Online Shopping

I like online shopping, for a number of reasons. I'm a little lazy, it's hard to go to stores when you have a kid, and generally, I know what I want and I buy enough in one order to qualify for free shipping. But I am always looking for some sort of incentive when I shop, and I believe I have found it in click through websites. The two which I use most often are http://www.ebates.com/, and http://www.upromise.com/. 

Here's how it works. You know you want to buy something. You go through these websites to find the store you want to buy from, and these websites rebate you 1%-20% of the purchase. Upromise is a method of saving for higher education, and the money goes into high interest savings accounts, destined eventually for a 529 Account. Ebates refunds the money to you quarterly, through a check.

Past incarnations of this concept have provided less than stellar rewards (gift cards at undesirable stores) or sites where people didn't want to shop at. Ebates and Upromise both have a very large selection of stores. I have yet to meet someone who I have spoken with informally about these programs that could not benefit from them. My favorite stores on Ebates are Target.com (3% back), Groupon (3% back), Diapers.com (up to 4% back). Friends of mine have commented on their preference for Drugstore.com (12% back), J.Crew (1.5% back) ,and J.C. Penney (3% back). Take a look for yourself and see how much you could be rebated simply by clicking through a website when doing your online shopping. Plus, you get a ten dollar gift card just for signing up. Further, check out sites like http://www.retailmenot.com/ to make sure you are not missing out on any promotional codes for sales and free shipping. I've gotten about 50 bucks rebated to me in the last six months.

Upromise carries with it a few added benefits. There is a Upromise credit card which increases your deposit into the high interest account, and Upromise also has deals with a number of restaurants which will deposit a percentage of your purchase, provided you pay with a credit card registered on Upromise.com. They also provide rebates on gas and grocery purchases.

All in all, there are a number of benefits to doing your online shopping through these click-through websites. Also, both of these sites also can provide discount codes and coupons. All of these options should be considered to make sure that your money goes farthest when making your purchases.