How to move a child to college the cheapest way possible

[n111jhcc]

You might want to check out Summer Storage and International Shipping - Collegeboxes . We got this referral from Stanford when it looked like our daughter might go there.

[Seahorsesrock]

What we did was have daugheter take a llllllllllll clothes from bedroom and make piles. Jeans Tshirts etc.....she picked favorites and we layed suitcases on floor.

One thing we did was not put all jeans or Tshirts in one suitcase but put a bit of each into each suitcase so if one went missing they wouldn't be missing all the pants

[LeftyLou]

Consider buying some space bags. Those are the bags that you fill up and then use your vacuum to remove all the air. It's amazing how much my daughter could fit in a suitcase when everything was in the spacebag.

[thumper1]

The space bags are nice but keep in mind that when you unpack the items will become full size again. Dorm rooms are not very big.

PACK LIGHT, and remember there are stores near the college. We did the SW move to the opposite coast. Four suitcases, a computer bag, an instrument case, and two backpacks. I put this on another thread...I'd you fly and rent a car, make sure the trunk opening is large enough that your bags will fit through. Tiny cars won't work.

Order anything bulky for pick up at Bed Bat and Beyond near the college.

Less is more for this move.

The BEST part of having a kid on the opposite coast for college was that she did NOT bring stuff home for the summer and plop it in our living room. She stored most items in her college town and only brought home small, lightweight summer clothes, her computer, and those instrument!

[pluvisi]

I feel as though I have learned a TON from all of you and I appreciate it greatly! Flying is definitely the way to go for our circumstance. Thanks so much!!!

[shoot4moon]

My daughter loves the samsonite tote a ton duffles. They are very strong, hold a great deal, go completely flat and small when unpacked, and fit a great deal. Bed bath and beyond and amazon should set u up.. .could not believe the cost of shipping from home to school!

[SteveMA]

Fly out there, check a couple large suitcases with clothing and buy everything else when you get there.

[HImom]

One important thing that was very useful for us is to have our child bring for his/her main piece of luggage something that will fold nearly flat or compress in case storage is fairly minimal (our S had a rolling duffle). This saves a lot of space that your child may need for more frequently used gear. Another useful strategy is having suitcases that nest, so on the return trip, you can nest them all & bring them home, with your clothing in the innermost suitcase. No student needs to have a lot of empty suitcases to store in compact living quarters. An alternative is to get suitcases from a thrift shop for the trip out & then give them to the thrift shop after kiddo unpacks so they're not taking up valuable space.

[Jane345]

DO keep in mind that no matter how much clothing she WANTS to bring, it won't all fit in her sure-to-be tiny dorm dresser and closet. 3 suitcases or boxes, max. Buy bedding there, or have it shipped there. That's it. She'll live, really!

[HImom]

Yea, most of our kiddos have had their own bedroom and are not used to sharing compact living space with a room mate--don't have too much "stuff" add to adjustment challenges. There are washers & dryers in most dorms (even if the kids don't use them as often as folks might want).