Moving expenses?

[brighteyes]

Hi all-- I come from modest means and live paycheck to paycheck. I've been accepted, but my problem now is-- how on earth do I get myself there? I am waiting to hear finalization on an assistantship for paying for school, but the moving expenses (CA to NE) are substantial for me. Are there creative solutions that you all have used or can think of?

[psychology_student_]

Idk, just depends on a lot of stuff. Do you have a car? Idk how creative one can get if they still wanna keep most their stuff.

I'm moving from the west coast to the midwest as well, and it'll be somewhere between 2-3 grand for a moving cube to take all of our 1BR apt's worth of stuff. My partner and I each have a car and we'll just drive those cars out there to the midwest (so however much that is for gas and a few days of hotels). My partner actually went to UC Davis from the midwest, so they know about that kind of travel from the Sac area to the midwest, I think they tried booking it to davis as fast as possible and got there in like 2.5-3ish days.

If we didn't have cars then I would have just rented a UHaul and fit in as much stuff in it as I could. You can always buy super cheap/used (sometimes free) furniture/desks/chairs/etc stuff when you move (so you wouldn't have to necessarily move all of those big furniture-y things). 

 

[Psyhopeful]

Is a moving bonus not part of your package? You should ask if they have funds for this. 

[Clinapp2017]

You can always ask. A person I know from limited means is getting $2000 to move (not even that far) to an ivy for grad school. It will be reimbursed later, so not upfront money, but better than nothing. 

[feralgrad]

If you're concerned about your next apartment's security deposit (obviously a major expense on top of the actual moving costs), you can look at subleases. That will give you more time to save up for the deposit for your next lease.

[Keyz]

1 hour ago, Psyhopeful said:

Is a moving bonus not part of your package? You should ask if they have funds for this. 

@brighteyesThis, I would inquire as to whether they have a moving stipend.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Keyz

[Jung&Psyched]

We have moved numerous times at this point for school (husband's undergrad and  grad school and now mine) and the best thing I can recommend is get rid of as much stuff as you can so you can cram it into the smallest moving truck possible. Last time we moved the only furniture we kept was our mattress and a coffee table that my husband had hand made. Everything else we bought after arriving and pretty much got everything second hand.  Check around the different rental truck company for prices, its surprising how much they vary ! We've been putting extra money aside the past couple of months in preparation for this because moving really is a blow to the budget .  

[brighteyes]

I definitely intend to get rid of most of my furniture. I think the only big pieces I'm bringing with me are my bed and a bookcase that my dad made me. Everything else is replaceable. 

I am a first-generation college student, so undergrad was difficult to navigate. Grad school is completely unheard of-- I had no idea that something like a moving stipend even existed. I will definitely ask about. Thank you all so much for your input! This is very helpful.