My brother's 'just drive at night' moving tip was a disaster

So I moved from Denver to Chicago last month and my brother swore driving through Iowa at 2 AM would beat all the traffic. Honestly, I should have known better since he's never moved more than 10 miles in his life. We hit a construction detour near Omaha that added 3 hours, then the rental truck's AC died outside Des Moines in 90 degree heat. My cat was freaking out in the cab and we had to pull over at a rest stop just to calm down. Tbh, the morning drive would've been longer but way less stressful. Has anyone else followed family advice on a big move and totally regretted it? What would you have done different?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade_jenkins1mo ago

The gas station nachos really sealed the deal on that story lol. Family and friends always mean well but they forget that moving is basically a military operation when you add pets and rental trucks to the mix. I learned the hard way that the cheapest option is rarely the least stressful one. Every big move I've done since then I just budget for a professional crew and treat myself to a nice dinner after, worth every penny.

stellaperry1mo ago

Ugh, this hits way too close to home. My best friend convinced me to save money on my last move by using his buddy's "totally reliable" pickup truck instead of renting one. We broke down on the highway with my entire life strapped to the bed and I had to sit there eating gas station nachos while we waited two hours for a tow. I swear, my grandma's advice about wrapping dishes in old t-shirts was the only thing that didn't let me down. The problem is these people mean well, but they've never actually done the stressful stuff themselves so they just make up nonsense. Next time I'm paying for professionals and sleeping through the whole thing, even if it costs me a paycheck.