Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I moved across the country in 2020 to move in with family and I fit a ton of clothes in a suitcase when going on the flight and I had to use two big boxes to fit the rest of my clothes. I made the biggest mistake by using Caliber packing tape, since it was cheaper than Scotch and next thing you know, the box gets lost in the mail and when USPS sent me the notice, it had the label with a piece of the tape perfectly ripped off, which meas the tape easily came off. USPS could not even find the box when they searched and it is probably because I set my return address the same as the recipient address, so they probably did not check the origin facility.
I on purposely try not to accumulate junk at this point in my life until I buy a house in the future, however I am young and into my physical appearance and buy a lot of clothes since replacing the same exact clothes is impossible. I planning another move back across the country again, but will not be moving in with family members and i will have more stuff this time. Majority of my stuff will be clothes, but I have an electric scooter and many trays of small plants growing. Is it better to rent a small van to bring all of this stuff and drive across the country? Or is there away I can pay that is not necessarily a "mover/moving person" to bring it across the country. Driving across the country has its downfalls and can be scary, but it would be cool if everyone drove across the US in their lifetime.
If that's all you're planning on moving renting something one way or paying a service to move it for you probably won't be worth the expense. Do you own a car? If so, you'll have to move it too, so take advantage of the space it provides. Sell the scooter, downsize the number of plants, reduce the clothing to favorite pieces, and drive yourself to your new location. All your items are easily replaceable. It's just temporarily inconvenient. Depending on what plants you have they may not survive being packed devoid of light for multiple days. Take cuttings/seeds from them and plant those once you settle. I've moved a long distance with a few very special small plants before but they traveled in the car with me during mild weather and got enough light through the car windows to keep them alive. They weren't happy, but they survived.
As for shipping clothing, why not get some lockable suitcases in good condition from a thrift store, wrap them with duct tape, and ship those? They're designed to deal with baggage claims after all. One of the common reasons cardboard boxes end up breaking open during mailing is because the shipper packed them with too much weight.
Plants
Your plants may not thrive in an other area. They will not do well in a van for several days. Re-home them and start with location appropriate plant material once you moved.
Driver
It can be done. Can you financially handle two drivers, three to four days, hotels, meals, return airline tickets?
Stop at a UHaul station and talk to folks there.
Declutter your closets, sell the scooter and rent a car. Stuff it to the gills with clothes you are not very likely to wear in NJ.
If you don't already have a vehicle to drive, rent an SUV, load that sucker up and take off.
Do this. It will likely be the cheapest, and will have far better gas mileage than any u-haul truck. You'll get to see the country too, and be in control of your clothes and plants along the way. Have fun!!
As for shipping clothing, why not get some lockable suitcases in good condition from a thrift store, wrap them with duct tape, and ship those? They're designed to deal with baggage claims after all.
You’re young? Rent a U-Haul or similar van, you have room for all your stuff & you can sleep in it on the way. Have an adventure. I drove cross-country with a parrot on my shoulder, anything is possible.
If you don’t want to do that, & you have quality, expensive clothing that you want to keep, ship your clothes via UPS or FedEx. The USPS isn’t so reliable anymore.
Regarding houseplants, if you don’t want to drive with them, take cuttings & mail them. My daughter sent me some from 3 states away & they are now my healthiest plants.
If you have a car, load it up & start driving, unless it’s a beater, then sell it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
