A couple of months ago I signed up with Smarterbucks and got the Smarterbank debit card. Long story short, if it is used as a credit, you earn .05 percent of each purchase toward student loans. When the earnings reach $15 they send in a payment to the student loan you have on file. You earn 1% for each purchase over $100.

They have a deal right now that once you reach a $5, they will give a $10 bonus (if earned by 9/15/2013). I reached my goal and got my bonus today so I have a $15 payment on the way toward my loan!

I simply transfer my weekly spending allotment to the Smarterbank card each week and use the card as a credit each time I make a purchase. There are other ways to earn as well if you decide to check out their site (smarterbucks.com). It isn't a lot, but every little bit counts! I figure I can average 2-3 payments a year via Smarterbucks (in addition to my own payments of course).