Upromise: Earn Big for College Without Spending a Dime

If you are a student struggling with college tuition, or a young parent overwhelmed with the thought of educating your child, Upromise might be right for you. I'd heard mention of the name before but while cruising through the grocery store I began to take notice of blue little stickers sporting the Upromise logo under certain foods. Intrigued I went home and hit the web.

Upromise is a free organization that was started to help families earn money for education. The selling point for me was that my savings rack up without my having to change my spending habits, or consciously set aside money for future education.

Upromise has a several tiered program where you can earn money through things like shopping online, purchasing groceries, setting up savings plans, or using a Citi Upromise Mastercard that enables you to gain even more savings. Hesitant to add another credit card, I began earning by linking my current credit card, as well as all of my club memberships to my Upromise account.

For a list of participating stores, visit the Upromise website. Without opening any new accounts, I was able to enroll my Ralph's Card, Vons Card, Food 4 Less Card, and CVS card.

Next, take a look at the products that are currently contributors to Upromise. I was surprised to see that many of the products I already purchase for my home are a part of the program. Most products donate a certain percentage of your purchase to your Upromise savings account.

For example, Cottenelle toilet paper gives back 1% of your purchase to your account while C&H sugar will give 3%. Upromise's website allows you to print out participating companies, or you can simply look for the Upromise logo under products down your grocer's aisle.

Another way to earn money through Upromise is to shop online. By logging into partner sites through Upromise you can earn savings. Staples, for example will donate 2% back to your Upromise account while Petsmart offers up to 7% savings towards your college Upromise account.