nascent savvy

Maybe it is due to progress in my self-education about money management, or maybe it is because I am getting older, but I am getting tougher. Once upon a time, I would not scrutinize my bank statements, and haggling was unheard of in my m.o. Now, I know where and how I spend my money, and any inconsistencies, I hone in on and call to question. I just got to the end of an introductory rate APR for my credit card balance. Awhile ago, I decided not to open any new credit card accounts, and not close any of the four I've got. The goal is to establish long-term membership with the accounts, but not have a whole lot of them overall. I called each of the four companies to see who could give me the best deal. A couple weeks ago, one offered me 4.99% for the life of the loan. I didn't take it, thinking I'd shop around and call them back. The company where my money currently sits was going up from 4.99% on 4/2/07, and I was getting the run- around about the new APR. They quoted me 7.99% for a year, which wouldn't have been so bad, but then they changed it to 9.99%. Of course, I wasn't jumping on anything at the time these offers were first made. The last straw with my current company was that they charged me the finance charge for the 9.99% before 4/2/07. I suppose they were looking ahead...but still. I balked. I asked them to take half of the new finance charge away, since it is still prior to the change date. Then, I moved my money to a place where it will be 4.99% until 3/10/08, (mark my words) and then lock in at 7.99% for the life of the loan. It's a couple hundred here or there, and I must stay current with payments, but I liked dealing with the second company, and the particular sales assistant I had, better than the first. My debt still holds me back from higher things, but I feel a teensy bit empowered.