Life on a Budget

I have one word to describe Upromise – spectacular. This is the first program that I’ve used in a long time that does so much for it’s customer, that is easy to use, that continues to add new (and easy to use) features and is literally everywhere.

So what is Upromise?

For those of you not familiar with Upromise, it’s a program that earns you money for college through your everyday buying. All your earnings go directly into your Upromise college savings account. Then, you decide if you’d like to grow them tax-free in a 529 plan to pay for college, use them to pay down a Sallie Mae student loan, or receive a check for college expenses.

Here are some of the features that I love about this program:

1. Use your existing credit card.

Sign up your existing credit card and anytime you shop at a store or eat at a restaurant or buy gas etc. that supports the program you will automatically earn a percentage of your purchase—without doing a thing. You don’t even need to know that the store was a contributing store. Or you can get a Upromise credit card which will help you save even more.

2. Online shopping has never been so much fun.

Not only does a percentage of your purchase go towards your loan/account, but many of the stores have additional online saving coupons which can be an additional percentage off your purchase, a free gift or free shipping. Another nice benefit to shopping online is you don’t need a credit card to take part in the savings. As long as you go to the website you are shopping at through Upromise first, and enter the coupon code at checkout, then you get the savings and you can pay however you like. It’s that simple.

3. Huge selection.

Upromise makes it so easy to use the program because it is everywhere. So even if you don’t shop online, if you buy gas or groceries then you can use this program. Ways to save money are in the following categories: online stores, eCoupons, grocery, restaurants, travel, credit card, finance, auto, home, and more.

4. Family members can help you out.

Ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends – whoever you feel comfortable asking to help you save for college, pay off your college loan or help contribute to your children’s college fund. When they join, their savings automatically transfer to you. They can even decide what percent of their savings to share. Better yet, if you don’t have a college loan/savings account, help a loved one that does. You can also offer to be a guest shopper.

5. Upromise eCoupons.

Select which eCoupons you want, activate your list and earn savings for college when you buy those products at participating stores. You will need to get and activate a special card from your participating store but it’s free and easy.

6. Upromise manages everything for you.

You associate your education account or loan to your Upromise account and it tracks all your earnings and applies it to your account/loan.

7. Support a school.

All or a percentage of your earnings can go towards your favorite K-12 school. How cool is that?

8. It’s free.

How much money can you save?

I set up an account about a year ago to help pay down my college loan. Without knowing too much about the program, I paid off about $100 on my loan. Not bad. But I have to say, I think this year will be a whole lot more. I am suddenly more aware of the little blue and yellow Upromise logo and it seems to be everywhere I look. I’m really having a lot of fun with this program. I highly encourage you to see what the program is all about.