Living Frugally- You cant be serious.

Yay welcome to another frugality post. It's not about vinegar this time. It's actually about credit cards and debt. See I have this one card... its $1500 and the interest rate is 24.99% which means.... well it means I'm basically screwed.

I'd been reading up a lot on this sort of thing. What to do about it, who to talk to etc, and I finally plucked up the nerve to call my company based on this guy's advice The Simple Dollar Go check it out sometime.

He said that you should call up the company and ask them to lower your rate. If they wont, ask why. And if they still wont budge, casually mention you're getting other offers to transfer your purchases at a lower apr. Well I had collected 5 or 6 offer this week in the mail and picked the lowest interest rate for balance transfers. Then, armed with my loaded pistol, I called up my current bank and spoke with a very nice lady. I told her that I was not happy with the interest rate and could we do something about that please I'd like to keep my business with you. She then told me I had the lowest rate available.

What?
No.

Really? You're going to tell me that TWENTY FIVE percent is the lowest???? I don't think so. So I told her that I hardly believed that 25% was the lowest and she kept insisting that it was and that they couldnt do anything about it. I asked to speak to her supervisor and she said okay but she wont be able to help you. That sort of irked me. So I just said thanks anyway and hung up.

Then I promptly logged online to my new card offer and signed up for it. 0% for two years on balance transfers and 14% after that. With a 3% transfer fee. I was approved and able to move all but about $200 over. Which I will promptly be paying on the 15th when I get paid again.

So- moral of the story is..... you cant seriously expect me to keep paying you a QUARTER of my balance in interest every month. Sorry. Not happening. I am sure someone somewhere else wants my hard earned money a little more and are willing to negotiate.

Now, I have no interest for 2 years and one card all but paid off so now I can focus on tackling the bigger buck items and then I will be freee..... oh so freeee... The avalance is coming. Make sure you're ready. Its going to be a long, long winter.

Booya!