ChaChing, ChaChing: How to Move without Breaking the Bank

Unlike past generations, millennials don't settle down in their twenties. They are social justice-conscious, altruistic, world travelers. They aren't afraid to move away from home and bounce around between different cities. This lifestyle creates well educated, worldly, future leaders. The only drawback is the exorbitant expense of moving! 

Changing cities comes at high price. First, there is the cost of transporting all your stuff and yourself to a new place. This can be especially expensive if you already own large furniture, such as a mattress, dresser, couch or dining room set. 

If you are moving within three hours of your current home, it is probably cheapest and easiest to recruit a friend or family member to move you in a car. You may have to make multiple trips and hold up traffic on the highway, but you will save a lot of money on movers! You can calculate the cost of your road trip using several different websites. My favorite is AAA Fuel Calculator if you are traveling between two major cities. You don't need to know the gas milage of your vehicle - just the make, model and year.  However, GasBuddy is better option if you want to know the exact cost between two addresses. 

If you are moving any further than three hours away, there are a couple things to consider:

1. Do you need to store your belongings before the big move?

2. Do you want to drive a truck containing all your belongings for over three hours on a highway?

If you don't mind doing long distance driving, Uhaul provides different size trucks that can be driven across state lines. The cost of these vehicles includes up to five days and 1553 miles of driving (but does not include the cost of fuel). If you don't want to be tethered to a vehicle during your move, there are few companies that will take care of transporting and/or storing your stuff while you fly comfortably to your destination. 

The cost is entirely dependent on the length of storage and travel distance. Therefore, I recommend shopping around to the find the best price. Assuming you will provide the manpower for moving, storing and shipping costs start around $1,200 for a one bedroom. I recommend looking into U-Box Units and Pods first. These options can be more expensive but significantly reduce the hassle.  

Ultimately, the best thing to do as a broke twenty-something year old is abandon your material belongings and travel light. When you move, leave behind anything that can't fit into the trunk of a car and purchase inexpensive and disposal furniture in your new city. Don't invest in any large furniture unless you can commit to staying in one place for at least five years! 

Good luck and happy moving!