<p>Were shopping at our local grocery store and there was a sign next to the drinks that said save for college - go to upromise .com and D just did! We are registering - if you spend $ anyway at certain local restaurants, buy certain things - BBB is on the list - all those sheets and towles, etc., a percentage is placed into a college account - even gas at certain stations. It apparently doesn't cost a thing - just your own $ that you would spent set aside for college. Bill Bradley endorses it. Even some airlines are on it, if you register for their frequent flyer program. Sounds like a good idea.</p>
<p>Only one caution: when I started to investigate how to get the money <em>out</em> of a Upromise.com account, I found that you either have to open a 529 account with them, or go through a fairly complicated procedure to have the proceeds transferred to another account you already own. They don't just send you a check or whatever.</p>
<p>I did open an account anyway, but be aware that it doesn't add up very fast, and it might take some doing to get the funds out. Every little bit helps, though!! :) </p>
<p>Also note: you can sign up the credit cards or store discount cards of others, too -- my retired parents and their caregiver in FL signed up, so their grocery purchases help fund their grandsons' Upromise account.</p>
<p>my moms been doing upromise for awhile now. there is a lot of ways to earn money through it. I think my mom got like 400 dollars or so just for buying a GM car.. or something like that.. but that's a big purchase, not something you do every day..</p>
<p>mootmom-
Yes, they do actually send you a check. The 529 plan we have is not one on Upromise's list, so all we had to do is write a letter saying we wanted the $ released to us-- and since the amount we had earned was over $200 we had to have the letter stamped with a signature guarantee (its similar to having it notarized). They said the check could take up to 90 days to get, but we had it in about 2 weeks, and it was made out to us, not to the college. No problem whatsoever.</p>
<p>Great to know, jym, thanks -- we'll try it out before too long.</p>
<p>mootmom-
You're welcome. It took a long time to earn the $$, even, when using their linkto buy things on line, etc. The thing that sped up the reimbursement was having a upromise credit card. I tend to use other cards that give me up to 5% back for purchases, but this was a decent deal too. I definitely like free money!! They have all sorts of ways to earn $$- including eating at restaurants in your area that are giving a percentage back, and paying with a chargecard you've "linked" to they upromise account. Once you register all the stuff, which will take a few minutes, the rest happens automatically.
FYI, we had a thread a month or so ago here listing all sorts of bargains, coupons and discount sites. It had lots of links and info. <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=63103.(Shameful%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=63103.(Shameful</a> plug-- I started the thread to keep from hijacking another thread about ways to be frugal with graduation gifts).</p>
<p>I've been a Upromise member for about 3 years.....
earnings do pile up slowly BUT it is 'free' money.</p>
<p>I do a lot of buying online, Land's End, Eddie Bauer, Dell, etc.
So, I haven't changed my spending habits, just remember to link through the upromise site.
I've sent letters twice asking for my balance.....and had no problem receiving the checks directly to me. About $300 so far.</p>