Save Money for College While Shopping for Holiday Gifts, with Upromise

I am a huge fan of shopping.. but I also love saving money! I prefer to save more (way more) than I spend and I try to teach my kids the same.

I have told my 12 year old son many times that we will not be paying for his college education and that he must earn his college education by making good grades. College is just about 7 years down the road for him and that’s not long. I signed up for Upromise when my son was a baby and I am glad! I can’t believe how quickly these years have gone by. Not only is he 12 years old but I’m a mother to a 12 year old! That’s almost more shocking to me. He’s going to be driving in the next few years and then off to college he’ll go.

Upromise by Sallie Mae is a program that offers shoppers cash back towards collage savings, on certain purchases. Everyday shopping that you do at the grocery store, toy store, book store, and even eating out can put money into your child’s college fund.

Upromise is offering some great deals this holiday season and for 10 weeks Upromise is featuring some pretty amazing cash back bonuses throughout the holiday season through their Holiday Savings HotSpot. They are offering 10%, up from 3%, off at Sephora this week (ends 11/17) so if you love Sephora as much as I do, you’ll want to jump on this deal!

You probably already shop at Toys R’ Us, Macy’s, Brookstone, Sears, Target, Apple Store, Best Buy, Land’s End, Home Depot, and The Disney Store so why not save for your child’s college fund at the same time by shopping through Upromise?

Crazy, cool upromise goodies!

If you aren’t a member of Upromise yet, you can sign up here. You’ll get $5.00 in your account when you sign up and there are no fees.
For those of us who shop online a lot (raise your hand), you can download the Upromise Internet browser tool bar, TurboSaver. This toolbar will search participating retailers sites that you visit, for coupons and discounts. How easy is that?!

Through December 13th, all shoppers at Upromise will be entered into a daily drawing for a $500 Apple gift card!

A brief overview of 529 college savings from my point of view:

Parents should start saving early for their children. But even if college days are soon approaching, getting even a little bit of a head start on tuition and additional college expenses will be beneficial. One of the most popular college savings resources available is a 529 college savings plan. A 529 college savings plan allows families to save a significant sum of money in an account designed specifically for college funding. Upromise makes it easy for parents to save for their child’s college education just by purchasing the same every day items they always do. 529 plans may be one of the most effective means of saving for college because of the tax benefits and because parents, grandparents and others can contribute on behalf of specific students. You can learn more about 529 college savings plans on Upromise here.