5 Strategies That’ll Help You Beat Uber’s Surge Pricing on New Year’s Eve

After the ball drops and the bubbly pops to ring in the new year, the last thing you want to think about is how you’re getting home.

But New Year’s Eve is notorious for auto accidents, and about 36% of fatalities during the holiday period in 2017 involved drunken drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

I’m not going to tell you not to go out and have a great time with your friends. But New Year’s Eve is one of those events I call an “amateur night”; there’s a lot of alcohol and not a lot of thinking about your own tolerance levels. Everyone’s focused on celebrating. And that’s cool.

But since we know many people are going to get sloppy, it’s important to plan your New Year’s Eve travel before the big night.

You probably know that if you take Uber after the clock strikes midnight, you’ll likely have to deal with Uber New Year’s Eve surge pricing, the increase in standard ride fees that occurs during high-demand periods.

But is paying more the only way to get a safe ride home?

Use these tips to plan what could be the most inexpensive part of your night out — because, let’s be real, you paid way too much to go to that fancy New Year’s Eve party.

5 Ways to Avoid Uber Surge Pricing on New Year’s Eve

1. Play the System

Everyone has a friend who installs every ride-hailing and ride-sharing app imaginable on their phone and flips through them until they find a price they like.

Be that friend on New Year’s Eve.

Download Uber, Lyft, Via or whichever app floats your boat. Fill ’em up with your billing info so you’re ready to go on the big night, then start scanning the competition. By having multiple options, you increase your chances of avoiding surge pricing.

2. Stock Up on Promo Codes

Have a promo code for a discounted or free ride? Make sure it’s applied to your account before you start cracking open bottles of champagne.

Ride-hailing and ride-sharing companies may black out some referral codes or promo offers on their busiest nights of the year, but it’s always good to be prepared.

3. Plan Your Trips to Anticipate Costs

Historically, the cheapest times to take Uber early on New Year’s Day are right after the ball drops around midnight and again after 3 a.m.

Want to stay out late, but not that late? Wind down the night at a friend’s place so you don’t spend money at a bar until closing time.

4. Walk a Few Blocks

If you’re with a group or in a busy, well-lit area, it may be worth walking a few extra blocks to get a ride in a surge-free zone. Use an app like SurgeProtector to see the surge territory near you and whether it’s worth hoofing it a bit.

Be prepared for every zone to be a surge zone at some point on New Year’s Eve and early on New Year’s Day, though.

FROM THE SAVE MONEY FORUM

What kind of store bought pizza is almost or as good as pizza chains?
M
Saving for and with grandchildren
M
What has been your money epiphany?
Sid
Saving money
M
See more in Save Money or ask a money question

5. Take a Cab

Standing on the curb trying to flag a cab after midnight on Jan. 1 will be frustrating at best.

Before the festivities begin, find out if your local taxicab commission has an app of its own. You may not save money by hailing a regular ol’ cab from your phone, but you’ll be able to stay warm while you’re waiting — and you won’t have to shout over the crowd to call dispatch.

Lisa Rowan is a former senior writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.



source https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/save-money/uber-new-years-eve-pricing/?aff_id=178&aff_sub3=MainFeed__save-money/uber-new-years-eve-pricing/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

These Coconut Oil Uses Are for the Kitchen, Bathroom and Beyond

Image
I first discovered coconut oil several years ago when a health-focused grocery store opened in my neighborhood.  While I originally bought it for cooking, I quickly found many ways I could use it around the house. Now, I use so much that I invest in giant vats from Costco to save money; an 84-ounce tub costs $15.99 and typically lasts me four to six months. If you’re new to coconut oil, you’ll be surprised at just how adaptable this once-unknown ingredient can be. Ways to Use Coconut Oil That You Probably Haven’t Thought Of In the Kitchen The first use you probably think of for coconut oil is cooking. I most often find Indian recipes that call for this oil, but I’ve used it in a variety of dishes ranging from curries and stir-fries to granola and muffins. There’s some controversy surrounding the consumption of coconut oil because of its high saturated fat content. According to Harvard Medical School , coconut oil has more saturated fat than butter or lard — about 90%. Satu...
Read more

29 Road Trip Tips for a Fun and Frugal Vacation

Image
Cruising down the open road is a great way to get away from it all. Planning a road trip can be a cost-effective way to travel too — that is, if you do it right. The costs you’ll encounter on a road trip tend to sneak up on you, unlike the upfront sticker shock of a plane ticket. But no worries — there’s a lot you can do to save money on a road trip. 29 Cost-Saving Road Trip Tips 1. Consider Road Tripping With a Friend or Two Traveling solo has its benefits, like not putting up with someone else’s music for hours on end. But taking a road trip with others means you’ll have someone to split the costs of expenses like gas and lodging. You can literally cut your costs in half by road tripping with a friend. It’ll also make the long distance driving more bearable. Just make sure it’s someone you can tolerate being cooped up with for a long period of time. Also, discuss expectations for the road trip ahead of time so you’re both on the same page. You don’t want to wait until you’re o...
Read more

Credit Sesame Can Help Homebuyers Fix This Problem Before It Happens

Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners . If you’ve ever searched for a home to buy, you know the first step is mortgage pre-approval — and in today’s competitive market, you likely need to have it before you even put in an offer. But if you’re like one-fifth of Americans, an error on your credit report could mean banks could be scared of lending to you and won’t give you a pre-approval. And even if they do, it could be for an absurd loan rate that can cost you tens of thousands of dollars or more by the time you pay off the house — yikes. So if you didn’t see that roadblock coming, your dream house could be someone else’s before you have a chance to fix it. That’s why you need to make sure your credit report card is free of errors and your score is in tip-top shape before you even start Zillow-ing. A free website called Credit Sesame makes it s...
Read more