Using Time Wisely

Organized to save money, energy, and time

You are here: Home / Archives for Stretching Your Dollars

Swag Bucks: Beginner’s Guide

by

Photograph Credit: Swag Bucks

Photograph Credit: Swag Bucks

As you follow me on Facebook (which you do, right?), you might have seen my Swag Bucks updates. I cheer when I hit 450 Swag Bucks because I can redeem them for a $5 Amazon gift card.

Could you use a few gifts cards to help you prepare for birthdays, Christmas, and anniversaries? If so, then try Swag Bucks.

What is Swag Bucks?

The web site Swagbucks.com is a search engine. Similar to Yahoo!, Google, Bing, Metacrawler, and Dogpile, Swag Bucks offers a search box where you type in your desired topic (e.g., using time wisely) and a list of web sites with those keywords fills the page.

When you search through Swagbucks.com, you may receive Swag Bucks (or points) for searching. The Swag Bucks range in amounts. I have received anywhere from 2 to 80 points for a search. Some days I will win Swag Bucks four different times while other days I might win once. The more often you search, the more chances you have to win Swag Bucks.

How do I Sign Up for Swag Bucks?

To begin earning Swag Bucks, you need to register for a free account:

1. Click on this link.

2. Fill in the “Start a new account” fields.

3. Select “next.”

4. Continue to fill in the fields.

5. Enter the CAPTCHA letters to verify you are a person.

6. Check the “I have read and agree to the official rules and terms” box.

7. Select Register.

When your registration is complete, you will receive 30 Swag Bucks to get you started. Now when you need to search, go to swagbucks.com and type in your request. When you click “search,” watch to see if you receive Swag Bucks.

Next week, we will build on how to increase your Swag Bucks in the intermediate post. Until next Saturday, keep using time wisely by searching the Internet through Swag Bucks and stretching your dollars. Happy savings!

Question: What is the highest number of Swag Bucks you have earned from a single search? Please add you answer to the comments.

Note: This post includes affiliate links. Click here for my full disclosure policy.

More Swag Bucks Posts:

Swag Bucks: Intermediate Guide

by

Photograph Credit: Swag Bucks

Photograph Credit: Swag Bucks

Having had opportunities this week to chat about the benefits of Swag Bucks, I enjoy sharing more ways you can earn Swag Bucks to help in stretching your dollars.

For registration instructions, please visit Swag Bucks: Beginner’s Guide. After registering and conducting basic searches, you can increase your Swag Bucks by doing the following:

1. Download the Swag Bucks Toolbar

NOTE: The toolbar is only available for Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari browser users. Chrome toolbar is coming soon. I use the toolbar through Firefox on my desktop while waiting patiently for the release of the Chrome toolbar for my laptop.

The Swag Bucks toolbar includes a search field. Anytime I need to search a topic, I open up a new tab and type the topic into the Swag Bucks toolbar. By skipping the step of searching for Swag Bucks and then my topic, I save time by using the toolbar.

Another feature I find helpful is the mail notices. Periodically Swag Bucks releases codes for free Swag Bucks. You will get a red envelope notice on the toolbar with instructions for redeeming that code.

Redeeming your Swag Bucks is quick when selected from the toolbar.

NOTE: Adding toolbars on your computer may cause your computer to slow down. My husband, the computer tech, informs me each time I mention waiting on my computer to process that my two toolbars are slowing me down. However, I choose to keep Swag Bucks since the benefits are worth a little extra time.

2. Bookmark Frequently Used Pages

If you visit your web site or e-mail account each day, then setup a bookmark to that account through a Swag Bucks search.

    • Go to Swagbucks.com
    • Type in your web site (i.e., Using Time Wisely)
    • Click “Search”
    • Verify that the site you want appears in the search results
    • Bookmark that page (click on the star in the address bar)

When you need to go to that site, click on your bookmark and Swag Bucks will re-search those words. You can save precious time using your bookmark while searching through Swag Bucks.

3. Print Coupons

After compiling your grocery lists, check Swag Bucks for more coupons. If you plan to use the coupons offered, then print them out and redeem them. For each coupon you print AND redeem, you will earn 10 Swag Bucks. This perk is nice, but it does take up to 3 months to see those Swag Bucks deposited into your account.

If you do not plan to use the coupon, then save your printer ink and bypass that coupon. You will not get any Swag Bucks for printing the coupon. You must print and redeem to get the Swag Bucks.

4. Search on Fridays

Fridays are Mega Swag Bucks Days. Extra Swag Bucks are given throughout the day. You have a good chance of winning 20 or more Swag Bucks for your searches on Mega days. Though there is no guarantee that you will win, Swag Bucks gives higher value Swag Bucks every Friday.

5. Purchase Groupons

Groupons.com is a daily deal site offering a new deal each day. The widget on my sidebar indicates the Groupon of the day. If I choose to buy that Groupon, I can also earn Swag Bucks. The process is a bit complicated, but worth the time to earn those gift cards.

Because Christina at Centsible Savings wrote a great explanation in a guest post on moneysavingmom.com, I recommend following these guidelines. If this process is too tedious, you can buy your deal through the link on Using Time Wisely. Using Swag Bucks is just another way to earn those rewards to stretch your dollars.

In using time wisely, the toolbar setup occurs once, the bookmarks used daily, coupons checked weekly, Friday searches weekly, and Groupons purchased periodically. Though there are many more ways to earn Swag Bucks (coming in next week’s post), I choose these five options to increase my Swag Bucks while using time wisely.

Note: Affiliate links included in this post where Using Time Wisely receives compensation by Swag Bucks for those registering through these links.

Question:  What is your favorite way to earn Swag Bucks? Please add your answer to the comments.

More Swag Bucks Posts:

Swag Bucks: Advanced Guide

by

Photograph Credit: Swag Bucks

Photograph Credit: Swag Bucks

If the beginner’s guide and intermediate guide have left you wanting more ways to earn Swag Bucks, then the advanced guide is for you. Since I am more of an intermediate Swag Bucks player, I will recommend these posts on earning more Swag Bucks:

Couponing to Disney: How to Earn with Swag Bucks

Money Saving Mom: 15 Ways to Earn More Swag Bucks (in 3 parts)

Living Loving Learning Naturally: How to earn MORE Swagbucks (link no longer working as of July 10, 2014)

Need an extra tip on how to search? Check out this You Tube video for a great tip on searching to earn more Swag Bucks.

Swag Bucks is not a get rich quickly program. However, earning Swag Bucks throughout the year will help in stretching your dollars. By choosing gift cards, I get to fund birthdays, anniversary, and Christmas gifts.

In using time wisely, find a system that works for you as you search the Internet and earn those Swag Bucks. Happy savings!

This post includes affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Using Time Wisely! Click here for my disclosure policy.

Question: How often do you search the Internet through Swag Bucks? Please add your answer to the comments.

More Swag Bucks Posts:

Papa John’s: Super Bowl Coin Toss Experience

by

Photograph Credit: Papa John's

With college football season at a close and one football game left, Papa John’s is gearing up for the opening coin toss on Sunday, February 5.

With the votes tallied, America voted that the opening coin toss will be heads. If America is right, then Papa John’s will give all Papa Rewards members a free one-topping pizza and a free Pepsi Max 2-liter!

You have until Sunday, February 5 at 5:59 p.m. to complete the free Papa Rewards registration.

After registering, watch the Super Bowl coin toss at about 6:00 p.m. on your local NBC station. If the coin lands on the designated “heads” side, then visit Papa Rewards on Monday, February 6 for details to redeem your free gift.

In stretching your dollars, taking 2 minutes of your time to complete a free registration might result in an inexpensive dinner for your family.

While using time wisely, I spent a few moments to register. Since our family enjoys pizza and plans to watch the game, this Papa Rewards member is rooting for heads in this Super Bowl coin toss experience. Enjoy the game!

Question: For which team are you pulling? (Teams are New York Giants and New England Patriots.) Please add your answer to the comments.

Raising Money: Labels for Education and Box Tops for Education

by

Schools are often raising money for equipment, supplies, and expansion projects. Creating fundraisers is not for the faint-hearted. These events need tons of volunteers, high-energy, and hours of time.

In stretching your dollars and using time wisely, consider helping schools by saving the labels on products you already purchase.

Labels for Education

Photograph Credit: Labels for Education

The Labels for Education program, offered through the Campbell’s family of brands, rewards schools based on the number of labels collected.

On participating products, you can find a label for education, printed with the UPC symbol. By clipping these labels, collecting them, and submitting them together through a coordinator, schools can redeem their points for equipment and supplies.

This program is ongoing and a great way to help your school without spending extra cash. Just check your empty boxes, cans, and containers for labels before disposing of them. When everyone participates, the label count increases, and the schools reap the rewards.

Box Tops for Education

Photograph Credit: Box Tops for Education

Another great program involving labels is Box Tops for Education. These labels on participating products are worth $.10 per label. Similar to Labels for Education, the labels need to be submitted through the school-appointed coordinator.

In addition to collecting labels, Box Tops offers more opportunities for fund raising through on-line shopping, bonus tops, eBox Tops, and sweepstakes.

If you live in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, or Tennessee, you can enter to win 100,000 Box Tops for your school. This is $10,000 for the winner’s chosen school.

Since Publix (a southern company) sponsored this sweepstakes (expiration date: February 28, 2012), entrants must meet the criteria: resident of a listed southern state.If you cannot take part in this sweepstakes, then keep watch. There are other opportunities throughout the year.

In using time wisely and stretching your dollars, keep a watchful eye on empty containers, jars, cans, boxes, and packages for Labels for Education and Box Tops for Education. If you do not have school-aged children or know of any school-aged children, any school will gladly accept your labels.

Raising money for education does not need time-consuming events. Cutting and collecting labels helps our schools without sacrificing money, energy, and time. Happy label hunting!

Question: What is your favorite fundraiser for education?