Free directory assistance

Mobile phone carriers make a lot of money from customers who use their 411 service. LiveSource, a company that handles directory assistance services for the major carriers, answers a billion 411 calls per year. They charge a couple of bucks every time you use the service, and if you use it once or twice a day, it can really rack up your phone bill.

I never dial 411. Whether I’m on a landline or my mobile, I dial 1-800-free-411, an advertising-sponsored directory assistance service. It’s worth it to me to listen to a 12-second advertisement before getting the number I need.

Besides 1-880-free-411, you can use a similar service, 1-800-411-metro.