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Save for College While You Shop

This post is sponsored by Upromise, and all content and opinions are my own. Read on to find out how you can save for college while you shop!

See this picture? I swear, just yesterday my children looked like this.

rp_kids3.jpg Today, they look like this. Well, at least this is what they look like when they get all spiffy for a holiday photo shoot. They clean up okay, I guess.

Kids 2015

But you get my point. I find it unfathomable to think about sending my son off to college in just two short years. I feel like last week I was teaching him to tie his shoes.

It’s no secret that I love to shop, but I also have three children to put through college in a few years, and saving for their college tuition is a major priority. You would think these two activities would be mutually exclusive, but not when you shop through Upromise!

What is Upromise?

Upromise by Sallie Mae was created to help families save for college and achieve their educational goals. Whether you’re saving for a child’s college education, paying for it now, or repaying student loans, Upromise allows you to earn cash back for college through everyday purchases.

I’m all about programs that help me save money while I shop, because let’s face it, I shop a lot! Upromise by Sallie Mae is free to join, and members can earn cash for college by shopping online at over 850 online retailers.

shopping online

How Upromise Works:

Join for free at Upromise.com. I just joined, and I can’t wait to get started saving.

When shopping at a Upromise partner, simply go to Upromise.com and search for that store. Click over, and if you make a purchase from that store, you will earn a percentage in cash back.

The cash you earn may be invested in an eligible 529 college savings plan, used to help pay down an eligible student loan, transferred into an FDIC-insured Upromise GoalSaver account, or withdrawn by check.

Upromise Restaurants Program

Do you know what I like to do almost as much as shop? Dine out. And Upromise also offers dining deals through their Restaurants Program.

Simply register the credit or debit card you prefer to use to your Upromise account before you go out to eat. Then dine at one of the 10,000+ participating Upromise restaurants, pay with the card you registered, and you will earn 5% cash back on your whole meal, including tax and tip!

Upromise Travel Program

Not only can you save for college while you shop and dine, you can save through Upromise when you travel as well!

castle at nite

You can earn 5% cash back for college when you book a hotel room for your next family vacation or an upcoming business trip, as well as when you purchase airfare, reserve rental cars, and even when you buy travel gear.

If you want to up the ante, you can earn an additional 5% back by dining out, booking travel, and shopping with the Upromise MasterCard.

I’ve found shopping with rewards-based credit cards to be a great way to earn money towards large purchases and travel expenses. I plan to sit down with the ones we are currently using and the Upromise Mastercard and see how they compare. With college looming for all three kids, adding to their college funds while we shop, dine, and travel would be a wise thing for us to do.

What’s the Catch?

There is no catch. Seriously. Of course, the more you spend through Upromise, the faster your account will grow, so you have to be committed to using Upromise for every possible purchase if it’s going to add up to be enough to significantly offset the cost of college tuition, but why NOT get money back for purchases you’re going to make anyway?

It takes just a few minutes to set up a Upromise account, and then you’re on your way to saving for college when you make your everyday purchases. And right now, when you invite friends and family to join Upromise, you can both earn $20! Every little bit helps, right!?!

Join The Conversation

6 Responses

  1. My Mom is obsessed with UPromise. I know she has accounts for both of my kids. I need to get on it – and soon. Like you said, it goes SO FAST. I feel like I was potty training them just yesterday and now I have one in middle school – ack!

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