This weekend’s been an adventure. Even though we’d been preparing all summer for our daughter’s move to college, it still didn’t really hit us that she was leaving until everything was packed. Suddenly, the house seemed emptier — both physically and emotionally.
After a three-and-a-half hour drive, the unpacking began.
Ikea furniture was assembled.
A kitchen was stocked, organized, and expanded.
A shower curtain was hung. (Just like the one at our home!)
And just like that, a new chapter in our lives began.
You may also enjoy these related posts:
- Our daughter’s college journey: Weighing costs and education
- College apartment-hunting with our daughter
- Back to Campus decorating and organization
- Building a kitchen countertop extension for our daughter’s college apartment
- College apartment bargains and finds: What she’s packing
- Putting two HD television antennas to the test in our daughter’s college apartment (free TV – no cable bill!)
wolverine70 says
Hopefully her time away at college provides her both with a great education as well as life experience that prepares her for well….life! It appears Mom and Dad already have done a pretty good job on that though.
Coupon Maven says
Thank you! We hope so — I think that’s what all parents hope. I agree that the education of living away from home, maintaining a household, paying bills and taking care of all of the life things is an education of its own too. :)
Wendy says
Awww! I have enjoyed reading about your daughter’s college prep and now the big day has come.
Do you mind if I ask how much your U Haul cost? We will go through this next fall and I am guessing this was the most cost-effective way to move her.
Coupon Maven says
Happy to discuss it — it was $89. We rented a 5×8′ trailer because it was much cheaper than renting a truck. With a truck, we’d not only be responsible for the rental fee ($243 for two days and 270 miles) but an additional .89/mile. EIU is 230 miles away. Plus, we’d have had to either drive the truck home again (racking up more miles and a total bill of $421 plus gas) or leave it in central Illinois. If we’d done that, we would have had to also brought a second vehicle down to bring me or my husband home.
The trailer had no mileage charges – it was $89, and we left it at another U-Haul dealer not too far from her apartment. It was big enough to fit all of the furniture she wanted to bring, as well as lots of clothes, furnishings and other gear, and a bunch of groceries and stock-the-pantry stuff too. : )
As crazy as this might sound, you have to consider what your stuff is -worth- too. Is an old couch, table, etc. worth paying over $400 to move? She could have rented furniture for $50 per piece for the duration of her lease (meaning, $50 for a couch, $50 for a bed, $50 for a table and chairs, etc.) The trailer was the least expensive option, and she got to take everything she wanted to have with her.