My son lives in one state and made small wage income in other states - cost of state returns is killing me

Maybe you can use the Online Free Edition for his return.  Did you already file his federal?  Or maybe you can file his state return directly on the state's website.  Or get the state forms and fill them out by hand.  

Start an Online return here. 
https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/online

I bought turbo federal and two state returns for my own return ..

Guess you are right but so much work for small income

Australia has one federal tax return and then they allocate money to the states

So much more efficient than 50 different rules and returns 

 You have 2 state programs?  And your son isn't in one of them?  So you need a 3rd state program?  

We moved state

but over summer son worked in CT and lived in NY..

So three state tax returns

Let your son file his own tax return (s).

@asquith62