People who are moving locally and don't have a lot of belongings may actually save more money opting for an hourly moving plan rather than choosing the flat rate option, even with a minimum number of hours (usually three) requirement the moving company may impose. However, you need to plan carefully so you can move a quickly as possible; otherwise, you will easily end up with a bigger bill than you want. Here are three tips for keeping your hourly costs to a minimum.

Obtain an Adequate Amount of Help

The moving company will furnish employees to load the truck. However, you may not get as many people as you need to make the process go as quickly as possible. For instance, since you may only get two moving employees to help you move from a two-bedroom apartment. Thus, you should rope in as many friends and family members as you can to help pack the truck. Even if you offer to buy them beer and pizza as their reward for helping, it'll probably still be cheaper to go the hourly rate.

If you don't have anyone who can assist, though, call the moving company to see how many workers it would send for your move and how much it will cost to acquire additional helpers. Then crunch the numbers to see if going hourly is still better than opting for a flat rate.

For instance, in New York City, the average flat-rate cost of moving a 2-bedroom apartment is $578. However, you would still pay less by hiring three employees at $25 per person per hour for six hours (total $450).

Since the cost of moving can vary depending on your location, call around for quotes and calculate your costs based on where you live.

Simplify as much as Possible

Another thing you can do is simplify as many things as much as possible. Pack your stuff yourself rather than have the employees do it. Move as many items to an easily accessible location in the home as you can. For instance, place the boxes near the entryway in the home. This will reduce the amount of time the employees spend retrieving your belongings and taking them to the truck.

Dismantle large pieces of furniture, such as beds and dressers. Not only can this make it easier to get the items through the front door and onto the truck, but you won't waste the mover's paid time by making them do it.

Lastly, take time to declutter your life. In addition to reducing the amount of stuff that actually needs to be moved, you'll get rid of things that were simply taking up space and not adding any value to your life. Sell the unwanted items online or donate them to a charity to earn some extra income/get a tax write off to help pay for the move.

Move During Low Traffic

A third important thing you can do to reduce the amount of time it takes to move and save money is to schedule the move during a day and time when traffic is light. Movers include the amount of time they spend on the road when charging you the hourly fee. So, the less time the truck spends in traffic, the lower your bill.

Although, the times with the lightest traffic will vary depending on where you live, the best days appear to be Mondays either before or after rush-hour traffic. Be sure to factor in the time of year as well. Traffic tends to be worse in summer with more people traveling. However, the truck may take longer to reach its destination in the winter because of icy roads.

To schedule help with relocating to a new home, contact a local moving company, such as Two Guys and a Truck.