<p>Any suggestions for luggage to get graduating college kids stuff home from across the country? Have booked family on Southwest with 2 free checked bags each! Guessing her stuff will fit in 6 checked bags.</p>
<p>What are the options? </p>
<p>Send family with empty luggage? Don’t think we have enough of the right size, so may to to buy here.</p>
<p>Buy cheap ish duffle type at Target or somewhere near her school?</p>
<p>Other?</p>
<p>Help and ideas much appreciated!</p>
<p>Box it up and send home via UPS?</p>
<p>Maybe the airlines will accept the boxes as “luggage”? I’d call and ask…</p>
<p>Office Max 20x20x20 box $4 and packing tape, rolls of it. Tape sides and bottom, and use it instead of luggage. A scale to weigh it.</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>Thank you for helping think…wait for it…outside the box! Yes, Southwest will accept boxes as checked luggage. 50 lb max, dimensions l + w + h not to exceed 62"</p>
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<p>This is what we did. We actually borrowed bags from friends…worked fine.</p>
<p>When S returned to college on his own, he took the 2 bags and carryon with him. We ended up shipping his golf bag/clubs via Fed Ex. Cost us $43, which was less than the extra bag fee would have been, plus it was delivered to him. He also stuffed the golf bag with shoes, bulky clothes, etc.</p>
<p>$43 to Fed Ex golf clubs? That is very useful information. Four year high school varsity golfer son has been unsure of whether or not to bring his golf clubs to college. They take up a lot of space! I am going to tell him to leave them home, and if he really wants them, we’ll ship them down. Maybe I can have him box them up in a fed ex box for shipping before he leaves in August. :)</p>
<p>Freshman year, before there were smartcars available at my daughter’s school, she needed boxes to box stuff up at the end of the school year (to put in a storage locker) and didn’t have a way to get extra cardboard boxes. I ordered her a flat of 12 boxes from ULINE.com
They were nice sturdy boxes and quite cheap. She used 7 and gave 5 away to grateful friends.</p>
<p>^^thanks for the uline tip…will be very useful</p>
<p>Midwest…my S also 4yr HS golfer…I knew clubs would be going. (At this point, I should have signed the CLUBS up for frequent flyer miles!) I’d encourage your S to take them. Mine has used extensively…and the college course stores them for $50/year, so he doesn’t have to schlep back to his room.</p>
<p>Score. Stopped by Kohls tonight to see what they had on markdown for myself but stopped by Juniors dept to look for stuff for 12yo D. They had about 8 dressy/prom/holiday type dresses on the 60% off rack. I found 2 short ones that would fit D, one was $10.90 marked down from $109 and other was $25.50 marked down from about $80. She has a bat mitzvah coming up and needed a nice dress. Best part was she loved them both. I can’t tell you how many times I buy clothes for her only to have to return them because she hates them. I ended up with nothing for myself. :(</p>
<p>The local running store has its winter gear half off, so I bought nice gloves for the runners in the family.</p>
<p>Am visiting my D and went yesterday to the most awesome TJMaxx/Homegoods combo! So big and great variety! In the womens section they even had a “runway” section- extreme designer (and extreme prices) clothing. I took a browse at the purses to see if I could find the Baggalini (sp?) bags you have all been talking about and was overwhelmed by the purse selection in general!</p>
<p>If anyone is interested: Talbots is having 25% off everything.</p>
<p>Another TJMaxx find…not as big as my luggage, but my daughter was happy. She loves Fossil bags but they are always too much money. I found this 128.00 bag for 59.00 that she admired in the Fossil store last year. Not a steal, but her smile was worth it and it is more compact for traveling. <a href=“http://www.buckle.com/fossil-liberty-crossbody-purse/prd-68870ZB4584231[/url]”>http://www.buckle.com/fossil-liberty-crossbody-purse/prd-68870ZB4584231</a></p>
<p>Super cute purse- my D would love that too! I did pick up a pair of Fossil sunglasses on my TJMAXX trip yesterday for $12!</p>
<p>That’s great, I remember the glasses were pricey also. I’ll have to wander over that way next time. : )</p>
<p>Back decades ago when I was a student, my “luggage” was fruit boxes taped with strapping tape. 4 fruit boxes holds a TON of stuff and was fine with the airlines as my luggage. Good that you have the dimensions and weight limits. You can also weigh at the gym but a small reliable luggage scale is more convenient.</p>
<p>@gosmom - Ah! I would never have thought of storing the clubs at the school’s golf course. We will investigate. What a great idea. He’s going to a warm weather school and I think the odds are high that he’ll have some golfing friends and will want his clubs.</p>
<p>My daughter loves Fossil purses too. Haven’t seen many at TJ Maxx but I agree, their purse department (and the nearby luggage department) are always worth a look.</p>