Relocation on a Budget (and with a partner!)

[zetasp]

Hi all! I've perused some threads regarding moving, but I've been having trouble finding information about moving a long distance and doing it on a budget. I live in Hawai'i and unless I stay at my MA university for my PhD program, I will guaranteed be moving across an actual ocean and potentially a whole continent. I've never moved off-island (I lived in Italy for a semester, but you can do that with a suitcase and no furniture) and I'm still living in my first apartment, which I got to move to over about a month since I'm only about 10 minutes from my parents. Of course, moving cross-country won't work that way, and it's definitely daunting to do as a relatively not-well-off graduate student. 

As an additional component, I'll be moving with my partner. He's got a bit tougher of a situation than I do (we manage our own finances, but share the load, of course; he helps his family with some financial obligations, so his money is a bit tighter), so I'll probably be taking on most of the moving costs (totally willingly). I'm also not fully sure how to navigate moving with a partner, especially since where I get into school will dictate where we move, and I won't know for a while. I'm nervous about his job hunt and how difficult that will be, and I'm really concerned that we might not qualify for graduate student housing (if we go that route) since we aren't married. Can someone who's moved with their partner weigh in? I could really use some advice for peace of mind ?

[Wife Hates Physics]

PLAN. No seriously, plan it out. Price things out, read reviews on companies, look at the areas surrounding prospective schools for housing costs, etc. 

My wife and I have made a cross-country move before on a very tight budget. Information is your key, and being upfront about the requirements with your partner. I'm in the current grad application cycle. My wife and I have discussed each possible school in detail, located the areas we can afford to move to, checked out the quality of the schools (for our two young ones), and she's evaluated the job market in each area for her profession. We are as prepared as possible for whichever school gives me a thumbs-up.

There isn't really any other magic bullet. Know what you're getting into, make sure your partner is on the same page, and price everything out.