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My son may be moving back home (he is 400 miles away). He doesn't have a lot but everything won't fit in his car. I am taking an airplane to help him move because I don't want to drive alone and put the miles on my car. Should we attach a u-haul to his car or rent a car that I will drive. Years ago I discovered that when you rent a car and return it to another state it is quite expensive.
My son may be moving back home (he is 400 miles away). He doesn't have a lot but everything won't fit in his car. I am taking an airplane to help him move because I don't want to drive alone and put the miles on my car. Should we attach a u-haul to his car or rent a car that I will drive. Years ago I discovered that when you rent a car and return it to another state it is quite expensive.
Thank you for your advice
For about $150 you can rent a 4x6 enclosed UHaul trailer & pull it with his car.
I doubt that you can rent a car cheaper than that, and the trailer will fit more stuff than a car.
I suppose you could rent an SUV like a Chevy Traverse or Honda Pilot. That would have quite a bit of room. Do any of the rental companies offer unlimited mileage?
I have used "uShip" to get movers. Often they are much less expensive than the big companies, especially if all of his stuff will fit in cargo van.
One other idea is a "Pod." U-haul and some other companies have them. You fill it, then a truck comes and picks it up and brings it to the new location. You unload at your own pace then call them to pick up the empty container.
The least expensive option would have you stay home, send him what you would have spent on airfare, have him rent a small truck with a car trailer.
You don't say what his car is. Maybe it can't pull a trailer. Does it already have a trailer hitch?
It's bad enough he may be moving back home, having his mother escort him home is downright embarrassing (or a sign he's not independently mature and/or his mother is dolting).
The least expensive option would have you stay home...
and leave him to fend for himself.
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It's bad enough he may be moving back home, having his mother escort him home is...
Unless this college kid has family heirlooms for furniture... this doesn't get moved at all.
Sell anything that won't fit into a box or give it away to charity.
Seriously consider doing the same with everything else that *will* fit into a box.
Once down to the 10 or 12 boxes of clothing, books, papers and the very few personal and kitchen
items that aren't duplicated at your house and/or can all be replaced for $300 at Walmart...
send the 7 or 8 that won't safely fit in his backseat by UPS.
Then he can get in his car and drive home. By himself.
Dump all items that won't fit into a box. Box up the rest, have UPS come pick it up. I moved everything I own across the country for less than $600 this way.
Instead of flying and renting a car one-way, why not rent a large-sized vehicle/SUV (with unlimited mileage) and drive it round-trip? The total cost would likely be less than the price of an airline ticket + car rental.
Instead of flying out (why the need?), just have him pack whatever will fit then UPS other items. For everything else, Craigslist, charity, or throw it away.
I am sure the amount being spent to move all of this as planned now, is more than the replacement cost.
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