Let's forget about the May story in the newspaper that said it costs $250,000 to raise a child from birth to age 17. But you can click here if you didn't see it the first time and would like to read it now. And that big amount of money doesn't include college tuition.
Instead, let's focus on some things you can get for free. Or at least for spending money on something you need to spend money on anyway.
If you are a parent and you have not registered for Upromise, click here to sign up. You can register your grocery cards so when you purchase an item affiliated with the program, such as Lysol, Huggies, Coca-Cola or Kleenex, the companies that make those products will give you a designated percentage of that item's cost. If you register a credit card, you can save at restaurants affiliated with the program. Granted, there are only three restaurants in the Erie area who work with Upromise, but if you dine in other cities, you might benefit more.
Upromise is especially good for those of you who do a lot of online shopping. Simply log in to Upromise first, then click on the Online Shopping button. There's a ton of stores affiliated with Upromise and if you follow those steps, whatever you buy will be credited to your account. I saved to our Upromise account with the purchase of my husband's iPod from the Apple store and with an online order from Barnes and Noble at Christmas.
Be aware, though, that you will not pay for even one year of tuition by saving pennies here or there through Upromise. In the last year I have saved around $10. But I also don't do a lot of online shopping. And if you save enough to buy even one college textbook, isn't it worth it?
In the free vein, if you buy Pampers diapers, there are little codes on the diaper packs. Log in to Pampers.com and type in the codes. You receive a certain amount of points for each pack of diapers, depending on the size of the pack, and then you can pick out something for your child. Items you can choose from range from a board book for 20 points on up to a little tricycle for 400 points.
And, finally, my last freebie, thanks to a hint from a coworker. If you're a fan of Panera Bread, click here for a coupon. Tomorrow, June 21, you can get a free kids' meal with an regularly priced menu item. The kids' meals include either a peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese or deli sandwich, squeezable yogurt and milk or juice.
Sounds tasty to me!