How to Move Across the Country in Your Twenties

Over the past year, I took a bit of a hiatus from blogging in order to spend time focusing on my career of hairdressing. This also gave me the opportunity to save up a lot of money in order to reach one of my biggest achieved goals to date– moving to California! I have dreamed of this day since I was a kid, and after meeting my boyfriend 6 years ago and sharing the same goal we decided it was time to go for it. After settling into our new home I thought I’d share some advice on how we managed to make the move in our (early) twenties!

How to make the move

I’m going to try to make this as simple as possible, because it’s really easy to overthink moving across the country, considering there’s a lot going on. The main factors you have to focus on is saving enough for bills and expenses as well as the move itself (assuming you’re driving), what you will and won’t bring with you, planning your place to stay and jobs. This is all advice coming from a 21 and 23 year old, so we brought a minimal amount of stuff, and are okay sleeping in someone’s living room the first few months. This is my guide for moving across the country with as little fuss as possible.

Estimate the amount of funds you’ll need to cover gas, bills and rent for several months

Do the math, figure out exactly how much you think you’ll need to cover bills and expenses, then tack on another $500 or so for a ‘just in case’ fund. We didn’t expect to stay at many hotels on the way but we got hit with some nasty weather a few times and were forced into spending more. Create a time frame based on your current weekly income, plan when you want to reach your savings goal, then decide exactly how much you’ll need to put away each week.

Decide what stuff you’ll be bringing and what you’ll get rid of

Though it’s much easier to donate all of your things, if you choose to bring a few items that won’t fit in your car alone, look into getting a trailer from Uhaul. But be warned, their prices are always changing based on the current market status. We initially thought we were going to be getting the 4×6 trailer for $450– that turned into a whopping $550 within a few weeks, just another example of ‘you never know’. Whatever you don’t want to bring decide whether you want to sell or donate it. Check out apps like Poshmark, local Facebook buy & sells, and Craigslist for big ticket items and clothing, anything else donate!

Create a savings– it could be as simple as a mason jar piggy bank

Dedicate a spot for your savings. We decided to save in mason jars, for some reason having it within sight made us that much more motivated. Seeing the money pile up physically (and knowing you cannot touch it) had us working hard for more. If a bank savings is more your thing, then do you! Whatever works, just make sure you put it away and forget about it for a while. When the time feels right, count your savings (or check your account) and be amazed at your own amazing saving skills!

Be realistic, but be sure to take risks

This is my number one piece of advice. You can spend the rest of your life planning and waiting for the right time to make the move, but sometimes you just have to go for it. That isn’t to say you should up and leave when you have $10 to your name (unless of course that’s your style then all the power to you!), but don’t hold yourself back either. No one is technically ever ready for huge life changes, that’s why once in a while you have to take a leap of faith, and enjoy the journey no matter how bumpy it may be.

I hope this post inspires you to make the move you’ve been dreaming of!