Okay. We shop a lot online. I hate shopping online (it always feels like it takes hours!), but in most cases, products are cheaper and of better quality from the U.S. Plus, U.S. stores are familiar. We know what we are getting. I don't remember how we stumbled upon Upromise, but I'm glad we did. It pays you to shop. Seriously. Well, actually it adds money to a college fund which is still pretty cool. If you shop through the Upromise site (its directory includes almost every shopping site known to mankind) you get a percentage of your purchase price (1%-25%) added to a college fund, plus you get deals and coupons just for Upromise users. You can invite your family (who aren't planning on going to college) to join you in your savings. If they shop through the site, it will add to your fund! For those of you stateside, you also can get a percentage of your bill from local restaurants and grocery stores added to your savings. Score! It doesn't cost you an extra penny!
For those of us lucky enough to have APO/DPO addresses, one frustration with shopping online is whether or not stores ship to APO/DPO. I have started a black list of the stores who don't (grrr), but left it in Serbia (I'm on R&R in the U.S. at the moment) and promise to share it with you when I return. I did some googling and found this site which includes a discussion and list of APO friendly online stores. I find it easier, though, to know the stores that don't send, since the list is shorter.
For those of you who don't have APO/DPO address, I found MyUS.com, a service where you can "buy" a U.S. address and they will re-ship it to you. This service seems to be the most cost effective. You pay an initial set-up fee and a monthly or annual fee based on your needs (from $0/month/year to $25/month or $195/year) plus a percentage of the order (minimum $10). If you have used this service or others like it, please let us know about your experience!
So, the one consolation for the hours of frustration it takes to shop online is that you're at least saving for you or your kids' college education. It's almost like being paid to shop. Who can beat that?
Spouses, share with us your online shopping advice!
I have no online shopping advice - other than I used it almost exclusively to buy my husband's Christmas and birthday gifts this year. I actually loved the experience and using Amazon. However, I would consider using Upromise if my purchases at the grocery store, etc. could help fund the education of one of my best friend's children. Send me an email, my friend, and tell me what I need to do. I spend a lot at the darn grocery store; you're kids will be able to go to Harvard!
ReplyDeleteYou are a beauty, aren't you! I'll be in touch! Harvard, here we come! Thanks!
DeleteOne of the bummers for Upromise is that Amazon refuses to contribute a percentage to the program. Upromise lists it as one of the store options, only for the convenience of its customers, but Amazon isn't interested in the public good. You'd think they'd want their customers to have a higher education so they'd make more money and could, therefore, shop more at Amazon. Short-sighted money-grubbers.
Oops, I meant "Your kids will be able to go to Harvard...if they learn proper grammar."
ReplyDeleteI think by the time my kids go to college, grammar could be extinct.
DeleteFor sites that don't ship to APO/DPO, I've had great luck with shipitAPO.com There's no monthly fee, just a ~$7 fee per box and the additional shipping charges. Turnaround time is really fast -- same or next day they receive the package.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, DNT! $7 isn't bad! When you say, "additional shipping charges," do you mean the store you buy the product from charges you a shipping fee and then shipitAPO.com charges you a shipping fee too? If so, that could turn out to be a bunch of money. MyUS.com could work out to be a better deal if you aren't forwarding your mail (the set-up fee for the simplest membership is $10) and then a percentage of the order and no shipping fee. Ug, it's so complicated! Thanks, again, for your input! Please tell us more!
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