Paying less at the checkout register is my favorite way to save, but sometimes we can get rewarded or refunded later for purchases. A few websites allow us to save with coupons in the store and then receive additional benefits from those purchases.
Upromise.com is a site designed to help save for college. Money doesn't come off your total due at checkout, but the savings are deposited into your Upromise account. You can use the money to pay down a student loan, earn interest in a savings account, open a 529 plan or simply request a check to use for anything you wish.
You can earn money by shopping online, eating out and buying groceries. You can earn up to 8 percent when you use a registered credit card at participating restaurants. You can log in to Upromise.com and then be transferred to your favorite online merchant. Make an eligible purchase and a percentage is automatically deposited into your Upromise account.
Upromise.com also offers e-coupons for grocery stores. Register your store loyalty cards on Upromise.com; select the e-coupons you wish to have. When you purchase the eligible item, the savings are deposited into your account. Your balance due at the register will not change, but you will see the amount deposited into your Upromise account. CVS, Rite Aid, Lowes Foods, Harris Teeter and Food Lion participate in this program. Because the Upromise e-coupon does not affect your checkout amount, you can still use a manufacturer's coupon on the product in the store.
The savings add up quickly. It is free and easy to sign up with Upromise.com, and it is a great way to obtain savings away from the register. Take a few minutes every other week and load the e-coupons to your account. You could easily find $3 or $4 in savings applied to your account the next time you load the e-coupons.
Another place to get savings is SavingStar.com. It is a related program to Upromise, but it focuses on grocery e-coupons. CVS, Rite Aid, Lowes Foods, Harris Teeter and Food Lion also participate in this program.
You activate e-coupons to your cards, and when the eligible purchase is made in the store, the savings are placed in your SavingStar account. When you have accumulated $5 in savings, you can "cash out." There are several choices: Paypal deposits, direct bank deposits, Amazon.com gift cards or a donation to American Forests. One tree is planted for each $1 donation made to American Forests through SavingStar.
As I write this, 45 active SavingStar e-coupons with a total savings of more than $39 are available. I have redeemed 14 of these coupons and have more than $13 in my SavingStar account. I am letting it accumulate and will cash out in the future.
Savingstar.com and Upromise.com e-coupons are good for a one-time use. It takes several days for the savings to show in the accounts. The information has to be provided by the store.
Instant savings will always be the most satisfying and the best method, but a few clicks can lead to great savings, too.
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