Hewes Family Fun

Today is National Savings Day! I wanted to share with you a few tips and tricks for saving money beyond using coupons and apps.

Saving for College:

• I really like UPromise. I’ve had an account with them since I was in college, and that was… a while ago. Upromise helps you save for college. I save every day by shopping online, buying groceries, and dining at local restaurants. I use it these days to save for school expenses- I use the UPromise dining program. I’ve got all of my cards attached to it, so any time we eat out (not too often), we’re likely to earn some rewards.  You can earn $5.29 now by signing up and another $25 when you link a 529 plan or a student loan account.*  You can learn more here. 
• If you are in California, Scholar Share has a great 529- you can learn more about it here.
• Need more tips on saving money on college, including discounts on Amazon Prime and companies that never give discounts like Apple? Check out my post here. 
• Looking for some long-term savings? Savings bonds make a great financial gift for the kids. I wrote about our family experience here years ago. They have all since matured, and the money was very helpful at a time in our adult lives when we were struggling.

Trying to budget to get by:

In 2020, I wrote a three-part series about making a practical budget that a family can adhere to and how to get some extra help if you need it. This was written during the pandemic, so there is a lot of information and resources, especially for those feeling the financial panic that many felt during the height of the pandemic.

• Part One- Making the list
• Part Two- Cutting Back on Spending
• Part Three- Getting Help in Times of Need

If you already have a budget or feel that your spending is out of control and you aren’t to the point yet where you feel that you need a budget, I did a series of posts in late 2019 about how to rein in the out-of-control spending.

• Part One- Start in the Kitchen
• Part Two- Entertainment
• Part Three- Shopping Around to Save.  Internet, cell phones, and health insurance (and that’s just three examples). You can save money frequently with a few clicks or a phone call.

Take Control of Your Credit and Credit Score

Did you know that the recent FTC study found that over 20% of Americans, or 40 million credit reports, have reporting errors that are costing consumers money in credit card interest rates and loans?

Make sure that your credit report does not contain erroneous information that could be impacting your credit score. Keep tabs on your credit report activities and your score by signing up for free credit monitoring and score services like Credit Karma, so that you can easily protect your financial good standing.

I’ve used Credit Karma for years; they are owned by Intuit (the TurboTax people). It’s free to use and takes minutes to get an account set up.

UPromise Fine Print: *Bonus is awarded as $5.29 for email verification and $25.00 for 529 or student loan account linking. Member must link a valid 529 College Savings Plan or U.S. student loan account within 30 days of Upromise sign-up and keep it active through the first cash back rewards redemption cycle to receive the $25.00 bonus. Member’s cash back rewards account balance must meet the minimum transfer amount to be eligible for transferring cash back rewards into a linked account.