How Am I Going to Ship My Stuff Acoss the Country?

[Laur]

Can anyone suggest a relatively low cost way of shipping my stuff across country? I've checked UPS, and they charge a fraction of a kidney. I don't have that much stuff that I need big storage crates like what companies such as DoortoDoor offers. Should I just pay the extra fee that the airline will charge me for additional luggage?? Any advice would be appreciated.

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[OctoDoc]

Can anyone suggest a relatively low cost way of shipping my stuff across country? I've checked UPS, and they charge a fraction of a kidney. I don't have that much stuff that I need big storage crates like what companies such as DoortoDoor offers. Should I just pay the extra fee that the airline will charge me for additional luggage?? Any advice would be appreciated.

I've heard that you can buy "left over" cargo space on cargo planes. However, that was pre 9/11. I don't know about now, but you may want to check on that.

Also, what about plain old moving companies, with the option of you packing your stuff yourself?

 

[Depakote]

UPS wasn't that bad when I moved back after my post-bac. I shipped a couple of huge boxes that were pretty heavy and it didn't kill me. (don't remember the exact #s)

Keep in mind, moving is always expensive.

 

[BooMed]

Can anyone suggest a relatively low cost way of shipping my stuff across country? I've checked UPS, and they charge a fraction of a kidney. I don't have that much stuff that I need big storage crates like what companies such as DoortoDoor offers. Should I just pay the extra fee that the airline will charge me for additional luggage?? Any advice would be appreciated.

Ugh. I had this problem too. It costs too much to send things by UPS and moving companies have a minimum cargo load - the ones I called wanted about $3,000 worth of stuff.

My advice is to prioritize: bring the stuff that you want the most and bring it with you as luggage, and put the rest in storage to be brought little by little by yourself/family/friends when you go back in forth. Sell, throw away and give away anything you don't really like.

And don't bother with furniture unless you're really, really attached to it. I paid $400 to ship my mattress and I wish I hadn't because it arrived in terrible shape.

Also, there is always the option of driving across the country...

 

[baylormed]

Ugh. I had this problem too. It costs too much to send things by UPS and moving companies have a minimum cargo load - the ones I called wanted about $3,000 worth of stuff.

My advice is to prioritize: bring the stuff that you want the most and bring it with you as luggage, and put the rest in storage to be brought little by little by yourself/family/friends when you go back in forth. Sell, throw away and give away anything you don't really like.

And don't bother with furniture unless you're really, really attached to it. I paid $400 to ship my mattress and I wish I hadn't because it arrived in terrible shape.

Also, there is always the option of driving across the country...

I send a few 40+ pound boxes my freshman year, and it only cost me about $15 a box. They weren't huge or anything (maybe 2x2x2), but they were all pretty heavy.
Mail everything you can, and the rest of it, you can buy once you get there or take with you on the plane.

 

[Depakote]

I send a few 40+ pound boxes my freshman year, and it only cost me about $15 a box. They weren't huge or anything (maybe 2x2x2), but they were all pretty heavy.
Mail everything you can, and the rest of it, you can buy once you get there or take with you on the plane.

That sounds about right.

I did that and took the rest in my Jeep.

 

[nrddct]

Is driving out of the question? You could uhaul all your stuff home. Rent a midsized truck and trailer so you can load your car on there too.

 

[lyn2006]

I know a couple who had their stuff moved from MI to CO with a moving company that moves small businesses. There's room left in the trucks usually, so you get to pay by the foot to add your stuff to a truck that happens to be going to the same location. I don't know how they found out about it, but they said it was considerably cheaper than renting a UHaul and driving there.

 

[Ranger47]

http://www.upack.com/

They ship it and for us it is going to be the same as Uhaul + gas

 

[Rafa]

Throw everything away besides your computer, a week's worth of clothes, and a mini-fridge. I can almost guarantee you won't miss the majority of it.

 

[DrHuang]

http://www.upack.com/

They ship it and for us it is going to be the same as Uhaul + gas

cool, thanks for the info!

 

[star22]

Just sell it all. You can probably buy new stuff for the cost of shipping the old stuff.