My daughter is moving home from Oregon to Texas after graduating from college.  I am trying to decide which would be more cost effective:  shipping whatever boxes of stuff she has and flying home, or loading everything up in a rented vehicle and driving the 1800 miles home (necessitating at least one night in a motel)?   She doesn't have enough for a moving van, but what about other shipping companies like UPS?  What's the general consensus here?  I know I can trust you guys to steer me to the right path!  

I'd say for convenience and safety sake, fly home and ship the her stuff HOWEVER, be selective and get rid of stuff she really doesn't need or can be easily replaced. If she has another semester to go before this happens, she could start sending stuff a little at a time.

In today's world ~ no way would I ever permit a daughter (or even with a friend) travel in a rental for 1800 miles!  This world is more than dangerous! 

It might even be cost effective to only ship/mail her treasures to their destination and donate the rest!  Her tastes will change as she matures, and what is great today may be "old hat" next year!

 Hi ... I agree with selling most items and only shipping her treasures. Have a large yard sale and use the profits to purchase items when arrives in new place. Figure out the cost for rental, hotel and gas ... seems to me, a big expense for non-important items.   

Thanks for your input, everyone!  She has been in an apartment for 3 years, so things have accumulated.  Some things aren't that easy to ship by mail; for instance, she has a big trunk. I'm unsure about finding "shipping companies" vs. "moving companies"  - just not sure what the difference is.

And, I was not going to let her drive home by herself!  Originally I was going to go out there and help her pack up and put stuff in a rented van and we were going to drive back together.  It was my husband who suggested having the stuff shipped and save ourselves that journey.  

Recommendations for trustworthy shipping companies? 

 

You might also check with some of the mobile storage companies - the ones that bring a container to your home for you to fill; some of them will drive the container anywhere they have an office, and it can be cheaper than shipping rates using other methods.

Karenteacher:  thanks for this info!  I had not heard of this and am investigating it now!

 

You can also ship by greyhound bus!   Often the buses are not full so you can send packages under the bus for cheap!   The downside is you have to pick them up when the bus arrives.  The service is called package express

These guys are who she was suggesting..SHIPPING PODS

 

This might help your daughter in organizing her stuff for the big moving
http://hartfordauto.thehartford.com/Safe-Driving/Your-Life/Working-In-Retirement/moving.shtml