Sallie Mae’s Upromise Program

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Written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributor Michelle of Honest & Truly! who is providing her insights on the Upromise program by Sallie Mae in this sponsored post.  Our writer was compensated, but all opinions remain her own.

Growing up, I was lucky. I knew that I had a college fund created by my parents, and I graduated with no debt. Far too many of my friends weren’t so lucky, and I saw how challenging college debt could be once they graduated. While my family’s income is nowhere near what my parents’ was, providing as much support for the wee ones’ college as I can is beyond important to me. I love programs like Upromise by Sallie Mae that are rewards programs you can join for free to help save for college.

The program isn’t limited to just me and my husband’s saving. Anyone from grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and more can participate in the Upromise program to earn cash back for a child’s college education by purchasing items online from retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Macy’s, and more. There are over 850 online retail partners where you can earn 5% or more cash back all day, every day on eligible shopping purchases. It couldn’t be easier, and on December 12 and 17, you can earn 10% back at featured retailers, making your holiday shopping even more rewarding.

Membership is absolutely free, and the cash back you earn can be used to repay eligible Sallie Mae student loans, add to savings accounts, eligible 529 college savings plans, or you can even request a check. Upromise does a great job of not just rewarding you with cash back on your spending but also in helping you save while you shop. Upromise has many free shipping offer and online coupons available all the time. On December 12, dozens of free shipping offers will be consolidated in one place for Upromise’s free shipping day – just in time to finish off your holiday shopping.

Ready to sign up? It’s simple and free to join Upromise. Simply provide your name and email, then, follow the instructions so that Upromise knows who you are and who you want to save for. Fortunately, it’s easy to change the information about your savings recipient at a later date if anything changes. Don’t remember which retailers particiapate in the Upromise program? Simply download RewardU to your computer, and it will remind you whenever you’re shopping at a retailer that is part of the Upromise program to ensure you don’t miss out on any savings opportunities. It also includes a button where you can access the online coupons and deals, so you don’t have to waste time hunting for them.

Saving for college can be painful, but Upromise makes it less so. It’s empowering to log into your Upromise account and see your transactions and watch your savings add up. Members have earned nearly$800 million in cash back and almost $14 million over the holidays last year alone. And that just might be the best holiday present of all this year.

Michelle may never stop running around Chicagoland, but she always makes time for the important things in her life – her wee ones, cooking, reading, and spending time with friends – and of course, writing. You can see what she’s up to on her blog Honest & Truly! or on Twitter where she tweets as @HonestAndTruly.