Standing on my Box Top

[erin2well]

Most of you know, there are a few issues that motivate me to yank out my soap box. I decided to write a note about the opportunities out there to fund education. It's a great topic, no one gets mad, and if you have not heard of these programs, it should make you happy. There are three programs I love. Box Tops for Education, Campbell's Labels for Education, and UPromise. I am a self declared black belt in UPromise.

Here are the web links if you can't wait. But, I implore you to read about UPromise.

https://www.boxtops4education.com

http://www.labelsforeducation.com

http://www.upromise.com/what-is-upromise-earn-save-pay-for-college.do?cx=l1

In Erin-ese, Box Tops for Education and Campbell's Labels for Education are pretty straight forward. On participating products, you will find the UPC or box top to cut out. The websites tell you which schools participate, and you can drop them at the school (or with your neighbor if they collect for the school, Thank You Carolyn.)

Box Tops for Education are on a variety of products from GM Cereals, Hefty bags, to Huggies Diapers. Each "box top" is worth a dime. The cereal and baked goods are easy to spot because they are right there on the box top. Hard to miss it when you are opening it. On plastic packaging such as diapers or toilet paper, you may have to look around the back of the pack, although sometimes it's on the front. They are tricky that way.

I do not plan my grocery shopping around participating products, yet I cut out a box top almost every single day. And NO, I am not cutting them off stuff at the grocery I haven't bought... I know who was thinking that. When I realized the other day how many I cut out, I realized how many were also thrown out in other house holds. Keep in mind, that is a dime toward a school.

Campbell's Labels for Education is similar. Look on a Campbell's product, soup, Gold Fish crackers, Swanson, V8, etc. Clip the UPC.

AND MY FAVORITE FOR LAST, UPromise.

Upromise is a nifty program. Shop and save. There are multiple ways to save with this, and parents are crazy NOT to participate! Basically when you buy from a participating store, participating product, you get a % of what you spent on that item into your UPromise account for college. Upromise even makes it simple to roll the funds into a 529 college savings account. Clark Howard even likes this program. Not only can you shop and save, you can sign up family and friends to shop and save into your account!!! (If you really don't know where to put the money, I can send you a UPromise invite to fund my kids college fund, just an offer.) You also don't have to be a parent to start the account, the account could be for you, a grandchild, a family member, or there is an option to designate a school for the funds.

When you click on the website and notice the logo, it may be familiar. You may have seen it in the grocery store, or on the back of a Beds Bath and Beyond coupon.

Register your store grocery/drug store cards with UPromise. The stores where I've lived, Kroger, Publix, Bi-Lo, Food Lion, CVS participate. The website will show you your local stores. Then when you shop and buy a participating product, you get a % into the UPromise account. A few examples are Florida's Natural OJ contributes 1%, Beechnut Baby food 3%, Hefty Bags 1%. So you buy a couple OJs for $5, and get .05 in your account.

If you are good with a credit card, you can get the UPromise credit card. On this you get 1% on total purchases, but used at a participating grocery, on a UPromise product, get 10%. So that OJ you bought for $5, just got you .50, from the credit card. (Maying it a total of .55 all together for your account.) Of coarse with credit cards, it needs to be paid before interest hits, or you didn't really save anything.

UPromise eshopping is wonderful. I would estimate 95% of all my eshopping is done with a participating Upromise vender. Sign into UPromise, and then select the vender you want to shop. Some venders require you use a credit card registered with UPromise. This does not mean you need the UPromise credit card, but you just register your existing cards with UPromise. Our crib came from JCP.com, for 3% back. Drugstore.com is a great one, they carry our diaper pail refills cheaper than anywhere else, I always get free shipping, and pay no tax, then I get 5% back. Disney.com is a fun site.

Shop at BestBuys much? Ever used bestbuy.com ship to store feature? It's a cinch. If a product is in stock at your local store, they will pull it from stock, and you pick it up, no shipping charge. I started to buy a duel screen DVD player for the car from the store, $299. I checked the website and the web had it on sale for around $265. THEN the website had a special where you purchase a new release CD and get 15% off DVD players! I got the DVD player and DVD for under $260 with tax, paid no shipping, and they had the order ready in 20 minutes. (And if you are driving 2 kids alone between Augusta and Chattanooga, multiple times, it is $260 well spent.) Oh yeah, and I got 2% back in Upromise.

UPromise can save money providing special coupon codes too on free shipping or discounts on purchases. If you are going to buy something, and buy it online anyway, why not get a % back?

We used UPromise to sell our house through Century 21. Not the most exciting experience ever in this housing market, but when that 1/2% of the home sale hit the account, WOO HOO!

Jonathan used UPromise to get his new car, the RSM, Rico Suave Mobile. A flat $50 will go into the account, and he was referred to a participating dealer where he got $200 below invoice. No haggling.

I just ordered a kids magazine for Jennifer from magazines.com. I got 2 years cheaper than the magazine pull out offered, and got 25% into the account!!! This is the highest participating product.

Mess up Valentine's Day? 1800Flowers or a number of eflorists participate at 10%! Are you mad he messed up Valentine's Day? There are a variety of shoe sites too. Wonderful for children's shoes in special sizes. A few of the shoe sites participate at 10%, and most are no sales tax!

Shop Beds Bath and Beyond? They participate in store and on the net. So the next time you shop there, get 1% in your UPromise account.

So browse the UPromise program, they have restaurant gift certificates, Cord Blood Banking, Dry Cleaning, all sorts of participating stores, estores, products, and services.

If you want to sign up for Upromise, look for a coupon code first. Many participants post a code that if used at sign up, put a couple dollars in your account. Tylenol, Snyders of Hanover, and Florida's Natural have all had codes. If you can't find one, I'll look for one. I'm all about the UPromise savings! We started almost 4 years ago, and have over $2,000. By time the kids go to school, we'll have more money. It should cover at least one book by then.

And yes, I consider it a coupe if I buy something on sale, get Upromise on it, and it has a box top.