What is the cheapest/most efficient way for me to move 900 miles?

I’m moving! And I’m really excited! But! I’m having a hard time figuring out what route to take as far as the LITERAL move goes. Here are the details:

I do not have very much stuff. The only furniture I’d like to take is my queen bed and box spring, and my dresser ideally. On top of that, I have the usual: clothes, some kitchen stuff, and a lot of camping gear. I have far less than the average single person. I believe most of my belongings other than the furniture I mentioned would fit in my Ford Escape in one trip. BUT, I’m not willing to get rid of my bed, so that is not an option.

Anyhow, I also have a cat which must be considered of course. And I have a ton of houseplants, most of which are very dear to me and I would like to take the large majority of them. Some I will leave behind, but most I will take, and this is non negotiable.

So:
-Bed/box spring
-Dresser
-Cat
-Plants

Those are the essentials.

Originally I thought that getting a hitch installed would be the easiest, and a trailer would be the cheapest to rent, but it is seeming that when all is said and done with the hitch, plus trailer rental from point A to point B, it would not be much cheaper than just renting the smallest Uhaul here and dropping it off when I get there, and having someone else drive my car. (I know then that gas would be more expensive, just ideas here)

Also, I don’t really want a hitch and I will probably never use it again.

I haven’t moved cross country in 11 years and back then I had no furniture and no belongings really as I was just moving out of my parents house. That was really easy and this is not. I would of course like to keep costs as low as possible, so I’m just wondering if maybe some of yall have done this more than me and know the cheapest way or can think of a better idea.

If it matters, I am moving from Boulder, Colorado to Tucson, Arizona probably in early January if everything works out with housing.

Thanks so much in advance for any ideas.