Least Expensive traveling for my family?

Hello again:

I am trying my best to come up with an affordable way to go home to visit my family for Thanksgiving. I will be traveling with my 5 children ages-12,11,4, and twins ages 2yrs. My husband will not be able to come along with us because he has just started a new job wroking in a restaurant. I will be leaving St Paul, MN and traveling to Brookhaven, MS, which is 18hours away. Please if someone can help me, please do. I can't afford the prices that I've checked on with Amtrak, which was $1500 and Greyhound was $809. I need help!!!

Thanking you in advance,

Shaye

Rent a car.

The cheapest way to rent a car is by using a non airport location. The savings can be as much as 50 %
So if you rent a Chevy impala from Avis for a week using their downtown st.Paul location it's gong to cost $170 .00 +
2200 miles round trip driving @ 25 mpg=1100 gallons of gas @ $ 2.75=$275 +170=$ 430
2 rooms per night for 2 nights @ $45.00 per room =$180 + 430=$610.00
so you save about 200 bucks driving it yourself
You have to spend at least one night coming and going in a motel
I don't care what mapquest says , there is no way that you can do 1100 miles in 18 hours -that would mean an average speed of 61mph,which gives you a mean speed of about 75-80 mph
driving under winter conditions with 5 kids in the car and very short days those numbers simply don't happen. Hell ,those numbers rarely happen driving solo on warm summer days.
Greyhound says that they can do the trip in around 30 hours which is realistic. Do 600 on the first day 500 on the second.
Have a good Thanksgiving