Swag Bucks: Earning Money for Christmas – Part 2 of 2

November 13, 2014 by Tracy

Earning Swag Bucks a little at time grows your balance. To compound the amount of Swag Bucks, one must reach the daily goal for at least 7 days.

As one reaches the daily goal, the next day’s daily goal will increase. If you are aiming at earning money for Christmas or another occasion, Swag Bucks works.

I earned $40 in Amazon gift cards in August by using Swag Bucks throughout July. Not all Swag Bucks are equal. Some require more time than others.

Thankfully, there are a number of ways to earn Swag Bucks. Piggybacking on the previous post of Swag Bucks: Earning Money for Christmas – Part 1 of 2, the following is a list of options I used to reach my daily goals each day of July which resulted in reaching the monthly goals:

Add Swag Codes Immediately

Using the Swag Bucks Chrome extension, a popup window alerts me when a swag code is available. I click on the lock icon to see if a swag code is available. If there is one, then it tells me where to look (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.)

Once I find the code, I enter it in the “enter Swag code” through the extension or on my Swag Bucks homepage. I am then granted the Swag Bucks. These are usually 2-5 Swag Bucks per code. Typically, I found 2-3 swag codes available each day.

Check your Swag Bucks Inbox

If you use the Swag Bucks toolbar, then a bubble with a number indicates how many messages are in your inbox. Some of these messages indicate how to earn extra Swag Bucks. Sometimes the offers require qualifications and signing up for a trial. Those types of offers I omitted. During the month of July, I earned all my Swag Bucks without spending any money.

Answer Surveys

Under the “answer” tab on the Swag Bucks task bar, find the survey option. I found the following helpful for earning Swag Bucks:

Daily Surveys

Earn 60 Swag Bucks for each survey you complete. Hopefully, you qualify quickly. You can only earn 60 Swag Bucks per day which is one complete survey per day through this option.

I usually started with this survey. If I did not qualify, then I moved on to the Peanut Lab option.

Peanut Lab Surveys

Under this option, I found the surveys at Peanut Labs and Radium One the most beneficial. I could usually find at least one survey from either of these for which I qualified each day. Many days, I reached my daily goal easily with one of these surveys. There are other surveys with other companies, but I never found them helpful.

If you listen to music often, then you might benefit from RadioLoyalty. For every half hour of music you play, a CAPTCHA code appears. If you enter that code, then you earn 5 Swag Bucks. No limit is listed, so earn all day long.

Survey Dashboard

This option gives a list of available surveys with the amount of Swag Bucks earned and the approximate time investment. If you start a survey and end up not qualifying, then you will earn 1 Swag Buck. You can earn up to 5 Swag Bucks each day for none-qualifying surveys.

Know that some of the surveys are quite lengthy, and you could spend 20 minutes taking the survey to then discover you don’t qualify. Some are kind and let you know within 2 minutes of the survey. These surveys are hit or miss. However, if you fill out the personal profile, then you have a better chance of qualifying when you select a recommended survey.

Complete Tasks

The tasks options found under the “answer” tab on the Swag Bucks homepage, allowed me to earn 3-10 Swag Bucks per task. Most of the tasks require a “bookmarklet.” I downloaded it once and bookmarked it. Then I placed it on my bookmark bar.

When I worked on a task, I just clicked on the bookmarklet on my bar to save time. I found these tasks pretty easy, but some were complicated. If you get stuck, then I suggest quitting it and moving on to another one.

These tasks are great for getting those extra Swag Bucks needed to meet your daily goal. I turned to these when I did not find a survey for which I qualified. It took more time, but I was able to quickly earn the Swag Bucks needed.

Reading Excerpts

Found under the “discover” tab, select “read” to earn Swag Bucks for reading. These are easy to do. Once you complete them, they will not reset until the next month. I used these on busy days when my time was limited. Once you complete these offers, they will remain used until the next month.

Watch Videos

Under the Watch tab on the Swag Bucks homepage, lots of videos are available for viewing. These videos range in length from 2-5 minutes each. For every 10 videos watched or played, you will receive 3 Swag Bucks. You can earn up to 150 per day.

This option takes lots of time. However, if you have a lot of sitting or waiting to do, then this option is easy. Just press the button to play, and then check it in a few minutes to hit play again.

In using time wisely, I had the videos running while I was making dinner, cleaning for a few minutes, or doing laundry. I muted the sound, accomplished tasks, and earned Swag Bucks.

Play Games

Though I enjoy playing games, I did not find playing games through Swag Bucks very profitable. Though I won, I spent more time playing than I did earning. I only won 2 Swag Bucks per game. If you play often and enjoy the games available, then play and earn. In using time wisely, you can earn Swag Bucks faster other ways.

This post is crammed with lots of information from my July experiment. I was thrilled with the results of my investment of time, but it was an investment of time. In using time wisely, you may not be able to earn the daily or the monthly goals. However, you can continue to earn Swag Bucks.

I am not actively filling out surveys and tracking my daily goal. However, I search daily and am thrilled when I earn.

Swag Bucks is not for everyone. But it is one way for earning extra money for Christmas or any other occasion. In stretching your dollars, Swag Bucks is available with an investment of time.

In sharing my experience, I hope to point you to those options that will pay off with your investment of time. Happy searching and earning with Swag Bucks!

Question: In what ways have you earned Swag Bucks?

Swag Bucks: Earning Money for Christmas – Part 1 of 2

September 30, 2014 by Tracy

If you are feeling the squeeze this year with increasing costs for almost everything, then you are not alone. Prices are rising, and Christmas is less than 2 months away.

Did you just get a knot in your stomach at the mention of Christmas? I’m sorry. This post is not to magnify your limited resources, but rather to give you hope for earning money for Christmas. Realize that time is on your side for earning $5 Amazon gift cards or other rewards through Swag Bucks.

Though I have written about Swag Bucks in a beginning, intermediate, and advanced series, I recently found Swag Bucks the solution when I needed some extra funds.

You see, I had exhausted our home schooling budget and still needed some reading books not available at our library or at the used book store, so I turned to Swag Bucks.

By earning Swag Bucks each day, I earned $40 in Amazon gift cards in one month. I chose this amount because I could get FREE shipping with any $35 order. However, I could not redeem all those Swag Bucks until August due to the limit of 5 identical rewards per month.

Though there are various ways to earn, here’s how I earned those rewards:

1. Completed the To Do List each day of July.

Swag Bucks offers 4 easy items on the To Do List that can be completed each day for Swag Bucks. The To Do List, located on the left sidebar, is as follows:

a. Daily Crave: Watch two videos and earn 1 Swag Buck
b. Toolbar: Use the Chrome Swag Bucks toolbar and earn 1 Swag Buck
c. Daily Poll: Take the poll to earn 1 Swag Buck
d. NOSO: Skip through the offers and enter the captcha code provided to earn 2 Swag Bucks

2. Search at least three times each day.

Swag Bucks are randomly awarded for searching. However, once you win, you won’t get another reward for a few hours. In using time wisely, I would search in the morning until I earned, then in the afternoon until I earned, and then again in the evening. This way, I was receiving 7-20 Swag Bucks for each session of searching.

My son enjoyed searching and earning the Swag Bucks for me. I appreciated his efforts in helping me get through the month as it was definitely an investment of time.

3. Reach Daily Goal and Bonus Goal every day of the month.

The goal Swag Bucks are not deposited into your account until the first week of the next calendar month. Since I was earning during July, I received these Swag Bucks in August.

a. Daily Goal: Your daily goal is located in the left sidebar. A green bar will show how close you are to earning your daily goal. When I started in July, my goal was 30 Swag Bucks. By the time I reached day 31, my goal was 110. The goal does increase, but the rewards were worth the investment.

If you reach your daily goal each day of the month, then you will earn a bonus of 300 Swag Bucks in the next month for being a monthly master. The winning streak tab on the left sidebar will document your progress throughout the month. If you miss a day, then the badge you have reached will hold while your winning streak starts over.

b. Bonus Goal: After you reach your daily goal, you can earn more Swag Bucks for a bonus. These bonus goals are added together and awarded in the next month. I earned an additional 235 Swag Bucks throughout July which arrived in my account on August 5th.

Earning Swag Bucks is one way to prepare for Christmas. Though it is FREE, you will need to determine how much time you can invest into earning Swag Bucks. On some days, I could earn Swag Bucks within one hour while other days took close to two hours. I committed to the 31 days and reaped the rewards of that investment.

Swag Bucks has its perks. I loved purchasing the 6 books we needed for home schooling by using the gift cards earned. My son loved being a part of the process as he knew the goal as I searched and took surveys. He helped and checked the progress with me throughout the month.

One will not get rich by using Swag Bucks, but you can earn some extra gift cards to offset the cost of gifts for Christmas. In using time wisely, Swag Bucks was a good option in July. However, I could not do it now that home school takes so much of my time. I only offer this suggestion as I know times are difficult, but there is a way if you have the time to invest.

In the next post, I’ll share ways that I earned Swag Bucks to reach my daily goal. If you need money for Christmas, then plan to start earning Swag Bucks daily on Wednesday, October 1. Happy choosing!

Question: Have you found Swag Bucks’ rewards worth the investment of time?

Swag Bucks Reward: Free Cascade ActionPacs Dishwasher Detergent

June 2, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Swag Bucks

As my favorite search engine, Swag Bucks not only completes my search, but also helps in stretching our dollars.

How does a search engine put money in my pockets? Instead of reposting all the benefits and ways to earn Swag Bucks, I will refer you to my earlier Swag Bucks’ posts:

Swag Bucks: Beginner’s Guide

Swag Bucks: Intermediate Guide

Swag Bucks: Advanced Guide

Redeeming Swag Bucks

With the tools to earn Swag Bucks, I will share today an example of how Swag Bucks helps in stretching our dollars. Upon earning 450 Swag Bucks from searching, taking surveys (periodically), printing coupons, and participating in polls, I redeem my 450 Swag Bucks for a $5 Amazon e-gift card.

When the confirmation e-mail arrives, I confirm my redemption request. Within a week, I will receive notification that the gift card is active and in my account.

At this step, I can use the gift card at Amazon.com or just keep the e-card in my Swag Bucks account until I make a purchase. Presently, I choose to keep my unused e-cards in my Swag Bucks account until the time of purchase.

After redeeming my Swag Bucks, I continue to search and build back up to 450 Swag Bucks. When I reach that goal, I repeat this process and redeem for another $5 Amazon gift card.

Redeeming $5 Amazon Gift Cards

As I follow my favorite blogs through my Google Reader, I watch for deals on items that my family needs or wants. Having these gift cards made Christmas possible for our family last year. Since I treat these gift cards as treasure, I do not use the balances for splurging.

During April, I read Sheri Miller’s post at Swaggrabber.com highlighting an Amazon deal on Cascade ActionPacs. The 60-count container was on sale with an e-coupon and free shipping for $10.17.

Our family runs our dishwasher at least once every 2 days, so I keep a watch on dishwashing detergent. Knowing that I wanted this deal, I added the items to my cart, verified the sale and free shipping, and proceeded to checkout.

Opening a new tab in my browser, I went to MY GIFT CARDS under MY ACCOUNT at Swagbucks.com. After verifying my password, I chose a gift card. I copied the GIFT CARD CODE and went back to my Amazon checkout screen.

I pasted the code into the Amazon gift card payment option. I continued this back-and-forth process until my total reached $0.

In using time wisely, I kill two birds with one stone when choosing Swag Bucks for my search engine. I find the information while earning Swag Bucks. As I combine sales, coupons, free shipping, and Swag Bucks-earned gift cards, I continue stretching our dollars.

Though Swag Bucks takes time, the investment can result in free items like dishwashing detergent. In stretching your dollars, Swag Bucks is another savings strategy. Moving from Google to Swag Bucks can save you money while using time wisely. Happy savings while searching!

Question: How many Swag Bucks did you earn today?

Swag Bucks: Advanced Guide

January 28, 2012 by Tracy

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:

Swag Bucks: Intermediate Guide

January 21, 2012 by Tracy

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: