Paying for college is an expensive proposition these days, and it's seems to be getting more and more expensive every year. Of course scholarships and grants are the ideal way to pay for college. There are some truly weird scholarship opportunities that you may be eligible for, so apply for them. But if these turn out to be beyond your reach you'll need alternative methods. Saving for your college tuition and related expenses is best done by starting as early as you can, but even if you're behind the ball it's not too late to start. So, it's good to investigate and consider as many methods as possible to help offset these educational expenses. Here are two methods that will help:

There are ways to save for your child's college tuition without changing your lifestyle at all. Upromise partners with online retailers, grocery stores, and restaurants to help you save and pay for your college expenses. You probably shop or do business with many of these stores already, so why not get back some of the money you spend to devote towards paying for college.

Participating is free. After you register with them, everytime you make a purchase from one of their partners 1%-25% of that amount is put into your account. So, by continuing to shop at the same stores and in the same way that you do now, you can start saving for college easily. This account balance remains tax-free and can be redeemed in several ways. You can request a check and pay any educational expenses, you can invest the earnings into a tax free 529 college savings plan, or you can use the money to help pay off student loans.

This program isn't only for your child's education expenses though. You can use the savings to pay for anyone's education costs - yours, your kid's, your future children's, etc. Another great thing is that you can get family and friends to sign up. When you do this all or part of their savings will be transfered to your account.

Another great way to save is by getting the Student Discount Card. To become a member and get student discounts you have to be enrolled at a school. This student discount card is accepted at thousands places. Why pay full price for so many of the items you buy when you can get huge discounts simply by being a student. You get savings up to 50% with top brand stores, restaurants, and shops - travel, computers, clothing, entertainment, health - the list goes on... It costs $20 for one year, but I think recouping that cost in savings will be very easy. They offer you a 30-day period to try it out and see.

Saving for college can be quite expensive, but using methods like these can help defray these educational costs in the long run.