The Big Cost

tl;dr

We moved across the country and it cost a little under $8k. We shipped most of our belongings using U-Box (through UHaul) and decided to drive our car and ship our cat (not really). We kept track of expenses across four broad categories: Travel, Accommodation, Food, Moving Expenses (this is the UHaul stuff). This total does *not* include money spent on buying new furniture or souvenirs.

Getting from point A to point B

Takeaways

• Ship the cat, not the car.

• Only drive your car if she’s dependable.

• Follow your values: do you value time, money, or quality of experience?

There’s no right way to move but there are easy ways and there are hard ways. And there are always an infinite number of ways to get scammed. Neither Hailey nor I had ever moved more than a couple states over and this time we had additional layers of complexity: 1) not having signed a lease, 2) a cat who enjoys her freedom, and 3) kind of a lot of stuff (it was mostly books tbh). We started to plan the move way before we had signed a lease, which cut down on costs for hotels and flights — I don’t regret this at all. We also had to make some decisions about my car and our cat, it was clear that we had to ship one or the other. I made a graphic of our decision tree:

Shipping the car was not in the cards. Since my car is relatively new, and because I didn’t feel comfortable paying someone else to drive it, the road trip route was inevitable. However, the cat was not going to be okay driving 6-8 hours every day, so we dropped her off at my mom’s house in Chicago so that we could finish out the drive without her. We bought a flight for my mom, timing it so that she would arrive a week after us for a painless cat drop-off. Ultimately, I think this was significantly less stressful for everyone involved: Hailey and I got to take an actual road trip, my mom got to hang out with her favorite granddaughter, my cat got love and attention. Another huge plus: we were able to unload/unpack at the new apartment without a cat running around and eating plastic. I think if we were really dedicated or aggressively saving $, we could have booked it across the country and made it there in ~4 days, but I was glad we had the means and the family support to be able to take our time. Notably, I didn’t see anyone talking about having done this on the cross-country moving subreddits.

We arbitrarily chose a move-out date for the end of June just to get the ball rolling. If you feel like you’re waiting on something like a date or time, make sure it’s not stopping your other plans from proceeding. Don’t know when you’re moving but you know that you *are* moving? Get boxes, buy tape. Not sure where you’re staying? Service your car, make an itinerary. Setting a move-out date was justification enough for me to start packing and thinking about our route. We were able to book the first week of travel very early on, and once we had signed a lease in May were able to book the rest up to the move in date. And because we had started booking travel and accommodation so early, we were able to snag an incredible Airbnb that was usually fully booked through the summer. I think Hailey and I were able to maintain our two core values (low-budget and low-stress) by compromising on time: we sank our time costs up front in the months leading up to the move (and honestly it was mostly me sacrificing my own free time) for a higher quality experience.

The total cost breakdown looked like this:

We spent $449 on gas (the majority of the transportation cost). We spent every night in an Airbnb or a hotel (mostly Hyatt because we wanted it to feel like a vacation), except for the few days we spent with my mom in Chicago. Between renting the U-Box and UHaul vehicles, we spent $2,839.

Considering we stayed in swanky hotels, ate out wherever and whenever we felt like it, and elongated our trip by roughly 9 days for leisure, $763 over budget is completely reasonable. Our Airbnb in Taos was roughly $700 for the three nights we stayed there, and most of the hotels were $120-150/night with fees. Some cost saving measures that could have been taken:

• Staying in motels/cheapest options (50% cost reduction for accommodations)

• Groceries/bulk food option rather than dining out (30%-40% reduction for food)

• 1 U-Box vs 2 U-Boxes (40% reduction for moving expenses)

• Not keeping furniture or large items to avoid renting truck and van (10% reduction for moving expenses)

• Shortening trip time (60% reduction for accommodations)

Sure, this may have put us well under budget, but I think a lot of these measures would have also resulted in 100% increase in suffering and lower quality of experience. Notably, I don’t think bringing our cat with us would have saved us any money since most hotels have a $75 pet charge, which completely offsets the flight cost of bringing her here (~$360).

To POD or not to POD

Takeaways

• Portable shipping container is the way to go.

• If you’re young and healthy and on a budget, just load/unload it yourself.

• Don’t forget to put an AirTag inside, just in case.

In April, after we were certain that were *both* moving to CA, I started by perusing r/moving to see what other people had done. This is really a double-edged sword since most of the popular posts tend to be horror stories. Not as many people post about a move that just went sorta kinda okay, if not a little over budget. However, it was instantly clear that we were not going to be using a moving company. We were trying to work within Hailey’s relocation stipend of $7k and hiring reputable, professional movers would easily require a budget 2-3x that. So the next best option was shipping things through U-Box or PODS.

I was seeing way more posts about terrible POD experiences (even though we personally knew someone who had a great time using them for temporary storage) and decided to go with old faithful: UHaul. UHaul has their own shipping container moving service called U-Box. Was it the cheapest option? No. Did a few positive reviews on r/moving sway us? Yes. Would *we* recommend them? Also yes!

Another note, a common gripe about these shipping containers is that they are almost always delayed (same with moving companies). However, to our complete surprise, our shipping containers arrived a week and a half early! This can also be somewhat inconvenient, though, so plan ahead for that possibility too. Boxes that aren’t accessed within a certain time can get shipped around to other off-site storage locations (which is what happened with us).

What we shipped

Takeaways

• • • Don’t keep your furniture, babe. Just don’t do it.

    • If you live in a college town, the fastest way to get rid of something is to put it out on the curb.

    • If it doesn’t fit in your car, consider getting rid of it.

    • Junk removal is a b*tch.

The tricky thing with these portable containers is that unless you have a clear, wire-free, tree-free driveway, it’s not too easy to get them delivered to your doorstep. We forewent the hassle and decided to load the boxes directly at a UHaul facility, about 20 minutes away from us. All of our furniture was thrifted so we had no issue parting ways with it. I didn’t even try to sell it on FB marketplace, I just donated or set it out on the street. We kept a few chairs, a desk, a mattress, and a coffee table. Unfortunately, we had a very old sleeper sofa (meaning it had a biohazardous mattress inside) that required professional junk removal — this was actually so expensive! $540!

In the end, the 4-bedroom apartment was able to fit very comfortably into 2 U-Boxes. The total cost for the U-Boxes alone (shipping included) was $2,168.  We had roughly 90 boxes of varying material and sizes. If we had decided to not keep the mattress and chairs, then it would have all fit into one U-Box with some careful Tetris mastery.

How we packed

Takeaways

• Actually, cardboard boxes aren’t the cheapest thing you’ll ever buy.

• Pack for your future self, not for your current convenience.

• Pack gradually over the course of a few weeks, make it routine leading up to move-out day.

Most of the stuff was clothing and books, which also happen to be extremely heavy when packed in bulk: we took care to pack them in extra small boxes so that we were able to carry them more comfortably. Since we knew we would be loading and unloading everything ourselves, we did not pack anything in sizes that we could not carry. I generally avoided having boxes larger than a medium. For books, pack them in the smallest boxes available (we used the extra smalls from Home Depot). A note on these boxes: they aren’t always in stock since they aren’t the most commonly used size, so check stock online ahead of time. Also, keep in mind when you are moving and if it coincides with college move out (as it had with us), because your local hardware store will be ransacked.

In terms of packing materials, we spent $277 in total which included buying a couple of reusable plastic bins (these are nice but only if you have somewhere to store them), packing tape, ~75 cardboard boxes, bungee cords, mattress protectors (these are just extremely large trash bags imo), and sticker labels. I would recommend the plastic covers for mattresses/soft furniture to avoid issues with humidity. The bungee cords, which are meant to strap down large furniture items, I would not recommend if you have a lot of stuff. We did not use these at all since everything was packed so tightly in the shipping container that nothing could really move around. I labelled all of the boxes with sticker labels, but frankly this was not helpful at all. The most important distinction to make is whether the box can withstand getting crushed, this way you know where to stack it in the U-Box. Try to have an equal balance for each tier (sturdy, mildly sturdy, and fragile), this will make packing the box easier. We ended up with too many boxes containing fragile items and had to do risk-management day-of, and we did end up breaking a couple of things because of this. Also, the U-Boxes come with ample amounts of moving blankets, so don’t buy those.

Hailey was mostly out of town in the months leading up to the move, so I had to pack our entire apartment on my own while still working full time. This might seem daunting and frankly impossible, but it really wasn’t! Starting in April, after work I would typically dedicate 1-2 hours to just packing. By the time May rolled around, 80% of the apartment was packed. I would *highly* recommend this way of doing things, or at least trying to structure it in small, daily chunks. This also allows you to be more careful with packing fragile items, rather than rushing and crushing them the day before the move! It also doesn’t always have to be packing, it could be donating/selling/disposing of things. Setting this up as a routine leading up to the move prevented burnout and was less physically (and emotionally) exhausting.

If you have a spare room or space (we had a guest bedroom), just store all the packed boxes in there — out of sight, out of mind.  

Other UHaul minutia

Takeaways

• It is up to *YOU* to care about your stuff. UHaul workers do not care that you packed your entire life into that box.

• Be flexible. If you’re not flexible and mild-mannered, maybe don’t UHaul.

• At the end of the day, money can be exchanged for goods and services.

• Try to avoid moving and/or traveling on major government holidays.

• Don’t forget or lose the keys to your U-Box. And if you do, ask the staff if they have bolt cutters — prioritize your time.

Because we were loading the U-Boxes at a fairly small UHaul location with limited lot space, we were required to call ahead a few hours before accessing the box so that they could forklift it out for us and put it out on the lot (they were otherwise stored stacked behind other people’s boxes where we couldn’t reach them). Keep this in mind when you are booking your facility. I would prioritize security, space, and accessibility even if it means driving a bit further. Similarly, we decided to unload our boxes in Concord, CA, rather than having the boxes shipped to SF proper, which was for the better. We were able to access them with a lot more space and park our UHaul truck right in front of them which may not have been possible at other smaller facilities in the city. It probably took us <40 min to load everything up.

Because we kept our mattress and our coffee table (the only two pieces of furniture that would not fit in my car), we had to rent a van to transport them to the U-Box. This was inconvenient, an additional $100, and I had to take time off from work to do this. If things don’t fit in your car…do you really need them?

Make sure you set the right pick up and drop off times for the box. Ask and clarify if you’re not sure, these things are easy to change before they happen, not after. We had misread our contract and our boxes ended up getting shipped almost 2 hours west of us a day early, before we had finished loading them. Although we were able to drive out and access them one more time, it was only because we had an AMAZING manager at our UHaul facility that was able to make that happen for us. This was a 4-hour excursion on a weeknight that we had not planned for.

If you are unloading your own truck (with someone else preferably) and you need to transport the boxes a significant distance, get *two* dollies. One person stays with the truck and loads the first dolly, while the other person takes the second dolly up to the apartment/house. That way there is no dead time waiting for a dolly to get loaded. *Efficiency.* Also, it’s more secure than leaving the truck unattended in the street. Hailey and I were able to get everything up to our 5th floor apartment in under 2 hours.

Just be prepared for things to not be available. That’s all. Especially if you are renting equipment on a weekend. Be prepared to rent a different truck, a bigger truck, a smaller van, renting one dolly instead of two. Be flexible! Don’t freak out! Be creative! Phone a friend! At the end of the day, it’s just stuff.

What to bring with you

Takeaways

• Bring a suitcase/duffel like you normally would on vacation. Don’t forget your toothbrush, socks, cables, all the regular stuff.

• Bring important documents like your birth certificate and passport, that one post-it note with your passwords on it.

• Most hotels simply do not have working laundry (every single one we stayed at did not have laundry or did not have laundry machines that worked). Pack enough clothes and pack appropriately for the climates you are driving through.

• Don’t forget that random step ladder you put behind your fridge lest you have to panic-shove it into your car 30 minutes before you hit the road.

• When you arrive at your bare bones place, it might be nice to have:

  • • Paper towels

    • A shower curtain

    • Toilet paper

    • Dish soap

    • Bath towels

    • A sleeping bag/pad

    • At least 1 pillow

    • Laundry detergent for 2 weeks of dirty clothes

    • A book (you probably won’t have WiFi)

    • Scissors

    • Tampons

• Don’t bring:

  • • Food (controversial)

    • A bunch of tech (TV’s, computer monitors)

    • Bulky things like blankets or too many sweatshirts

    • Weed

    • In our case, a f*cking ladder

    • Costco-sized bottle of mouth wash

    • Anything with a strong smell

    • Your college diploma

This is mostly subjective, but I think it’s very easy to forget that once you arrive there will be nothing there waiting for you. You will be exhausted and hungry, in a place you’re not very familiar with. The last thing you want to do is go to a Target at 6:00pm to buy towels you already own because they are stuck in your U-Box. I brought one plastic storage box with our essentials (see list above). I then zip-tied this box closed and just kept it undisturbed in the trunk until we arrived. Warning: the soap exploded in the hot car. For that reason, get laundry detergent tabs (dry). We also brought a foldable/portable mattress (we don’t own sleeping bags) which took up most of the space in our car. It was a horrible inconvenience but at least we had something to sleep on when we arrived. Even though we tried not to bring a lot of things with us, this was not the case — the car was packed full. And this was mildly stressful in cities that are prone to car break-ins. I highly recommend travelling as lightly as possible. Try to keep everything you will need to bring from your car to your hotel room manageable in one trip.

One last side note: I brought the spare keys to my car with me because I deemed this “important to keep on my person” in the same category as passport and birth certificate. I put them in a secure pouch, inside of a bag, inside of a duffel, deep in my car. *However* if I were to try and lock my car with my usual set of keys — say we stopped at McDonalds and wanted to eat inside the establishment — I would not be able to lock my car because it was too smart and sensed the spare set of keys inside. So. Annoying. So I had to do the less secure/safe thing and bring both set of keys wherever I went, which I think defeated the point a little bit. Just food for thought.

Final Thoughts

If I was richer and older and my bones hurt more, or if I was pregnant or had a broken arm, or if I had two kids and two dogs, or if I had an apartment full of Herman Miller antiques, I would hire a white glove moving company. If my time was worth significantly more than what it is now, I would hire a moving company.

But this was fun! And in the long run it was quite uneventful. Sure, there were some small hiccups that were quickly forgotten and small improvements that could have been made. All in all, I think the move was well thought out and effective and had enough vacation-smell to it that I felt neither overwhelmed nor underwhelmed when it was over. Hopefully this post helps other people.

AS 08/10/25