Are there any future Ivy Leaguers in your family? Or some future State U'ers? You can help foot the bill by signing up for a rebate program that deposits a portion of eligible purchases into a 529 college savings plan. It used to be that Upromise
was the only game in town. But an article in U.S. News & World Report noted that there are two others: BabyMint
and Little Grad
. With Upromise and Baby Mint, rebates can be used not just to build savings, but to pay down existing student loans as well. Even if you don't have kids of your own, Upromise and Little Grad allow you to link to the accounts of friends or family members with kids. BabyMint also has a relationship with SAGE Scholars
in which rebates earned for a 529 plan are matched dollar for dollar in tuition reductions at some 200 colleges and universities.
Matt's View
It takes a little time to sort out the nuances of each program, but once you get started you'll be able to save for college just by buying things you would normally buy. Here's one other rebate savings program you may not have heard of: BondRewards
. A percentage of purchases made from BondRewards affiliates can be redeemed for U.S. savings bonds. The site claims that its rebate amounts are higher than most other rebate programs.
October 1st marks the 50th anniversary of the appearance of "In God We Trust" on U.S. paper currency. The phrase has been on coins since 1864. It became the U.S. motto in 1956 and made its first appearance on U.S. currency the following year.
Matt's View
There's a fascinating history of how the phrase found its way onto our coins and currency here
. It's basically the result of a lobbying effort among people of faith during the Civil War. You can also learn about the symbolism on the back of our currency - the pyramid, the All-Seeing Eye, and more. Having the motto on all of our money is a good and constant reminder of Who owns it all.
Doing right by the environment is often inconvenient and expensive. But an article by Yahoo Finance columnist Laura Rowley, offered up one very easy and effective idea for reducing electricity use. Culling from the practices of the extremely green Colin Beavan
, she recommends simply unplugging appliances when not in use. One study found that people can save up to 25 percent on their electric bill just by cutting down on so-called "stand-by loss." Think of all the items you leave plugged in when you're not using them--TVs, computers, printers, coffee makers--and get in the habit of pulling the plug when they're idle.
Matt's View
A friend recently pointed out that there's a choice in how to pay for electricity in Illinois. We've been paying a flat rate per kilowatt-hour. But we could sign up for a program that varies the cost by time of day and demand. More information is available here
. In our household, the potential savings don't appear to be that great since I work from home and like to keep the house somewhat cooler than 100 degrees in the summer. But if you're away from home during the peak energy times and can adjust your thermostat accordingly, you may be able to save. Call your electricity provider and see if variable pricing is available in your area.
Have you been enjoying more peaceful dinners since you signed up for the telemarketer Do Not Call list? If you'd like to keep it that way you might want to check to see when your registration expires. A recent article by the Associated Press noted that our registrations are only good for five years. And with the Do Not Call registry getting set to celebrate its fifth anniversary next year, if you were among the first to sign up it may be time to re-register. Just go to the Do Not Call registry web site
, enter your phone numbers, and you'll be able to see when they're due to expire.
Matt's View
Some telemarketers are still allowed to call, such as charitable, survey, and political groups. And with an election year looming, we can all expect to hear from Hillary, Rudy, and the like.
By the way, there's a bill pending in Congress that would make Do Not Call list registrations permanent. Consider calling your representatives to voice support for H.R. 3541. Just don't do so during the dinner hour.
