A while back I did a post about the advantages of having a Upromise account--it's a free way to earn money for college or to pay off student loans. I recently signed into my account to request my credit to use towards our student loan bills, and I fully expected to jump through a dozen hoops in order to do so. In the process, I learned that you also have the option of requesting a check in your name for the full amount, to be used as you choose. It took me about 30 seconds to request my check for....drumroll please...$400! Now that I know this, I will definitely be using their site to make regular purchases online instead of in-store as long as it's the same price (ie: Bed Bath & Beyond was doing a 10% credit last week with Upromise at the same time that I purchased something in the store. If I had known, I would have bought it online and added a few more dollars to my account as well as saved myself a trip with the kids). If you're saving for a college fund, don't forget to have your relatives add their frequent shopper card numbers to your account. It doesn't cost them a thing, takes very little time, and will really add up over the years.
*Be aware that checks are only mailed four times a year. The next group to be mailed out is mid-September, so if you'd like to get your credit, you should wait until late August to request your check.
