Who says airline baggage fees are excessive? I carefully considered all my options for moving across the country from Los Angeles to Rhode Island and calculated that flying was cheaper than professional movers, Uhaul, and the United States Postal Service. Had I needed to move furniture as well as boxes, I would have chosen one of the moving companies rather than flying. Don’t believe me? Check my math below.
Movers
Pros: All I have to do is pack. The movers load up my stuff and unpack it.
Cons: Dealing with skeezy movers, who may charge me a higher rate for any boxes 
$623.43, which included a fuel fee, stairs fee, and an administrative fee.
Uhaul
Pros: Getting to see the country with a friend. Cons: Molding butt to seat over 3,560 miles.
$2,519 = an 11-day rental for a 10-foot truck with up to 3,560 miles costs
(Extra mile fee: $.40 per mile over 3,560)
$848 = Gas: 3,560 miles in a 12 miles per gallon truck at $2.86/gal (average price of regular gas according to AAA)
$500 = 5-nights hotel
$150 = 6-nights camping passes
$4,017 = total
Schlepping made easy with luggage carts
U.S. Postal Service
Pros: Boxes delivered to my new doorstep. Cons: Stuff doesn’t arrive for eight days and may be damaged from the rough ride or heat.
$559 = parcel post rate for 13 boxes each weighing up to 40 pounds
$36 = Insurance of $2.75 for up to $200 for each box
$595 = total
Flying on Southwest
(Bags on Virgin America, which has limited routes, are just $25 per bag, up to 50 pounds per bag, up to 10 bags. That’s even better than Southwest!)
Pros: Stuff arrives with me. Cons: Lugging boxes to and from airport.
$0 = boxes 1-2, which are free on Southwest
$250 = boxes 3-7 which are $50 per as long as they weigh less than 50 pounds each
$0 = boxes 8-13, which a friend flew across for me for free using his elevated airline status perks
$40 = sky cap tip checking me in in 10 minutes flat
$20 = shuttle driver tip for loading and unloading boxes
$310 = total
Have you moved across the country? How much did it cost?
If you had to move across the country, how would you do it?
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
What about furniture and large items? Did I miss something, are you leaving LA?
@Linda I did leave LA. I now live in Rhode Island, the smallest state in the Union! It’s about the size of LA County, but with many fewer people. In fact, there are a lot of farms and huge open spaces near my, which is one of the reasons I love RI. I left all my furniture behind. When my first husband and I split up (I’ll try to find the link about the post I wrote about it) he took all the furniture and I was deliciously mobile. I bought a new bed and used a friend’s desk. That was pretty much all I needed during that transitional period in my life. I shipped my car across the country, which was a big expense at $1,000.
RI RULES!
Yes you did miss something, in the opening paragraph she said that if she had furniture along with the boxes to move she would have used one of the moving company’s
So, basically…
-$1,000.00 for the car to be shipped to Rhode Island.
-$250-300 for said “perks”, as the majority of people aren’t covered by friends, and family discounts.
-$60 in tips.
For a total of $1,360.00. Extremely misleading.
How about the cost of your flight? That should be included.
@Laurie Good point. It was about $400, though it’s been too long for me to remember exactly how much I spent.
I agree with the other posters, the cost of the plane ticket should be included and this is perfect for someone with no furniture! Do you plan on buying new furniture when you get there? Did you sell the old and will use that money to buy new furniture? I think there are several other things to be considered but ultimately you got yourself and your necessary belongings across the country for $310 (plus airline ticket cost). I get your point, I just think it’s incomplete.
@Just Me Point taken. The cost of the flight was about $400 and should be included in the total. I did not buy new furniture when I got here because I moved into a fully furnished house (I have a roommate). Having few possessions makes moving extremely cheap, and easy!
Exactly “Just Me”, she also included that she spent $0 on a bunch of the boxes because of an “airline perk”. Very few people moving cross country would have that “airline perk” available (We have zero perks, thanks). So the price comparison is *extremely* biased and incomplete, and therefore worthless for the most part.
I think we’ll just rent a UHAUL trailer and throw it on the back of my van, get rid of all of the very large/heavy furnature, and also cut down on costs/gas associated with a full size UHAUL truck.
My family moved from Texas to Las Vegas (Woohoo). We weighed our options. We thought about renting a uhaul and it just wasn’t worth it to us. We are a young couple that didn’t have very expensive furniture, just hand-me-downs and thrift finds. We decided to pack up all the essentials and the things we could not separate from in to our Toyota corolla. It was me, my wife, three dogs, and our then 8 yr old daughter. It cost us a little less than $100 in gas to make that drive. We did also rent a hotel room, which we spent about $100 on. All in all I would say we spent no more than $300 with the extra purchases of snacks and drinks. It was a long drive but it was fun and very beautiful. I gave my daughter a camera and she took some very amazing pictures that we have framed and put into our new house.
It was going to cost us about $4000 with Uhaul as we would have rented a big truck and a car tow.
You also need to add on another $250.00…
I don’t know about the rest of you but I do not happen to know anyone
Who can/will pick-up the cost of shipping my other 5 bags for me.
At $50 per bag, another 5 bags would total the $250 I mentioned above…
I was wondering that too. Are you leaving us bargain babe? What about your husband and furniture?
@Jennifer Never! I have worked on BargainBabe.com at various locations while on vacation and while visiting family – perks of working for yourself and only needing a high speed Internet connection! While I’m no longer focused solely on the LA area, I’ve always provided tips and strategies for folks across the country, so the site is not much different than when I lived in LA.
My husband and I split up (trying to find the post I wrote about it) and he took most of the furniture and housewares. It was wonderful to have so few belongings! It enabled me to move across the country very cheaply! I’m now living in Rhode Island.
You did get to ship 6 boxes for free, a perk not everyone has access to. If you had had to pay for them, it would have added $300 to the cost, assuming they go for $50 each also.
@Susan You are right, not everyone would have access to checking 6 bags for free (on two flights), but my access was a big part of why flying across the country was my cheapest option. You have to use all your resources to save!
Also, what about your vehicle? Did you sell it?
@Katie T I am not sure what I am going to do with my MINI. I may sell it, I may drive it across the country, I may have it shipped or driven across by someone else. I left this expense out of the calculation because I have not decided yet.
I moved to another country and what we did was sell almost everything at either garage sales (the most profitable) or through an auctioneer (least profitable but easiest). We also gave away a lot of stuff. Everything else went into the truck of our car except 12 boxes of books which we shipped M-bag. The books took 3 months but that was okay. We shipped them in 4 shipments because it was easier to transport them to and from the post office (no package delivery in Merida).
regards,
Theresa
@Theresa in Merida I gave a lot of stuff away, too, especially books and kitchenware. The move was a great reason to donate clothes I never wear and other possessions I was having a hard time giving up. I feel much better having a lighter load.
I still have several belongings at my mom’s house on the other side of the country. While home for Christmas I decided to bring a box of stuff back with me, so I wrapped everything carefully and checked the box before boarding my flight. When I picked up the box at the baggage claim, it looked like it had been run over by a truck. Apparently it had gotten caught in a belt somewhere along the way, and despite my careful packing job, most of the box’s contents were broken.
Southwest reimbursed me for the value of all the broken items, but unfortunately I lost a few things that were sentimental and irreplaceable (priceless to me!). So, if you’re going to move your belongings as checked baggage, I highly recommend that you not do this for breakable or sentimental items. I would put all sentimental items in your carry-on and ship breakable items via the post office or UPS.
@N. Davis Good point. I did check a few boxes with important possessions, but nothing like jewelry or family heirlooms. Even items that aren’t sentimental but are delicate should be extra carefully wrapped. On a plane trip recently, the baggage loader was literally throwing every single piece of luggage onto the ramp. Perhaps it was a highlight of his day, but I was horrified.
For someone without furniture that’s fine…but most of us are concerned about furniture – I guess we’d have to go with movers!
@Michelle Ventresca Agreed. I was in an unusual time in my life during which I had very few possessions. It was amazing, in that respect! I felt very light and in control because I had almost nothing keeping me in one spot. Perhaps that’s why I was able to recover so quickly from a heartbreaking divorce and find new love. Or perhaps I just got extremely lucky. 🙂
I think you made this move by leaving a lot of different kinds of “baggage” behind, so you didn’t have to think about furniture. That is a definite plus. For people like me, who have more than 30 years accumulated in a home, it would be a whole different story. Think I’ll stay where I am, and plan to visit those who’ve moved. That will include my youngest son, who will soon be relocating to the Denver, CO area for his job, as well as my brother in VA… and now Julia in RI!!!
@EllieD Oh Elle, you are as sweet and gentle as always. Yes, this move involved unloading a lot of types of baggage, sorting through my possessions, which has such an emotional impact. It was nice not to have to think about so much stuff, and allowed me to focus on the emotional journey I was taking. I am still trying to get rid of stuff, now that I live in a fully furnished 3BR house!
I moved from the west coast to the east coast three years ago using USPS. I was in no rush, so choose the cheapest ground option, which took about 3 weeks. Moved over 20 boxes (I think 50 lbs was the limit or maybe 70lb, cannot recall for sure) for $500. Of course no furniture. It was the best deal at the time.
@Celia That is awesome! Did you have size limits as well? USPS fees go up really high when boxes get too big. Waiting 3 weeks is not that long. Movers usually take 10 days!
You need to include the cost of the shuttle driver that you tipped.
@Robin I did include the shuttle driver tip – $20.
I’m also wondering about the price of your airline ticket? Why didn’t you include that in your figures? What about your husband, your furniture, your vehicle? It’s way too confusing, but you made the move and you are happy, so that’s all that really matters.
@Sylvia and @Junie I did not include the price of my one-way airline ticket – $249 – because I was going to fly for every option except renting the Uhaul, which was so much more expensive than the other choices that it would not have made much of a difference. I have very little furniture and none of it made sense to take with me. I can replace everything I need for pennies on the dollar at garage sales and IKEA. My car is still in California and I have not decided what to do with it yet, so I left that out of my calculations.
I’m a little surprised that a few readers say Julia didn’t mention her husband when calculating moving expenses. I’m not sure why they just assumed that she’s married – single gals can be savvy savers, bargain hunters and successful businesswomen, too!
@N. Davis I agree, single women can be savvy spenders and savers, too. I believe the readers who asked about my husband had read earlier posts about my husband and knew I was married. Perhaps they also missed my post about getting divorced from my husband (trying to find the post I wrote about him saying goodbye). Either way, no harm done.
I believe people are mentioning a husband because there is a guy who BB refers to as bargain hubby or something like that. Am I right BB?
@Robin Yes, you are right! Many readers knew that I was married to a fellow I referred to as “bargain hubby” on the blog. We divorced, and not everybody read that post, so I understand why there was some confusion. Perhaps I should have done a better job clarifying why I was moving and who wasn’t moving with me.
I used movers but then I had lots of furniture.
@Debbie That’s the best option when you have lots of furniture. If you are in a position to get rid of most of it, on the other hand…:)
I would have mailed the books via USPS Media Mail – a 70 LB box of books mailed from coast to coast would cost approximately $30.00 (not including insurance)
@Chris H I later moved a few boxes using media mail. It’s a great, cheap rate for books. Thank you, USPS!
Bargain Babe – I just traveled cross country from Los Angeles to Washington DC via Amtrak. I was amazed at their baggage policy – each ticketed person is allowed 3 checked pieces of luggage (50 lbs or less), two carryons of 50 lbs or less PLUS your personal items (purse, laptop) at no charge. You can check 3 more pieces of baggage weighing 50 lbs or less for $10 each. That is a lot of stuff!
A person would have to travel Coach for the most economical ticket (we got a sleeper since we were doing it for the experience, not necessarily trying to save money).
@chris at yardsalequeen.com I didn’t know Amtrak had such a generous and cheap luggage policy. I bet the ticket was expensive, though?! I’m curious how much you paid to take Amtrak cross country. Was the trip worth it?
The quote I got from Great American Van Lines was nearly half what I ended up paying. They lied to me more than once, showed up a week later than what the contract entailed and arrived during a Montana blizzard in which my boss demanded that I take a sleeping bag, extra clothes and water because someone had frozen to death after skidding off the road a week earlier. Great American Van Lines took apart a very expensive South African table and didn’t even cover it, scratched it up. The worst part was they destroyed several family heirlooms including a cherry dresser that I had had since I was a kid and a cedar chest. When I tried to get compensation they offered me a $100 and then when I contested it to the store manager he said “you’re a son-of-a-bitch” and hung up on me. Great American Van Lines is the most corrupt company I have EVER dealt with. So, don’t make that mistake!
Question::: I have decided to move to WA from FL, first I was going to drive but it’s super expensive and not guarantee, so I decided to fly but I woudlnt know how that works because I don’t fly often, any suggestions . On the limits of bags or weight limit
Hello – I’m so glad I found this – I will be doing the reverse move this year and saw your post.
Would you mind sharing what moving company whose $623.43 quote you mention in the Movers section of the post? I am in the planning stages
@West2SeaCoast I’m so sorry, but I don’t remember. I moved cross country five years ago almost to the day, and these are not records I held onto. Best of luck with your move!
This doesn’t count, it really actually cost S310 + $300 (6 boxes at $50 that your friend took) = $610. You can’t say it’s free because you’;re the only one that has a friend willing to give them a free $300 of the moving cost.
PLUS, it doesn’t include the car that you need to move across the country, so this post is pretty much useless.
Your real cost then is $2000 if you have a car to move based on these methods. Not very good. Pretty awful actually.
it also doesn’t include the boxes of books she said she sent media mail via usps.
sometimes i loathe the internet for this very reason. or is that journalistic integrity that i’m missing?
either way, reading this has been a waste for me….
Also, I noticed the cost for what was paid to the people who helped AT the airport (loading and checking bags) was not included on the tail end of the trip. I am assuming you needed to pay for transportation of yourself and your belongings on the other end. That is considered part of moving, not just moving yourself and arriving in the state of choice. Kind of an incomplete account.
Next time try Greyhound parcel service instead of USPS, they deliver to the nearest bus station rather than to your door, but they are much cheaper and they take really large boxes.
Awesome tip, thanks!
Hey there! I’m planning a move across country, but can’t find any “movers” for less that 3-4K. What moving companies did you use? It seems like a Penske truck is the cheapest way for my boxes +furniture. But then my boyfriend and I are stuck loading and unloading it.
Any help would be appreciated!
Hello. My boyfriend and I are looking to move from Massachusetts to Los Angeles in the next couple of months. We are looking for an apartment out there at an affordable cost. We dont have much stuff to take with us besides clothes and some supplies for the kitchen; probably about 5-6 boxes (not too heavy). Do you have any tips on whether you think we should fly or drive and how to ship our stuff or if we should just take it with us. This is all new to us and would really love your feedback or any tips you could give us. Thanks..
-Nicole
Hi Nicole,
Do you already have a car that you want to take with you? If so, I think the most economical way to go would be to pack your boxes in the car and drive. Just shipping a car across country will cost around $1000 or more. It sounds like you’re young and up for an adventure so I would look at it as a fun opportunity to see the country. Even if you don’t have a car, it still might be cheaper to rent a car and drive. I think you need to compare prices on: airline tickets vs rental car costs (don’t forget to include gas and tolls in your calculation); shipping via carrier (UPS or USPS) vs paying baggage fees on the plane; and of course, determine what your time is worth. If you have a start date for a job in LA you might want to keep things simple and fly. Good luck!
Did you consider taking the train instead of flying ? Sell your vehicle and leave it behind if you can esp. if you are moving somewhere that is walk accessible to amenities. Consider renting a car or buying a cheap junker car or better truck when you get there. If you can get by without one for a while you’d seem to be better off.(esp if you are downsizing and avoiding car payments insurance maintenance , storage etc) Have groceries delivered for example. I know it sounds costly but balance it against the cost of a vehicle. Pack yourself ;; loose the furniture including fridge , washer , dryer etc; keep it to a minimum. I have to have my favorite irreplaceable desk. A lot of things to consider; like , if you are downsizing get rid of the lawn tools , mowers etc and think about the cost of hiring out the yard work if you get a house w / a yard (get one with a small yard .The more things you can plan ahead like that the better but you always meed a contingency plan. You want to avoid saving in one area and paying out the nose in another; you really need a tight plan which means doing your research . Even then you probably need help and there really isn’t any.No free help anyway which is what you need because paying for it defeats the purpose.
My little girl (she’s 2 years old), 2 cats and I will be moving to Arizona from Pennsylvania hopefully end of March but if I can figure a way to make moving a bit cheaper then we will move sooner. Right now my idea is to rent a uhaul truck and stay in pet friendly hotels on the way there but I’m for sure trying to think of more options to think if I can make moving costs a bit cheaper.
Pets always complicate moves, don’t they? I hope you find a good solution!
I so far ruled out the uhual truck. I am now thinking renting a suv might be the best option.
How did you go about furnishing your new place? I hired a furnishing firm at furnishr.com to help me out when I moved into my apartment in New York. How much of your old furniture did you take with you, and how much new furniture did you purchase?
anyone move with a school bus? Im thinking of buying a used bus with No seats. Thinking it would hold all my stuff since im getting rid of almost all of it! Im planning on spending about $150 on totes to move my stuff. Figure 300 for a bus. I could also live in it for awile after our move. My mom and aunt (60s) are buying a far and Im getting a trailer to live on the property. TIll then I can live in the bus. Cant be too bad? seem like a cheap solution (and then I can take my pot gardern (herbs, flowers, two trees, some beans) along and also my 3 annoying cats!
That’s certainly a creative solution! Please report back if you end up doing it. I’d love to hear how it all goes.
Dang. Really good info on how to move cheap here. that will really come in handy. Also found some good info on making the decision to move at http://joggersjourney.com/cross-country-move/ Thanks again for the info!
I am fascinated with the insight here in this post. Thank you for sharing.
Great post! Have nice day ! 🙂 hsokf
Moving back home to Portland, OR after 20 years in Las Vegas.. I have tons of stuff.. +5 Cars… Selling 4 of the cars, ALL my furniture, and most of my possessions… SICK of so much STUFF… It makes you feel tied down…
I’m intriqued about the school bus idea… I was thinking of buying an old box van or cargo van.. then selling it ..
Thank you for posting. It’s also important to know about where you are moving to because if you are planning to meet with a realtor, you want to be able to give them some parameters and you don’t want to end up living in a place that you don’t want to be in!
uHauls always a good idea. Labor inetnsive tho, but we recommend it.
And the farther you move, the more you’ll spend — unless you are lucky enough to have an employer pay for it. For the rest of us, whether we’re moving across town or to another state, saving money on moving is no easy feat.
Before renting truck or starting carry boxes, check online and get online moving quotes, maybe it will not be much different
Moving is long process and not an easy for yourself. Hire professional movers and move to across town. Professional movers are very expert for this work. His know the how to move easy and safe. But i read your blog and i get the some moving tips is really useful and valuable. i am impressed from this post. I haven’t any word to appreciate this post. Thanks for sharing the great information. Good Luck!