Jan 5, 2014

Is Swagbucks Worth It? Read This Before Signing Up

Is Swagbucks a legit way to earn money you can use toward gifts? Read this before signing up for Swagbucks.

What is Swagbucks?

If you haven't heard of Swagbucks, don't worry, it's been around for years but I myself hadn't heard of it until 4-5 months ago when I decided to see if it was legit.

In case you are unfamiliar with them, I'll briefly explain the site and concept. Swagbucks is a site which allows users to create a free account, and perform various small tasks to earn "swagbucks". Small tasks include using their search engine, answering short polls, playing games, etc. I'll go into more detail about each method and it's return on time investment shortly.

The Swagbucks can then be redeemed for items such as gift cards to Amazon, Target and more.  This can be a great way to save up money for gifts throughout the year. 


Read more about the various ways you can earn Swagbucks at the bottom of this post.

Is Swagbucks Worth It?


The answer is yes and no.

Swagbucks is Worth it If...


In my opinion, it's great for spending 10-20 minutes on per-day to earn your daily points, and save up to cash out on gift cards.

By doing minimal work in the site each day, I am able to cash out and get about $50 worth of Amazon gift cards each month. This is great because I just save these gift cards, and when a birthday or holiday rolls around - pull them out to buy a great gift! This means if I do the minimum on the site to earn $50 each month, and save all my gift cards - that's $600 a year I can spend at Amazon for Christmas.

You can also earn a few Swagbucks here and there by referring your friends, and getting credit for the Swagbucks they win while using the search engine. This is a great way to earn Swagbucks as it only requires the initial investment of time by 
recommending your friends. Also, when you refer someone, they earn 30 Swagbucks by signing up and filling out their profile. You can sign up for Swagbucks for free, through my referral link, which would help us both!

Swagbucks is not worth it when...


The no part means there is a certain point at which you would just reach diminishing returns with the time you invest. It all depends on how important your time is to you - obviously, if you are really bored and have nothing to do one day then Swagbucks might be a great escape. But for the most part, I wouldn't suggest spending too much time performing all the little tasks because the investment of time wouldn't be worth the Swagbucks you are earning. To put it another way, you aren't going to earn hundreds of dollars a month there, and it won't replace a full, or even part-time job.
I'll discuss which tasks are worth it shortly, then don't forget to read my tips on making the process of earning Swagbucks worth your time and energy.


Best Ways to Earn Swagbucks


Tips & Tricks to Save Time

Swagbucks are earned a multitude of ways:

Search
Search: One way is to use the Swagbuck's search engine to search the web as you normally would. Their search results are powered by Google/Bing so are pretty close to the results you would normally see. As you search, you have the chance to win a random amount of Swagbucks. Winnings are usually between 5 to 50 Swagbucks at a time:

Swagbucks Polls
Swagbucks also provides a daily poll to vote in, which will earn you 1 bonus Swagbuck each day you complete the poll. It's usually a very simple poll which takes a second to answer. For example, the last poll was "Do you Invest in the stock market?" and the one before that was "Do you make phone calls daily?"
This is only one Swagbuck, but since it is so quick to do - I recommend completing the poll each day as it only takes a second and will net you 30-31 Swagbucks per month, depending on how many days are in the month.

Swagbucks NOSOs
Noso's are Swagbucks "no obligation special offers". What this means is that you will click "start" and be shown 4-5 "offers" from companies - and you can choose to sign up for if you wish. If you are interested in any, I recommend using an email you keep for spam purposes, because you don't know if these companies will sell your email address and information. I don't sign up for any that want my phone number, or credit card number.

Swagbucks Games

You can also win Swagbucks for playing games they have available. In reality, you can load a game and forget about it and collect 2 swagbucks for 2 plays.
Note that you do not want to complete the offers to play the games at the top - which I crossed out in the photo - these are "sponsored" and require you to go to the game's site, register, and buy something to be rewarded with Swagbucks. I guess if you really wanted to go buy something for one of these games it would be worth it - but absolutely unnecessary.


Swagbucks TV

You can also watch videos to earn Swagbucks. To earn Swagbucks, you are required to fill up the video meter (10 videos) and win Swagbucks. If you're like me and on your computer a lot, I just play these in the background while I'm working on other stuff. You really only have to watch the ads to get credit, but can just leave the player running. For example, my player is running with the sound off as I write this. Note that the next video will not auto-play once the last has finished, so you will need to occasionally click over to load a new one.

Shop for Swagbucks

Now, this is only useful if you are already planning on buying something online through one of their available merchants. Amazon is listed here, so as an Amazon Prime member, I shop here a lot for the free shipping. Now instead of going to Amazon, I'll reach them through Swagbucks shopping page and earn Swagbucks for my normal shopping.
For example, as a Prime member - and a pet owner - I love buying my pet food from Amazon. Since delivery is free, and the price is usually the same, or cheaper, it saves me a trip to the pet store. This allows me to win Swagbucks for doing things I normally would, such as feeding my pets.
If you are not a Prime member, I highly suggest getting a prime membership in addition to your Swagbucks account so you can buy the things you normally would on Amazon and earn extra Swagbucks - to turn around and spend at Amazon ;).
You can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Prime here.

Other Ways to Earn Swagbucks

Codes:  Swagbucks will occasionally post codes granting you free Swagbucks.  If you sign up for Swagbucks Newsletter, and follow them on Twitter & Facebook you will see when they post a code.

Offers: There are a variety of offers you can accept for more Swagbucks, but I avoid some of them, such as Gamefly and Netflix which would want personal information.

Signing Up

Remember, by going through my referral link you can get 30 Swagbucks to start, and then you can refer your friends and family for passive Swagbucks!  




Feb 20, 2009

Five for Friday!

Its that day of the week again, where I post five great gift shopping deals for you to take advantage of. This week we have:

Baby Age: Currently offering free shipping on orders over $75.00. Use coupon code B2A28.
Babyage is the premier online retailer of pregnancy, infant and juvenile products. They are also having great sales on strollers, kids toys, and have a host of organic and eco-friendly products available. Right now, you can also get $5.00 off a case of Seventh Generation Diapers. Use coupon code SEVENTH at checkout.

Peachpit: Currently offering great deals on gifts for anyone interested in learning. Right now they have 30% off on digital photography titles, 30% off on Web Development Titles and 30% off on Software Development titles
Peachpit has been publishing top-notch books on the latest in graphic design, desktop publishing, multimedia, Web design and development, digital video, and general computing since 1986. They are an excellent website to find great titles for learning new skills.

6th Ave Electronics: Currently offering 25% off select T.V.s with coupon code: AFLTV25. You can also receive 5% Off Sitewide with Coupon Code: AFL5

At Sears you can currently save 20% off Kenmore & Kenmore Elite Appliances + 10% off all other brands 2/22-2/28

At Karma Loop, you can save 15% off your entire order when you use coupon code ALEX15 at checkout!


Feb 19, 2009

Birthday Gift Baskets - Always An Ideal Gift

No matter how old we are, we enjoy being remembered on that special day of the year that celebrates the day we were born! Birthdays are a time to recognize special people in our lives with joyous celebration

Birthday Gift Baskets - The Ideal Gift For Everyone!

No matter how old we are, we enjoy being remembered on that special day of the year that celebrates the day we were born! Birthdays are a time to recognize special people in our lives with joyous celebration. It is a time-honored tradition to pay tribute the birthday gal or guy with a mouth-watering cake decorated with sugar-laden frosting sculptures and a candle representing every year of their life on earth! We bestow on them gifts and cards filled with birthday verses and best wishes for many more birthdays to come. Birthdays are just plain fun!

Typically, the most difficult part of the birthday celebration is deciding what to buy the recipient. After all, what do you buy for someone who has it all? Admit it - every year it becomes more difficult to find the "perfect" gift for your mom, dad, sibling, husband, and even the kids in your family. How much time do you spend thinking about it and ultimately browsing through department stores without a clue?

Birthday gift baskets are an excellent choice for the birthday gal or guy at any age - they are virtually fail-proof and always a big hit with the recipient. The question may come to mind, "What are the perfect ingredients for a gift basket?" That will vary from one individual to the next. The great thing about birthday gift baskets is that they can be built for children and adults of any age - and based on their unique interests and likes. The following ideas may help you in selecting a birthday gift basket for everyone on your list:

Women

You can't ever go wrong with a birthday basket designed for every special woman in your life, whether it is your mom, grandmom, wife, sister, or daughter. Women love to be pampered. A pampering basket may include bath and body products, a loofah, a fragrant candle, an inspirational book, and a CD of soothing sounds of nature. The woman who enjoys gardening would welcome a basket containing a garden trowel, gloves, decorative garden picks, seeds, and hand lotion packed in a decorative flower pot. For the tea lover, a perfect basket would consist of flavored teas, biscotti, a tea infuser, and a china tea pot.

Men

Men are not as hard to please as you think - and a birthday gift basket is a perfect solution for that hard-to-buy for dad, husband, brother, grandfather, son, or boss! If he is your handyman, fill the basket with small tools and gadgets he is always mentioning he needs but never buys. Don't forget to add some treats to round out the basket - after all, you will want to satisfy that sweet tooth. Consider a sports-oriented theme for this birthday gift basket. There are great options out there for sports enthusiasts in every category. If you are thinking about something with a little more style, a bottle of cognac, his favorite cigars, and gourmet treats may appeal to him - packaged in a brown derby!

Kids

The sky is the limit when selecting a birthday gift basket for a kid of any age. Stick to items that are age-specific from babies through teens. Consider items that you know the child likes. You can stick with a specific theme or create a hodge-podge of items that you know will bring hours of enjoyment to a child. Ideas for an assortment of items are a small stuffed animal, books based on age and interest, healthy snacks, travel-size games, small puzzles, and flavored beverages for kids. Consider containers they can reuse.

If you just do not know what items to select, consider a gourmet food basket that usually satisfies everyone's pallet - even the most hard to please! There is no limit on what you can include in a birthday gift basket, but always consider the recipient when making a gift basket purchase and ask yourself whether or not he or she will like the birthday gift basket you select!



Written by Wendy Wood
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wendy_Wood [http://ezinearticles.com/?Birthday-Gift-Baskets---The-Ideal-Gift-For-Everyone!&id=16634 ]http://EzineArticles.com/?Birthday-Gift-Baskets---The-Ideal-Gift-For-Everyone!&id=16634