Shopping My Way to College

My son enters kindergarten next year, but it’s never too soon to think about his higher education.

 

I have been saving for my son’s college tuition from the day he was born, depositing a set amount into a special account my bank, no matter what, even when times were tough financially, by golly I made that deposit.

 

I try to save money any way I can, and I admit I am a regular coupon clipper.  So I was thrilled to come across the site Mission Tuition which is a portal to top merchants, from grocery stores to department stores, offering up to 50 percent savings, coupons and rebates.

 

Instead of getting that 2 or 3 percent back in cash or airline frequent flyer miles or some other form, the rebate is deposited in a Wells Fargo account.  You then have the flexibility to open a 529 plan, which is a tax-advantaged investment plan named after Section 529 of the IRS code (talk to a banker to get all the fine print on restrictions), or you can use your Mission Tuition account to hold your savings and withdraw whenever you need it.

 

Besides shopping online to earn rebates, you can also shop in person and get on-the-spot savings.  What a way to take the guilt out of shopping.  I just think of it as making an investment in my son’s future.