Paying for college is one of the biggest concerns that people have.  Whether you are saving for college for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or for your own college education, Upromise can help.

Upromise is a service that allows you to earn a percentage of your purchases towards college and it’s free to sign up.  Basically all you do is sign up with Upromise, register your grocery store cards and debit/credit cards and nearly everything that you do or buy can earn you money for college.

When you are ready to make an online purchase, log into your Upromise account and click the Shop Online tab to see if the retailer you want to purchase from is listed.  There are more than 600+ online retailers to choose from and if you click through Upromise you automatically save 1% to 25% of your final purchase for college.  You can save with major shopping retailers like ebay.com, buy.com, staples.com, flowers.com, etc.

You can also save for college through your regular grocery shopping.  Certain items that you purchase may be eligible for a college savings of 1% to 3%.  Check out Upromise to see which items you can buy to save more money.  They also have a dining program.  If you eat at a participating restaurant, you can save up to 8% towards college.  You can go to their site and see a list of restaurants in your area that participate in the program.  You can also recruit family and friends to save money for you.

Once you’ve accumulated at least $25, you can then invest it in a tax free 529 account, pay down your existing Sallie Mae student loans, or you can request a check for your college expenses.  Withdrawals from your Upromise account are tax-free.

So sign up with Upromise now and start saving!