Moving across the country can be very expensive, and it can be a challenge when you’re trying to do it on a budget.
I’ve personally experienced moving across the country twice: once from Louisiana to Connecticut for graduate school and once from Massachusetts to Texas to relocate after graduate school. Getting there was the easy part, but coming back was the hardest.
We wanted to make the expensive cross country move as budget friendly as possible, so we considered every option to do so.
I’ve learned some budget friendly moving tips along the way, so today I’m here to share them with you! If you’re planning on moving across the country, consider these tips and tricks to stay in budget!
HOW TO NAIL MOVING ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON A BUDGET:
1. Sell what you don’t need
Before you pack up to move across the country, go through everything you own and either sell or donate what you don’t need. This can be clothes, furniture, electronics, kitchen gadgets, etc. You won’t want to have to pay to move extra stuff across the country that you have no use for.
2. Consider the value of your furniture vs. the cost to move it
In some cases, it may actually be cheaper to sell your furniture and larger items you own and buy new stuff than it would to pay to move it, especially if you replace your furniture with items from this affordable collection!
This was actually the case for Chris and I when we made our first cross country move to New England. Our apartment in Louisiana was still furnished with mostly cheap college furniture, so it didn’t make sense to pay over $2,000 to bring stuff only worth a couple hundred bucks with us.
3. Ship stuff in boxes through USPS, FedEx, or UPS
If you’re only planning on moving across the country with smaller personal belongings, consider shipping them through a postal service like FedEx rather than renting a moving truck or container- it will be much cheaper this way!
These sturdy moving boxes work great for shipping small items. Just be cautious with fragile items and pack them securely. I recommend wrapping fragile items with this protective foam.
I loaded my car with kitchen glassware and a few decor pieces I wanted to take, as well as my sentimental items I didn’t want to risk losing, like valuable jewelry, handbags, clothes, and shoes. The rest was packed away into boxes and shipped. This was very convenient!
4. Do a price comparison of all moving services
If selling your furniture is not an option but you’re still trying to move cross country on a budget, I recommend doing a price comparison of all moving services such as moving trucks, containers, and trailers.
We bought all new stuff once we got to New England and it didn’t make sense to resell it all when the time came to move across the country again, so this time we took everything back with us.
From my research, the cheapest option to move a 2 bedroom house was by far a trailer through U-Pack. This turned out to be the more ideal situation since we didn’t have to drive the truck- they do it for you. This also meant we didn’t have to pay to rent an extra trailer to pull one of our cars behind!
5. Plan your route around a place to stay
Cross country moves are long and tiring. Carefully map out your route to allow breaks in between driving. If you’re moving across the country on a budget, hotel costs can quickly add up and sometimes become an unnecessary expense.
Think of any family or friends you may have on or near your route that will offer you a free place to stay for the night. Not only is this a great way to save some money, it’s also a great opportunity for you to reunite with friends and family you may have not seen in a while, or even better, turn your long cross country road trip into a mini vacation!
We made a pit stop in Gatlinburg along the way and it was a nice little break! We didn’t have to spend money on a hotel room and we got to spend time with family. Win win!
So there you have it, my tips and trips for moving across the country on a budget! I hope this helps you!
Are you planning on moving across the country, or have you ever? What was your experience like?
If you found this helpful, please pin this post for others moving across the country to see!
Looking for more helpful resources? Check out these road trip tricks and hacks and this post on how to survive a long road trip if you’re planning a big move!
Abby says
My family moved from Oregon to Mississippi three years ago and we were all about doing things on a budget. For us, renting a u-haul truck was by far the best option. One of the ways we saved money was by using our own belongings as packing materials. Everything from bedding to towels to our kids’ receiving blankets was used to keep our fragile items safe.
Anna says
Wow didn’t know mailing stuff would be cheaper than driving it, thanks for the tip!
Linda Carmical says
Makes great sense, though I never thought about it, that mailing things would be smarter. And let’s face it, a moving company, with all the nightmares you hear about, aren’t always the best choice. Great post!
chelsea jacobs says
This is great advice! Saving it for our upcoming move!
Katie @ Adulting Daily says
Just pinned this! I’m going to making a big move in July and definitely want to do it the cheapest way possible! I never thought about shipping boxes,but I love that idea! I thought my options were limited to selling everything and squeezing essentials in my car or splurging for a moving truck. Nice to know there’s a compromise!
Molly says
Great advice! My husband and I were just talking about the potential to move across country in the near future!
Maria says
I’d be so nervous to move twice to different states like that! You seem to have it all organized, well done.
Lezley says
This was really helpful. I have been thinking about moving across the country within the next year and I have been trying to put together checklists. This was perfect
Leila says
This is great! We are discussing moving from Arizona to Washington state. Not across the country, but still a big move for a family of 5. This will definitely help as we plan our move!
Bella B (xoxoBella) says
I can’t imagine moving across the country. The thought is daunting! Great tips!
Roxy says
This is great! I’m currently in the midwest, but want to relocate to Texas ASAP. I’ve really been dreading the logistics of moving an apartment full of stuff AND two dogs. Thanks for the tips!
Jessica says
I hope I never have to do this, but those are some awesome tips! I never thought to ship items with FedEx or UPS! So smart!
Lisa @ Sorority Life to Army Wife says
I would add to budget for movers if you are moving furniture. You can have them for an hour or two on both sides to pack / unpack the furniture. It’s so much easier and takes away the most difficult part of the packing / unpacking process.
CourtneyLynne says
These are some fabulous tips!!! We are moving NY to FL once our house sells so I will have to keeps some of your tips in mind!
Jennifer Corter says
These are really great tips!
BestLukas says
I have noticed you don’t monetize your blog, don’t waste your traffic,
you can earn extra cash every month because you’ve got hi quality content.
If you want to know how to make extra money, search for: Ercannou’s essential tools best adsense alternative
DarrenChief says
I have checked your website and i have found some duplicate content, that’s why you don’t rank high in google,
but there is a tool that can help you to create 100% unique articles,
search for: Best article rewritwer Ercannou’s essential tools
GayleMarie says
We are moving from MD to southern FL as our daughter is pregnant with our first grandchild!! We have lived in our MD house for almost 23 years and the thought of having to go thru 32 year’s worth of stuff, so overwhelms me. The best hint, which I already knew, was to get rid as MUCH stuff ahead of time! I never thought about sending boxes via UPS, USPS or FedEx. Thanks for the great information!!
Lavera Gomez says
Find a moving company on our budget is not easy & your blog gives many tips & ideas to choose a cheap moving company thanks for this blog. Learn more