by 19 people |
College Savings
Upromise can help! Do you purchase baby food at the grocery store, pump your gas at the local Exxon Mobil station or shop online? If you do, why not earn FREE money for college in the process?
Upromise is a free service that helps you save money for college while doing the things you normally do - shopping, dining, filling your gas tank, buying groceries, etc. They do this by partnering up with 100's of companies that pay 1%-25% towards your college savings when you purchase their products. You can even invite Family & Friends (a grandparent, Aunt, Friend, etc.) to help contribute towards your child's college savings by joining Upromise.
I have been a member of Upromise since 2002 and have saved over $2,100! Keep in mind, this amount does not include the interest that has accumulated on these contributions since I have deposited it into my kid's 529 accounts. The college savings is actually much higher! I am constantly telling all of my friends about this service because it is something I truly believe in. My feeling is that if you are going to spend the money on a certain product and that company is willing to PAY YOU to purchase it, why not take them up on it?
Upromise is a fantastic way to supplement your child's college savings. Every little bit counts! For many parents who had not yet set up college savings account for their child, joining Upromise helped them get on the right track and start saving even more!
Oh, and did I tell you it was FREE.
College Savings Poll
Saving for College
A new program has been launched designed to assist parents in saving for their children's college education. Experts say its never too early to begin a college savings plan. For More Information contact: Info@FastFocus.TV Credits: http://www.Upromise.org
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Getting Started!
Then, since commissions are earned using a registered credit, debit, grocery or drugstore card, you need to register your cards.
It is 100% secure and very simple to do. It generally takes Upromise up to 10 days to validate your cards so be sure to register them right away so you can start saving! Below are screenshots from Upromise of the card registration forms.
Participating Grocery & Drug Stores:
Shop Rite
Stop & Shop
Price Chopper
A & P
Hannaford
Redners
Weis Supermarkets
CVS
Net Grocer
529 & Other College Savings Plans for Dummies
An Amazon Review - This book was the best. It walked me through the college savings process, explained how to get college financing, and listed all the 529 companies to go with for each state.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $15.59 (as of 11/09/2009) 
Taming the Tuition Tiger: Getting the Money to Graduate--with 529 Plans, Scholarships, Financial Aid, and More
A Satisfied Buyer - With the resources in this guide, I believe that anyone can find a way to finance a college education. So what are you waiting for?
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 11/09/2009)
Online Shopping Rewards
Gap, Netflix, Oriental Trading, PetSmart, Target, JC Penny, Land's End, LL Bean, Kohls, Best Buy, Lillian Vernon, Ebay, Disney Shopping, Avon, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Home Depot, Staples, Old Navy, Office Depot, PetSmart, Hallmark, plus many more!
To view all of the companies, visit Upromise and Click on 'Earn' and then click 'Online Shopping' on the drop down menu.
How Does it Work?
If you think you may forget to go through the Upromise link, Upromise also offers a program that you can install on you computer called RemindU. This program automatically gives you Upromise college savings when you purchase from most participating online retailers. So if you forget to start your shopping at Upromise.com, you wil still get your savings!
Grocery & Drug Store Savings
I love getting commissions on my groceries! It may only be a few cents here and a few cents there, but it does add up. And, as I already said, you are spending the money anyway.
There are many participating companies including Cottenelle, Snyders Pretzels, Nestle, Tylenol, Beechnut, Florida's Natural Juices, plus many more!
To view all of the participating products, visit Upromise, click on the 'Earn' link and then click on 'Grocery & Drug Stores' in the drop down menu.
The list does change regularly, so it is a good idea to use the 'Print Out' function to print the list out. I do this every so often and just keep it in my purse to have on hand at the store. Below is an partial screenshot from my account.
*Be sure you have registered your grocery card!
Another College Savings Poll
Savingforcollege.com's Family Guide to College Savings
Book Description: Written for the individual investor, this 88-page guide explores the planning and savings options available to families that are saving for a child's college education. The areas covered include: affording the college of your choice; comparing college savings alternatives such as 529 plans, Coverdell education savings accounts, UGMA/UTMA accounts, and taxable investment accounts; transferring assets between accounts; financial aid considerations; and putting your college savings plan together.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: (as of 11/09/2009)
The Best Way to Save for College 2007: A Complete Guide to 529 Plans
An Amazon Reviewer: Has some great ideas for 529 plans. Take home message: it's not hard to get started, and get started NOW if you've not already! I wanted to get a better idea of 529s, as we've had Upromise for quite a while now. Good State-by-State analysis.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: (as of 11/09/2009)
Dining Out Savings
You can earn up to 8% savings on the total bill - including tax AND tip!
The site enables you to search for restaurants using a Zip Code, City, Metro/Neighborhood or an Address. So, even if you are traveling, you can check out any participating restaurants in the area you will be staying.
You can also earn contributions on McDonalds gift certificates/coupons. You need to purhcase the gift cerificate/books at McDonalds and then visit Upromise to enter in the codes located on the booklets to receive a 3% contribution. If you frequent McDonalds, you may want to purchase a bunch of books, enter in the codes on Upromise and then keep them in your wallet to use whenever you eat there.
Citibank Upromise Card
I would definately look into getting one. If you already have a Citibank credit card, you can contact Citibank to change it over to a Upromise card. Or, you can just apply for the card.
What are the benefits of having a Citibank Upromise credit card?
The Motley Fool Personal Finance Workbook : A Foolproof Guide to Organizing Your Cash and Building Wealth
An Amazon Reviewer The book begins with steps to determine where your money goes, then works through ways to eliminate debt, plan for emergencies, and invest money for various purposes: retirement, college, and other large expenses.
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $10.88 (as of 11/09/2009)
Raising Financially Fit Kids
A Satisfied Buyer This book teaches parents how to share every day money lessons with their children. It is easy to read and has great examples. I highly recommend that every parent buy and read this book.
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 11/09/2009)
Earn College Savings When You Travel
There are many participating companies that will contribute to your college savings along the way!
Budget, Avis, Priceline, Travelocity, Orbitz, Mobil/Exxon, Radisson, Southwest Airlines, Sheraton, United Airlines, Comfort Inn, Econo Lodge, Expedia, Fairmont Hotels, plus many more!
More Services
Some of the companies include:
Terminix, Bed, Bath & Beyond (including in-store purchases), Sharper Image (including in-store services), Capital One Auto Finance, Pep Boys, Bank of America, New York Life Insurance, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA Realty, Chase, Wachovia, Allied Van Lines, Atlas Van Lines, plus more.
Organize Your Personal Finances In No Time
This book is great! I would have never guessed that a book on organizing finances would be fun to read, but this one is! It is easy to follow and is presented in a way that makes it quite simple to customize your own systems.
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $19.75 (as of 11/09/2009)
Financing College: How Much You'll Really Have to Pay and How to Get the Money
Book Description Packed with updated timelines, worksheets, and resource information, Financing College gives readers all the information they need to know to afford the college of their choice.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 11/09/2009)
529 Accounts & Contribution Withdrawals
New York's 529 College Savings Program Direct Plan
College Savings Iowa 529 Plan
CollegeInvest Direct Portfolio College Savings Plan Account (Colorado)
CollegeSense 529 Higher Education Savings Plan (New Mexico)
Columbia 529 Plan (Nevada)
Iowa Advisor 529 Plan
MOST-Missouri's 529 Advisor Plan
MOST-Missouri's 529 College Savings Plan
New York's 529 College Savings Program Advisor Plan
North Carolina's National College Savings Program
North Dakota's College SAVE Plan
Pennsylvania 529 Direct Investment Plan
Pennsylvania's TAP 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan
The GIFT College Investing Plan (Arkansas)
USAA College Savings Plan (Nevada)
Upromise College Fund
Vanguard 529 College Savings Plan (Nevada)
Last College Poll
Personal Finance For Dummies, 5th edition
Amazon Review This is one of the best books on personal finance that I have read.It provides you with the advice you need to make sound financial decisions. You can't go wrong with purchasing this book.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $14.29 (as of 11/09/2009)
The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
A Reviewer This book is extremely readable and contains a tremendous amount of helpful information in the areas of personal finance and debt reduction/elimination.
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $14.61 (as of 11/09/2009)
College Savings Discussions
Do you have a college saving tip or just want to say Hi? Post it here!
LaurieBeth wrote...
This topic is *so* important right now. Education and health care costs are through the roof, and it is putting so many people in crisis. Thank you for this. 5*
Posted October 21, 2009
naturegirl7 wrote...
A great lens with great advice. College is getting more expensive each year.
Posted October 10, 2009
by Janet21
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