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Moving away for college is stressful enough without having to negotiate trunk space with your own family.

One college student had already trimmed his belongings down to just five moving bags, sacrificing his favorite plants along the way just to make everything fit for the drive to Chicago.

The real conflict wasn’t his packing at all. His stuff already fit fine on its own.

It was his dad’s massive mini fridge, purchased purely for sandwiches on the road trip, that was now eating up the exact space his belongings needed.

Making matters worse, the whole family of four was coming along without him having any say in the decision, and getting a van wasn’t an option unless he paid for it himself.

The logistical headache that ensued was one for the ages. Read on.

AITA For telling my dad I’m not going to take “less stuff” to college

I have five moving bags for college.

That’s it. Five moving bags, and I’ve already agreed to leave my favorite plants behind, even though they give me something to keep alive when I get depressed.

I have already given up a lot of the things I want to take and managed to get down to just the necessities.

I can’t take less stuff without losing things I need to genuinely survive in college.

His father doesn’t seem to understand the struggle.

My dad told me to just “pack less stuff” and force everything into a box on top of the car.

But he wants room for this massive car mini fridge he bought, one that isn’t even for me, it’s just so he can have sandwiches on the trip.

It’s not being used for medications or necessities of any kind.

A lot of much-needed space is being taken up by the rest of the family.

My whole family is going, all 4 of us, and I didn’t have a say in that.

All of my stuff fits in the back of the car, and my family’s luggage can comfortably fit in the box on top of the car.

The conflict is entirely the fridge.

Now the family is at a standstill about how to transport all the stuff.

I can’t bring my own car either, since the college is in Chicago and it’s easier to just take public transportation than drive, and my college only allows ONE vehicle to be used for offloading anyway, so a second car isn’t even an option.

My dad refuses to get a van and would make me pay for it myself, which I can’t afford right now.

It’s a two-day drive for him.

It’s the next year for me.

Moving to college is stressful enough without all this extra nonsense.

What did Reddit have to say?

His dad is really unnecessarily complicating things.

This student will likely have to find another way to get his things.

Sometimes you have to put your child before yourself.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a sister with a bad history who found herself staying in a hotel instead of with family.

On the other hand, maybe packing light really is the move.

This college student already did the hard part by considerably cutting down their things and parting ways with his beloved plants. But he knew sacrifices had to be made to make the trip work.

That’s why his father’s lack of sacrifice was so frustrating. Like, do you really need a whole mini fridge in an already-cramped car?

Sandwiches are great, but there are more important things here.