several states away with stuff for a 1-bedroom apartment and ended up going with a POD because I didn't want the hassle of towing my car, and when I priced everything out for the U Haul including gas, it ended up being almost as much as the POD.

[Summersalt]

Wow, it would be worth buying a big SUV instead and sell everything I own that's big and bulky! I want to move from a central state to the west coast. Thanks for the heads up, I didn't run an estimate with UHaul yet, I guess I was oblivious to what a move across the states would cost me.
I will start getting boxes from work or buy plastic containers from Walmart or something.

I've moved using a Uhaul, though the move was only about 30 miles away, and it cost me about $100 to rent a 10-foot truck for one day. In addition to the cost to rent, they charge you for every mile you drive (usually at $0.60 - $1.00 per mile depending on the vehicle). Also, if you return a Uhaul to a different location than where you picked it up, they charge an additional fee. Their website has a tool that will estimate the cost for you, though you may need to add in the cost of the miles you drive.

Another concern when renting a Uhaul is insurance. If you go that route, you should probably call your insurance company to see if your policy covers you and the Uhaul. Uhaul will try to sell you expensive insurance, but if your auto insurance covers you, you don't need to buy it. Uhaul also charges for boxes and moving blankets (if you need them), so you can cut back on costs it you use what you have or borrow from a friend.

Megdaig's suggestion to get boxes from the grocery store is a good one that can save you a lot. For the weeks leading up to my move, I collected boxes from a couple local grocery stores on their delivery days, and that worked well.

[Summersalt]

$100 per hour...?! Shesh! I need to make new friends where I'm moving and pay them with a couple of packs of ice cold beer!
I never paid fees when I closed/opened utilities accounts. Granted, it was in the same state, but still, different counties...

I think the biggest cost of moving is closing/opening utilities accounts. Make sure you are in a position to cancel without big penalties fees.

Start scouring local grocery stores for free boxes as those are expensive (I spent well over $300 to pack up my house).

I can't speak to rental cost of U-Haul...but a 2 man moving crew will run about $100 per hour to unload a truck.