This week, Swagbucks is celebrating it’s 3rd birthday! You’ve heard me talk about Swagbucks many times before. It’s one of my top 10 Ways I Made Money in 2010. I know a lot of you earned Swagbucks last year and redeemed them for Amazon gift cards, too!

I have a special sign-up code for those of you who are new to Swagbucks. Use my referral link and code 3rdBirthday54 to get an extra 50 Swagbucks when you sign up (code expires midnight on 2/28). That will start you off with 80 Swagbucks, and it only takes 450 to get that first $5 Amazon gift card. I usually redeem my Swagbucks for Amazon GCs, but they do offer lots of free stuff in their Swag Store.         

Next Monday, on February 28th, you’ll see some great new features as part of the Swagbucks Birthday Celebration. There will be birthday Swag Codes, a revamped blog, and a new product that will redefine the was Swag Search is used.

To learn more about how to earn Swagbucks for free stuff, use the 6 tips I share in Start Earning with Swagbucks.

Disclosure: When you sign up with my referral link, I earn Swagbucks along with you up to your first 1,000.

I started using Swagbucks for searching back in December 2008, and I’ve been thrilled with the results. The toolbar is my favorite part! I use it every single time I do a search online, and I also use it to cut and paste web addresses that I would otherwise type into my nav bar. This gets me Swagbucks all the time, and those little bucks add up!

There are tons of other ways to earn Swagbucks. Here are the ones that work best for me:

1. Keep an eye on Twitter, their Facebook page, and their blog for SwagCodes. Usually, I hear about one of these via Twitter or it pops up on my FB page, then I can head to the right place to find it.
2. When you install the toolbar, you’ll get messages with SwagCodes, and I often get a Swagbuck just for hitting “Refresh Toolbar” to see my current amount.

3. Referrals help you earn Swagbucks faster. Ask your friends and family to sign up under you, and you’ll earn their first 1000 Swagbucks alongside them! Right now, you only earn when they earn via searches, but for the first three months of 2011, you’ll be able to earn from all these other methods I’m mentioning.
4. I take the Daily Poll at the Swagbucks website each day for a quick Swagbuck.
5. I take a look at the Trusted Surveys (you get a Swagbuck just for visiting the page), and if I have time, I take a survey or two.
6. Every Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day, where more Swagbucks in higher denominations are given out. I try to schedule my computer research time for Fridays, and that helps me earn more bucks.

If you’re not currently using Swagbucks, I hope you’ll give it a try! When you sign up before December 31st and use code JoinIn2010 (case sensitive), you’ll earn an extra 30 Swagbucks, so you’ll start off with 60 right away!  That code is expired.


As you earn more and more, take a look at the Swag Store to see what you want to redeem your bucks for–I recommend the $5 Amazon Gift Card. At 450 Swagbucks, it’s a great ratio of Swagbucks to “real” money, and there’s always something to buy at Amazon!

Disclosure: If you sign up for Swagbucks under my referral link, I’ll earn Swagbucks along with you, up to the first 1000. I use my Swagbucks to buy giveaway prizes and also to buy products for my family. Thank you for supporting MoneywiseMoms!

• They’ll feature five one-of-a-kind Back-to-School themed Swag Buck bills in varying amounts. Collect them all, and you will earn a 50 Swagbuck Bonus.
• Keep an eye on their Facebook and Twitter pages for extra codes.
• Thursday, August 12th is a Swag Code Extravaganza, a day where they’ll be releasing 5 Swagcodes throughout the day.

My regular readers know I recommend Swagbucks as an easy way to earn FREE gift cards just by using their search engine and toolbar to search the internet. You collect the “Swagbucks” and trade them in for gift cards and prizes. I use Swagbucks almost exclusively for Amazon Gift Cards, then I purchase items as I normally would, freeing up cash from my budget to pay down debt. Here’s a great example–spending $80 Amazon GCs on carseats instead of cash. You can do this too:

If you’re new to Swagbucks, you can sign up before midnight on Sunday, August 15th and earn an extra 40 Swagbucks with signup, giving you 70 to start off. Use code BackToSchool (case sensitive) when you register!

To kick off the Summer of Swag, Swagbucks is doing a Swag Code Extravaganza this Monday, June 7th. All day on Monday, they’ll release at least 5 Swag Codes throughout the day. You’ll want to keep an eye on your Swagbucks toolbar, the Facebook page, the blog, and Twitter for those Swag Codes.

Then, each day next week, a different high-value SwagBucks bill will be highlighted–with every 7th search awarded that big bill. For example, on Monday, every 7th search will win 25 Swagbucks!

If you are new to Swagbucks, sign up now so you can earn these benefits along with us veteran users all week. You’ll get an extra 20 Swagbucks in your account when you use code SUMMEROFSWAG by Friday, June 11th. That will start you off with 50 SBs when you sign up using my referral link. 

What is Swagbucks? It’s a search engine that you use just like Yahoo or Google, but each time you use it, there’s a chance you’ll earn Swagbucks. I use it every time I work online, and I earn a lot of Swagbucks using these five strategies. Then, you redeem your Swagbucks for gift cards or prizes. I almost always redeem mine for Amazon GCs, which I use to order everything from groceries to carseats to birthday gifts, which allows me to replace cash in my family budget. As I mentioned earlier this week, I redeemed $1300 in Amazon money last year with Swagbucks. And it’s not just me–Laura at Heavenly Homemakers is buying organic groceries with her Amazon GCs. I hope you’ll give it a try!

I mention Swagbucks a lot here at MoneywiseMoms. I joined in December 2008 after seeing so many bloggers post about it month after month. I wasn’t convinced that it could really make a difference, but look:

It does. By saving up Swagbucks to earn $5 and $25 Amazon Gift Cards (the best value trade-ins compared to the other GCs and prizes), I buy household items using Swagbucks instead of cash. Here’s how I earn so many Swagbucks:

• I use the Swagbucks search engine through the downloadable toolbar and I do it consistently. I type every web address into the toolbar and use it everyday for searching.
• I earn extra Swagbucks through the Swagcodes given out in the blog, Facebook page, Twitter, and monthly email newsletter
• I earn a few by checking the the No-Obligation Special Offers page and hitting “Skip” a bunch of times in a row.
• I refer everyone I know to Swagbucks and earn along with them for the first 100 Swagbucks. Try this–Put your referral link in your email signature so it goes out to all the groups you participate in (Freecycle, preschool, PTA, etc.) or to your signature on group forums.
• I’ve been earning even more Swagbucks in the past two weeks since they upgraded the toolbar. Now, just for having the computer on, the toolbar surprises me with “You’ve Earned _ Swagbucks” while the kids are playing Elmo online or when hubby is on the computer, even if he’s not searching.

Today is Swagbucks’ 2nd Birthday, and they’re celebrating! If you’ve been here at MoneywiseMoms for any amount of time, you know I recommend Swagbucks as an easy way to earn FREE gift cards just by using their search engine and toolbar to search the internet. You collect the “Swagbucks” and trade them in for gift cards and prizes. If you’re not already a Swagbucks user, check the last paragraph below for a special offer for you!

Everyone who is signed up for Swagbucks will see a big change starting today: Swagbucks 3.0. They’ve changed the system so you know have 10 times the Swagbucks you had before–and all the numbers have changed, so you’ll earn 10, 20, etc. Swagbucks by searching and a $5 Amazon GC costs 450 Swagbucks (it used to be 45). Check your account, and you’ll see what I mean! Make sure you’ve downloaded their toolbar and have it visible in your browser. That’s one of the ways I Earn So Many Swagbucks

Today, February 25th, is the big birthday celebration at Swagbucks, so be sure and check the blog, toolbar, Facebook and Twitter pages throughout the day for lots of Swagcodes for FREE Swagbucks.

If you’re ready to start earning Swagbucks, please sign up using my referral link with code MONEYWISESWAG1 and you’ll get extra bonus Swagbucks for using my code.. Just for signing up by March 4th, you’ll receive 30 Swagbucks, and with MONEYWISESWAG1 you’ll earn another 300, so you’re starting out with 60 already! Make sure you check the Swagbucks site throughout the day for lots of winning opportunities for more Swagbucks.
*Update: The code I had up earlier today wasn’t working (it said “expired”), but Swagbucks just gave me a new code–see above. Thanks for your patience!

I’ve already shared How I Earn so Many Swagbucks, but here are another 3 ways to pick up some extra Swagbucks today:

Every Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day. That means that as you’re searching the internet using the Swagbucks toolbar, you’ll see 3s, 5s, and 10s instead of the usual 1 Swagbuck. I try to save any internet work I have to do for Friday to maximize this opportunity, but hopefully you’ll see a few extra SBs in your daily searching.

Swagbucks is sending out their Newsletter today, so make sure you’re signed up (click on Newsletter in the left sidebar). There’s usually a SwagCode (a code you can enter for a free Swagbuck) at the bottom of each newsletter.

Check out the Special Offers section of the Swagbucks website. If you click on the “No Obligation Offers” on the right, you can click through to Skip or No, Thanks each offer (there’s usually four or so), and you’ll get a SwagCode at the end for you to enter for a free Swagbuck. This section gets updated 1-2 times each month, and I find out about it from the Swagbucks blog or their Twitter feed, where they announce it.

If you’re not already earning Swagbucks, it’s a search engine that gives you “Swagbucks” or points randomly, which you can then trade in for prizes or gift cards (the best trade-in value is a $5 Amazon GC for just 45 Swagbucks). I have several previous posts on Swagbucks, if you want to learn more.

If you were with me last year, you saw what an amazing impact Swagbucks has had on my family budget. By trading Swagbucks in for gift cards to use on purchases I would make otherwise*, I had over $1300 more in my family budget in 2009.

*This is key. It’s one thing to use the gift cards for “fun” things that are extra to your budget (movies, Xbox points, etc.), but when you’re trying to pay down debt, you can really help yourself by using the gift cards for budget line items like clothing, gifts, household items, etc. By using my Swagbucks earnings this way, it frees up hundreds of dollars that I then send towards debt or savings.

If you’ve been waiting to see how Swagbucks has worked for people before joining, now’s your chance. Sign up through my referral link and earn 5 Swagbucks to start yourself off–use the code MONEYWISESWAG–and sign up by Saturday, January 16th at 1:00pm EST. Then start earning Swagbucks by using their search engine every time you’re on the Internet. You can earn extra Swagbucks with my Top 8 Tips to Earn Extra Swagbucks.

You don’t have to have a blog or know a thousand people to earn lots of Swagbucks–if you’re on the computer doing searches, you’re earning Swagbucks. Regular people earn enough Swagbucks to get a few Amazon gift cards, just by doing the above steps. See my FAQ: How do you earn so many Swagbucks? for more on how to earn Swagbucks quickly.

And, if you’re already a Swagbucks earner, look for a daily code in your Toolbar each day this week. More free Swagbucks!

As you saw in my Bringing Money In post for last month, Swagbucks have become a true income-earner for me and a way to impact my family budget. Since I’ve had this question a few times now, I wanted to answer: How do you earn so many Swagbucks? Here is what I have done:

If you haven’t yet, sign up with Swagbucks. You’ll want to install their toolbar as well. Use the Swagbucks search engine for every single search you do. Every time. Make sure you enter the web addresses you visit (me, Target, CNN, whoever) into the search engine as well. By implementing this habit, I earn anywhere from 1-10 Swagbucks each time I’m on the computer for a few hours at a time. If you are able to install the toolbar at work, you should be able to earn quite a few Swagbucks with regular internet research. *As an example, during the time it took me to write up my weekly Safeway post, which includes a lot of searching for coupons, I earned 4 Swagbucks. Last night, I earned another 2 typing up my Thursday posts.

Secondly, a key to earning a TON of Swagbucks is referring others so that you can earn along with them. You’ll earn the first 100 Swagbucks along with any referrals you make. If you don’t have a blog, think about other ways to ask others to join you:

• add your personal Swagbucks referral info to your signature when you post on forums and on emails. You never know who will click and join.
• write a direct email to your friends and family sharing your experience with Swagbucks and inviting them to join (think especially of people who spend a lot of time on the computer)

There are plenty of other ways to earn Swagbucks, but the two above are the ones that have been most effective for me since I joined Swagbucks at the beginning of the year. I hear from many of you that you only earn 1 Swagbuck here and there; I am probably on the computer more often that you are at home, but constantly using the search engine makes my computer time more profitable. The rest come from referrals.

You see me talking about Swagbucks each and every month, and if you’ve been reading MoneywiseMoms for a while, you know I only signed up with Swagbucks back in December after seeing other bloggers try it out. Just by doing my regular internet searching, I had enough in one month to get my first $5 Amazon GC. Fast forward to now, and I’m earning enough to include Swagbucks in my monthly Bringing Money In roundup. Because I use my Amazon GCs to buy things I normally budget for, it is saving me money that I can then send to debt repayment or savings. Amazon sells everything from groceries to diapers–how can you spend yours?

Of course, another strategy is to use your Swagbucks Amazon GCs on “fun stuff” that is not part of your tight budget–video games, books, art supplies for the kids, etc. Why do I focus so much on trading Swagbucks for Amazon Gift Cards? Because it’s the best trade-in value, in my opinion. Yes, Swagbucks offers video games and other prizes directly, but you spend less Swagbucks on them when buying through Amazon with the gift cards.

Whether you’re a new Swagbucks searcher or a veteran user, I have great news for you–you can earn 30 FREE Swagbucks during the month of September! Just download the new Swagbucks toolbar, which is compatible with all browsers–Safari, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. Once you install it, you’ll see an envelope icon. Each day in September, Swagbucks will send you a special Swag Code through that message function. Enter your code into your account for 1 Swagbuck daily–all in addition to the Swagbucks you earn searching the internet!

Are you new to Swagbucks? Sign up through my referral link and earn 5 Swagbucks to start with this code: moneywisecode1
This code is case-sensitive and expires on September 10th.

Want to earn lots of Swagbucks to trade in for Amazon GCs to do holiday shopping? Try these three strategies for earning extra Swagbucks:

1. Use the toolbar to enter web addresses (like Target.com, Slickdeals.com) instead of the address bar on your browser. Each time you use the toolbar you have the chance to win Swagbucks.
2. Follow Swagbucks on Twitter. You’re alerted to Swag Codes on the blog page and Facebook page, plus they announce Swag Code Hunts.
3. Invite your friends and family to join Swagbucks. Add it to your signature for emails you send to Craigslist, Freecycle, or other groups. When someone you’ve referred earned Swagbucks, you do too (up to the first 100). You can earn a lot that way!