How to Save Money on Your Commute
How long is your commute?
Do you sit in traffic for long periods of time?
Does it bug you that you’re idling away all that gas and therefore money?
Well if it does, try this trick to save some money.
1. When you’re stopped, wiggle your wallet out of your pocket when it’s safe to do so.
2. Pull out your highest rate credit card and call your credit card company with your hands free cellphone.
3. Ask them to lower your rate!
Commenter Dean did this while driving home yesterday. He talked to one agent and asked about lowering his rate. They transferred him to a second agent who asked him what other card companies were offering him. He told them 2% lower APR. The second agent said they could do better and beat it by another 2% so in about 5 minutes he reduced his APR by 4%!
Give it a try! I might have to do this with my 15% APR card even though I don’t carry a balance on that one. Why not make all my rates as low as I can?
Who else can you call in 5 minutes to TCB? My sibling calls me while driving home all the time. Due to the 3 hour time difference, it works for us because I’m usually safely at home and they’re on Hwy 101 looking at pretty, pretty brake lights.
Mrs. Micah wrote:
Nice.
Of course, I’m underground most of my commute and don’t have Verizon (and it wouldn’t be a good idea to give my identifying information in the metro). But that sounds like a very productive way to use a traffic jam! 
Posted on 15-Nov-07 at 3:23 pm | Permalink
D wrote:
Love it! I can’t use it personally, like you. But I love the concept.
Posted on 15-Nov-07 at 4:09 pm | Permalink
Brian A wrote:
I don’t know about this one. I think the last thing rush hour traffic needs is more people talking on their cell phone, hands-free or not*. I’m convinced your driver’s IQ drops some points the more distractions you have going on in your car, e.g. talking on your phone, small children in the back seat, etc. Some of these things are unavoidable but some are not.
Be safe.
*Ok, technically, the last thing rush hour traffic needs are more cars on the road but still…
Posted on 15-Nov-07 at 5:54 pm | Permalink
Around the PF Blogosphere: November 15, 2007 | The Sun’s Financial Diary | A Personal Finance Blog on Saving and Investing wrote:
[…] Mipgirl’s Fiscal Challenge has an excellent idea on what you can do when you stuck in traffic on your way home: save some money. […]
Posted on 15-Nov-07 at 10:29 pm | Permalink
mapgirl wrote:
Brian -
I know people who have commutes where they are dead stopped for more than 10 minutes at a time. It’s a personal choice to do this when it’s safe and I expect people to use some common sense, but maybe I ask too much.
Posted on 16-Nov-07 at 8:58 am | Permalink
Dean J wrote:
The original intent wasn’t so much “organize your finances in traffic!”, but more “everyone should call their credit card companies and give this a shot when they have a moment”.
I spent fifteen to twenty minutes at a dead stop, so I didn’t feel too too bad about calling that “free time”.
That said, right now is the lowest the Fed rate is likely to go for awhile, so if there’s a time to ask for the lower APR, right now is worth a try.
Posted on 16-Nov-07 at 1:46 pm | Permalink
dimes wrote:
My commute moves pretty well, except for those galling times I get stuck at the crossing waiting for a BNSF train to pass by. When that happens, I turn off the car and make out a grocery list.
Posted on 17-Nov-07 at 8:35 pm | Permalink
FinanceIsPersonal.co wrote:
That’s a great idea! When I had a 25 minute commute over the summer, I listened to audio books, a great way to enrich myself during my morning and evening commute!
Posted on 18-Nov-07 at 6:56 pm | Permalink