With all the shopping you end up doing, don’t you wish there was a way to make it stretch even further (as if that were even possible!)? Upromise is a program that helps you put money away for college just by doing the shopping that you usually do.
Upromise has several ways of helping you do this. First, register all of your loyalty cards on the site (Jewel, CVS, Peapod, etc) so that they are connected to you every time you shop. Next, see if any of your parents, family or friends want to help out too. You can invite them to sign up under your children’s accounts so that they’re purchases count too! There is a list of participating products that “pay you back” for purchases. The amounts are not very much, but they do add up over time.
My favorite new addition to Upromise is the e-coupons (of course!). Every month, you load all of your e-coupons onto your account. They are good at ANY of the stores that you have registered loyalty cards with, so it doesn’t matter where you buy the product. These can also be used in conjunction with manufacturer’s coupons and other e-coupons (at Dominick’s, etc), because Upromise registers AFTER your purchase. It takes a few days for them to get the information.
You can also sign up for a Upromise credit card, sign up for their restaurant rewards program (a very easy way to make extra), and shop online to earn even more for your child’s education.
What do I do with all this newfound money, you ask? You can invest it in a 529 program, pay down a school loan, request a check, or roll it over to another family member or friend.
This program is free, takes very little work, and collects money without your having to pay attention. I honestly can’t think of a reason not to join!