• There are many alternatives to U-Haul to help you with your move.semi trailer image by max blain from Fotolia.com
  
  You all know the movie.
  
  Scene: Young single person contemplates packing up and moving cross-country.
  
  Scene 2: Young person drives a car with U-Haul trailer in tow whilst singing pop songs out of tune.
  
  If you need to move just a few basic belongings, you're probably going to check U-Haul first. If circumstances demand other other options, though, don't fret. A number of choices are available.
  
  

Trailer Costs

• It's not sexy, but it gets the job done.Trailer on Grass image by Towards Ithaca from Fotolia.com
  
  You may be able to buy a trailer for less than the cost to rent a U-Haul truck. Utility trailers are regularly sold (and resold) on Internet bulletin boards for very reasonable prices. Just make sure you secure everything well with ropes, bungees and tarp. But before you make plans that involve a trailer, consult your vehicle's documentation to see what kind of load it can pull without overheating.
  
  

Truck Rental

• Everyone's knows that Penske and Ryder rent trucks, but car rental companies rent trucks as well. Just because they don't focus their advertising on it, doesn't mean they don't have it. Many companies rent moving trucks, but you are not likely to rent a tow-trailer from anyone but U-Haul.
  
  

Portable On Demand Storage

• PODS is a company that began in 1998. The concept was simple: The company drops off a large metal container for you to fill up with your belongings, and then the company drops off the container at your new address. Many moving companies now offer this service as well.
  
  

Professional Movers

• This option can be costly, but depending on your situation, the cheapest moving option may very well involve a professional moving company. If you're moving locally and just need a way to move items that are too big for your car, a two-man crew might cost less than a rent-a-truck in both money and backaches.
  
  

Social Networking

• Do you just need to move a few belongings from L.A. to New York? Guess what? Someone else does too. Find people on Facebook, Twitter and Craigslist to share the costs and you could save a ton of money.
  
  

Yard Sale

• How much money could you make if you sold everything instead? How much would it cost to buy everything new? For a moment, just ignore the monetary value of your belongings. How much is it worth to you? You might have paid a lot of money to buy that exercise bike and it might cost a good deal to replace, but if you are never going to use it then it is not worth renting a truck or trailer over.