Moving Cross-Country On a A Budget

July 12, 2005 6:12 PM

On behalf of a blog-buddy who is moving from AZ to MT: any advice on how to move cross-country on a budget?

"I’ve heard about people moving on a budget of $200 but haven’t a clue as to how they did it. It seems to me to be more expensive than that. Did they have possessions? How did they handle the cost of deposits and renting a place to live? What are your suggestions? I’ve got some things but do have a pickup truck and got by with renting a medium sized U-Haul trailer to move here so I’ve not got much. I do have a bed and a chair I’d sure like to keep though along with a few other things. How would I handle moving those things without having a place to put them first? If any of you has moved on a tight budget how about chiming in on this one." Thanks for any tips the trusty MeFite crowd can provide!

posted by davidmsc to travel & transportation (6 comments total)

It's been a while, but I've used Amtrak Express Shipping a few of times.
posted by barkingpumpkin at 7:14 PM on July 12, 2005

Well, David's buddy, I'm in the same boat, if that's any consolation. Soon moving from St Louis to Colorado - as of yet no job or place to live when I get there. I don't have any experience moving cross country cheaply - yet. But here's what I'm doing:

I have been, and still am to some extent, "ridding out" - getting rid of a bunch of extraneous stuff (most of which I should have cleared out long ago). That way I won't have to rent a trailer, or worse, a truck + car trailer. I am even freecycling almost all of my furniture. I'll have a folding table, folding stool, and some folding lawn chairs. Small space stuff! Sounds like you have that end mostly covered.

I plan on sleeping in my car at rest stops, truck stops, etc. - though likely during the day for more safety. No high-falutin' Motel 6 for me! Alternately (and hopefully more likely), I'll use the couch-surfing, bed-loaning type networks linked to here on the green recently and in the past.

When I get to the place I'm headed, I'll look for a job first thing. I might get a motel room as this will help me be clean and presentable for job hunting. I'll be in an area with several campgrounds nearby, so that's definitely an option as well. I don't consider any job "beneath me." It might not be what I want to do for very long, or really even at all, but it might be what I need to do for a while.

Once I have a job nailed down, this should give me a little more pull in renting a place to live. Neither I nor (most likely) my potential landlord will want to commit to me paying rent if I don't have some income lined up. With everything I own in my vehicle, and me staying temporarily somewhere, be it motel or campsite, this is not an urgent issue.

I am taking my bike - won't help me move cheaper, but I ought to be able to ride it around job hunting, apartment hunting, and commuting for as long as necessary, to save money.

I am not counting on any of this. Especially with the shape my truck is in, it's quite possible I'll break down somewhere in the middle of Kansas and not have the cash for repairs. At that point, I now live there until I can save up, fix up, and move on. Kind of like covered wagon-riding pioneers - I'll go as far as I can on what I've got. If I have to stop before I get to where I want to go, I'll continue as soon as I can.

Parenthetically, if anyone would like to help me live my dream, you are all most welcome to donate to my tiny, tiny moving fund.
posted by attercoppe at 7:29 PM on July 12, 2005 [1 favorite has favorites]

attercoppe has the right idea. The cheapest way to move is to not bring your stuff with you.

Step 1 - Sell all your stuff (craigslist/garage sale/consignment shops)
Step 2 - Drive to your new home.
Step 3 - With the money you made in step 1, and the money you saved by not having to rent a truck, buy what you need as you need it.

It might not always be feasible, but I think life just gets better the less stuff you have to haul around with you.

Also:
If the stuff you want to ship is on the small side, the US Postal Service and UPS are both reasonable ways of sending small quantities of items for around $0.70 per pound.
posted by Laen at 9:49 PM on July 12, 2005

Think of moving like traveling, only more permanent. Pack what you need; if you haven't used something in more than a year, throw it out or sell it. Relatives can also provide small storehouses for stuff, if local (or visiting).

If you have a truck/minivan/SUV, all the better for packing to the hilt with stuff. Then drive very carefully to your destination.

That said, a U-Haul from Arizona to Montana wouldn't be that bad, financially-speaking. You could probably get a descent-sized truck (perhaps 21') for about $1000 one-way, but this doesn't take gas or room accomodations into account (sleep in the van--it's summer, after all).
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 3:27 AM on July 13, 2005

er...It's usually better to have a job lined up BEFORE you move. What's the reason for this move?
posted by By The Grace of God at 6:57 AM on July 13, 2005

(comment from my blog-buddy): The reason for the move is to get there...lol. Actually because I feel drawn to Montana. I have waited most of my life to move there and I just don't see any point of waiting any longer. The time is right and I'm determined to make it work. I would like to have a job lined up before I go but it's not working out. As I'm not an executive type or a nurse, most companies I've contacted don't even want to consider me until I get there. I even had one call me when I sent in a resume and application but they only did that because they thought my phone number was a cell phone and I was already in the area so I could come in for an interview. Guess they didn't really read my cover letter..lol. I don't have the extra cash to fly there for interviews so I figure it'll be better to just move first.

Also I'm renting a U-haul trailer because I have a truck that will pull it. Sold or gave away most of what I own already but not about to give up my good bed and a decent chair. The cost will be about $113 so not too bad. Also checked into a one month free rental deal through U-Haul so can get a storage unit for free for a month while I look for a place and a job. Thought about doing the camping thing and although that would be nice it wouldn't promote good job hunting so I'm just going to have to borrow some money and rent a motel.

Thanks for all the comments and the information.
posted by davidmsc at 4:59 AM on July 31, 2005