The old adage, “If you don’t like it here, then move.” My wife and I moved 14 hours away for better work opportunities. Luckily, her job covered $2k in moving expenses while I negotiated my lack of moving expenses into higher pay. We moved a 3bd, 2bth, 1200 sqft house in a 26’ Uhaul with a 5’x8’ trailer and driving 2 cars. The trip was 850 miles across 2 days. On top of the move, we bought a house. Here’s the total expenses; I know some can move in a shorter period but the buying of a house along with the required work added 2 weeks. We also had about 3/4 of the required boxes from the previous move.
6 weeks without pay. 2 to unwind from previous jobs and pack, 2 to unpack and fix up the house, 2 weeks of work before the first paychecks.
Total moving expenses including gas, food, and one hotel room night.
$2800
Rentals: $1800
Gas: $600
Hotel, new boxes, & food: $400
People feel trapped in their current jobs because if they can’t get a new local job, some can’t afford to move and cover costs until the first paycheck. We don’t even have to pay our mortgage for the first month whereas others would have to pay 1-3x times rent. I’m fortunate enough to be able to afford to move for job opportunities, but I know a large portion of those can’t. I just wanted to share my latest experience for those planning to leave similar circumstances.