$25 Amazon Gift Card Winner! (& 24 Hours Alone)

Thanks to all of you who entered.  It's obvious that Swagbucks is loved by many!!  For those of you who just signed up I encourage you to let Swagbucks work for you.  It's not too early to start saving up those Swagbucks in gift cards for Christmas, a birthday or that one item you can't quite bring yourself to spend your hard-earned money on- let Swagbucks buy it for you!:-)

The randomly chosen winner of the $25 Amazon gift card credit (which will appear in their Swagbucks account) is...

Bethany who wrote:
We love Swagbucks! My member name is Equusbeth :)

Congratulations, Bethany!  There is nothing you need to do.  I will forward your Swagname/email onto the Swagbucks folks and they will set you up with the gift card (via your Swagbucks account).  If you have ANY questions, please email me (thyhand123@gmail.com).

If you haven't signed up and would still like to, SIGN UP HERE.  Make sure to click on "I have a sign up code"and enter this code: THYHAND70 . It will give you a bonus 70 Swagbucks just for signing up!  This special code will expire July 1st, so if you'd like to get a head start on points, use the code and sign up soon.

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On a un-related note, this evening Jamey and I will take our kids to my sister's house where they will stay overnight and spend the day tomorrow, leaving Jamey and I alone for 24 hours (this has not happened for years and years and years).  Seeing as it's for my birthday, I'm getting to choose how we spend our time on Saturday.  I don't want to squander it!  So far the only definite thing on the list is a thorough bee inspection, some personal quiet time, and a walk.  But whatever we do, we'll be sticking close to home.

What would you do with 24 hours alone?  Would you get things done, grab a book, sleep?

Have a wonderful weekend, friends, whatever you're plans!
Love,
Jane

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$25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

This giveaway is closed.  See who won here.

Over the past three years, I have earned a lot of Amazon gift cards thanks to Swagbucks.  I've used them to buy school books, Christmas presents and, well, lots of other things our household has needed.  Using these gift cards helps incredibly with our budget.  If you've been around for awhile, you know that we try our best to be thrifty so we can give to others.  Swagbucks (of all things!) helps us do this.

It is hands down the easiest way to earn money (that I know of).  Simply sign up for Swagbucks and start searching the internet using the Swagbucks search box (in the toolbar you install- super easy and safe).  Just like any new habit, it takes a little getting used to (and remembering to search their box instead of Google's!) but once your new habit is established, it's effortless.  You will be occasionally be randomly rewarded for your searches, earning Swagbucks.  These Swagbucks accumulate and can be traded in for many different gift cards.

Usually, a win is 7 or 10 swagbucks, but a couple weeks ago, I won 47 on a search!

This post tells you how I got started (and how you can, too).
This post talks about how swagbucks helps me with Christmas shopping.  It's never too early to start saving!
This post gives you step by step by step instructions on how to cash in your swagbucks.

Well, those fun Swagbucks folks contacted me and asked if I'd like to share some Swagbuck love by giving away a $25 Amazon gift card (to give you a taste of what earning Swagbucks can do for you).  Saying yes was easy!

So, this week, we are giving away a $25 Amazon gift card- courtesy of Swagbucks!  Read the instructions carefully below and enter your sweet self:-).

To Enter:

In order to enter, you need to have signed up for Swagbucks.  If you're already a member, great!  Just tell me that in the comments and leave me your Swagname (the name you use to sign into Swagbucks) or the email address used to sign up.

If you've been thinking about signing up, now's the time!  SIGN UP HERE.  Below is the page you'll see.  Enter your email, choose a password, confirm your password AND underneath, click on "I have a sign up code".  Then, enter this code: THYHAND70 . It will give you a bonus 70 Swagbucks just for signing up!  This special code will expire July 1st, so if you'd like to get a head start on points, use the code and sign up soon.

Then, come back to this post, tell me you signed up and let us know your Swagname or the email address you used to sign up and you'll be entered to win the $25 Amazon gift card.  Next, go back and browse around the Swagbucks website to learn more about how it works and how you can earn Swagbucks.  If you have ANY questions, email ME (thyhand123@gmail.com) and I'll do my best to help you and answer your questions:-).

Only one entry per person.  I'll randomly choose a winner on Friday.  The winner will receive a code for the $25 Amazon gift card via their Swagbucks account!

If you're ready to give Swagbucks a try, SIGN UP HERE.

P.S.  I am not earning anything from Swagbucks to host this giveaway.  I do, however, earn the first 1000 Sawgbucks along with each person who signs up with my link above.  In the same way, you can earn up to 1000 Swagbucks along with anyone that signs up with your personal sign up link (This link can be found when you're logged in to your Swagbucks account.  Scroll to the way bottom of the page and click on "How It Works" under "Information".  Next click on "Inviting Your Friends to Join".  Your referral link is on the right hand side!

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Chasing Life & Sharing Some Good Stuff

I've been feeling a little frazzled.  Not in a bad way really.  It just seems I'm constantly chasing down things that need checking off.

Feed the little people their breakfast.  Check.
Start laundry.  Check.
Do school with Sadie.  Check.
Hang up laundry.  Check.
Thaw or prep for dinner.  Check.
Make the little people their lunch.  Check.
Wrestle Miriam up for her nap.  Check.
Do school with Sam.  Check.
Do Bible Study homework.
Make dinner.
Pay bills.
Vacuum.
Clean toilet.  AGAIN.
Return emails and phone calls.
Think of something I want to write about.
Fold laundry.
Fold laundry.
Fold laundry.
Forget what it was I wanted to write about.
Fold laundry.
Load the stove.
Send children to time out.
Shower (on special occasions).
Hold some type of meaningful conversation with my husband before we fall asleep.

And tomorrow?  I'll do it all over again.

None of you know what that's like, do you?

Goodness, that took longer to say than I intended.  Anyway, in the midst of all that I have these things I want to tell you.  They don't always fit into neat little posts, so today I'm just going to spit it out.  Please bear with me.  If you haven't noticed, proof-reading and editing are often a luxury my life doesn't allow for.

Saving Ahead (at no cost to you)

Okay, folks.  It's already mid February.  I hope you have your Christmas lists started (practical ideas for gifts, if you have to give them, come up naturally through daily living- not when you have to give someone an idea within a few days). 

Now that you've started your list, I need to know this: have you started saving for Christmas yet? {And, did I use that colon correctly in that sentence?  I'm feeling like I didn't and we haven't studied colons yet in grammar.}

If you homeschool, have you started saving for next year's curriculum?  Setting aside extra money can be hard when finances are tight or when you're trying to throw every extra penny at existing debt (credit card, car payments, or school loans).

One way I've found to sock away some cash is to make use of two online websites, Swagbucks and Ebates.  They are easy to use and it's super easy to ignore the incentives they offer to get you to buy/shop more.  We are trying to SAVE money, remember?  The key to both is spreading the word (like I'm doing now).  And, don't worry.  Spreading the word is guilt-free because you're not trying to sell your friends anything.  It costs nothing to join up and start earning money with either.

With swagbucks, you earn e-cards to your choice of online stores (I only use my swagbucks for Amazon credit).  With Ebates, they send you a check when you earn cash back from online purchases (use it only for purchases you would make anyway!) and referrals.  As you know, Amazon has just about everything, so I use those gift cards for Christmas gifts, needed household items (my most recent purchase was a $14 new mattress cover- ours was 14 years old!), and any school books I might need.  The Ebates cash supplements what Amazon doesn't carry.

But, here's the thing.  It takes time to let these little earnings build into a helpful sum.  So, if you're wanting to start saving for Christmas awhile, you need to start now and set aside those e-cards and that cash (and then don't touch it!).  You also need to start spreading the word about both the sites and give out your own personal link for them to sign up with so you get credit for signing up a friend (I don't get anything from your friends signing up- it's all you).  Share about it on facebook, send an email to your family and help your spouses sign up.

Just think how nice it will be to have a little bit (or a lot) set aside for when you need it later in the year.  And, if you don't buy gifts or need school books, take that money (and the off-set cost for household items bought through Amazon) and give it away.  And, you thought you couldn't give:-).

If you've signed up for either of these and have been slacking, get back at it.  Even an extra $20 would help, right?  Learn more about both here.

What Forks Over Knives Did to Me

I've watched many of the "food" documentaries over the past years- Super Size Me, The Future of Food, Food Inc., etc. They're very popular, you know.  Each makes a good case for making better food choices- eating organic, eating local, eating diets higher in fruits and vegetables.  It's all good stuff.

Then, I watched Forks Over Knives.  It impacted me more than any of the other food-related films I've
watched.

Currently, you can watch it instantly on Netflix (or request the DVD, of course).  The film uses research and case studies to present the position that animal products (meat, AND eggs, milk, cheese) contribute and actually increase your chances of having heart disease and getting cancer.

Whoa.

That's a pretty big claim, but Jamey (scientist turned pharmacist) was impressed with the research they present.  It hit me hard.  We eat meat maybe once a week (and that means small pieces of meat in a dish of mostly other ingredients), so I thought we were doing pretty good.  I mean, most people know now that a lot of meat isn't good for you and that you can get protein elsewhere.  I wasn't considering that the eggs and cheese and milk we eat often could be having a negative effect on our health as well.

Now.  Before I receive a boatload of comments and questions from you fellow chicken-raising, milk-and-cheese loving folks, watch the documentary, please.  To view the trailer, go here (and scroll down slightly to hit play).

So.  What did it do to me?

1) I promptly ordered the DVD and sent it to a loved one to watch and pass around.  I just had/ have to share the information I learned.

2) The next day, I went to the store and bought fresh fruits and vegetables (something you KNOW I don't do in the off season!!).  We eat TONS of fresh fruits and vegetables in the spring, summer and fall but come winter, we rely on the frozen and canned varieties.  I have always been pleased with our ability to eat and preserve in season this way.

The only hang up with this method is that (if I'm being honest) frozen and canned veggies and fruits can become less appealing than their real, fresh counterparts.  Pulling in some fresh fruits and veggies allow us to get more excited about dishes full of veggies (like stir-fry). 

This does not mean we won't be eating everything we've put up.  It just means I will start mixing in fresh with preserved to maximize our love from fruits and vegetables so dairy and meat aren't as tempting to rely on.

3) I started limiting (but not cutting out entirely- yet) my cheese, meat, egg and milk intake- choosing nuts, raw veggies and hummus and fresh fruit when I feel hungry and giving my kids more raw fruit and veggie options over the standard yogurt and cheese they're so used to.

What did it do to a friend of mine?  She was so inspired after watching the documentary that she stopped eating animal products for a month.  She lost 30 pounds.

Now, I am not encouraging you to watch Forks Over Knives to help you lose weight.  I want you to take a look at some information that we don't always hear when it comes to healthy living and eating.

So, go on.  Be brave.  Rent this documentary.  Use your critical-thinking minds and evaluate this for yourselves.  And then plan that vegetable garden ASAP.  It's more important than ever:-).

Update 2/27/12: 
In light of the excellent discussion below, I wanted to make clear my position.  I want to assure you all that local, home-grown, grass-fed, free-range is still our preference and goal.  The points made in the documentary have caused us to look at the quantity of animal products we eat.  We're not cutting them out, just cutting back.  I've chosen to purchase a few fresh items during winter to offset some of the egg/cheese dishes we eat and bolster our veggie intake.  Come spring, there will be no need for purchases like these.  I'm just want to be super transparent here:-).

No one asked me to say any of the things I said in this post.  As always, if I like something, I can't help but share it. It's a little problem I have. Pin It

Cashing in Swagbucks

It's been awhile since I've written about swagbucks, but I'm still searching away and redeeming swagbucks on Amazon for things I need!  Recently, a friend asked me what she should do to cash in her swagbucks to make some real purchases.  Below is how I responded to her in my email.  I hope it's helpful to you as well.

Those of you who stopped searching with swagbucks, I encourage you to start up again.  Even if accumulating bucks comes slowly for you, it sure is an easy way to earn some extra money toward Christmas gifts or necessities.  For more information on how swagbucks work and how to sign up if you're ready to give them a try, go here.

How to Cash In Earned Swagbucks for Amazon E-Cards

Go to the swagbucks website and log in.  You'll see how many bucks you have in the top right hand corner.  Then, look along the top at the left side and put your cursor on the tab that says "Redeem".  "Swag store" and "swagstakes" will show up- click on "swag store".

Look down along the left hand side and click on "Gift and Rewards Cards".  If you hover over it with your cursor, you can choose the $ amount of the cards if you know what you can afford (how many bucks you have).  Look on the first page and find the amazon $5 cards for 450 swagbucks.  This card is the best way to get the most actual money for your swag bucks.  There are larger amount amazon cards, but they are more expensive swagbucks-wise to buy.  Another thing to note...  You can only buy two of one kind of card per day and only five of the same card in one month. 

Okay, to purchase that $5 Amazon card, click on it.  Then click "snag this".  Then you will need to confirm your information on the next screen.  Once you do this, they will send you an email to confirm that you want to buy the card.  It may take a few minutes for it to come to your inbox, but when it does, follow the instructions to verify that you ordered it (it involves clicking on a link that then tells you it was verified).

Now you have the card ordered.  It can take up to two weeks (depending on what time of the month you ordered it) for you to be able to use it.  You know it's ready to use because they will send you an email telling you it's ready.  When this happens, log back in to swagbucks and hover your cursor over your number of swagbucks at the top right and a drop down menu will appear.  Click on "My gift cards". You may have to type in your password to verify who you are.  Then, you'll see your amazon code for each card you ordered that is ready.

Keep that tab open and go shopping on amazon.  When it comes time to check out, copy and paste the code into the place where they ask if you have any coupons or discount codes on the checkout page.  Hit apply or update or whatever and the $5 credit will be applied (it goes toward shipping as well).  If you have more than one, just keep entering the codes into the box until you've used the ones you want and you're set!  You'll see the reflected credit.

Back on your gift cards page on swagbucks you can mark that you've used the codes so you know how many you have to use for next time (instead of trying to use old codes which will not work).

Does this make sense?  Once you do it a few times, it's easy, but as I type this, I realize there are a lot of instructions!  Printing this out and keeping it handy until you do it a few times may help.  Happy shopping, friend:-). Pin It

More Birthday News

I know, I know.  I usually (and only infrequently) post about Swagbucks on Saturdays, but today I couldn't resist.  For those of you who will not search with swagbucks no matter what I say, there's another post coming later today, so please don't fret.

So, here's the thing.  Swagbucks (a search engine that earns you Free Stuff) is turning three years old a week from today (on Monday, February 28th).  I'm still sold on this swagbucks thing and regret not starting sooner than I did.  Mavis, my friend who is keen on all things that have to do with saving money, told me about swagbucks long before I first signed up.  But I, possibly like many of you, needed to sit back and watch how it worked for awhile before jumping on the bandwagon.

 Jamey has these same glasses and actually looks a bit like the Swag guy.  Sometimes, when he wears them, he pops in front of my face and says, "You've won 50 swagbucks!"  It cracks me up every time:-).

I signed up back in May 2010 and since then have earned over $500 in Amazon gift cards that I've used for diapers, Christmas gifts, school books, etc.  Currently, I'm spending them on Little House on the Prairie DVDs as fast as I can earn them.  The other day, Sadie donned an apron and asked asked me to braid her hair "like Laura" and she has the same crush on Pa that I do did.

Now, I do want to be fair in telling you that you likely will not earn as many swagbucks as fast as I did unless you have a vehicle, like blogging, where you can share your love of swagbucks with others.  When they earn swagbucks, you do too- up to 1,000.  Is this a reason not to do it?  Goodness, no!  Even if you earn 1/10 of what I did, you'll earn it effortlessly and it will be money you did not have before.

So, here's the awesome news.  Not only are they doing all kinds of fun things over at swagbucks.com this week through Monday to celebrate, if you sign up (using this link) between now and Monday (the 28th) not only will you earn the standard 30 bonus SB, you can earn an additional 50 bonus SB when you then enter a special code.

Here is exactly how to do it...

1) Click here.

2) Enter your information to sign up (I've received ZERO spam relating to swagbucks) AND AT THE SAME TIME...

3) Enter this code 3rdBirthday147 into the window that asks for a special code (this earns you the extra 50 SB).

4) Then, complete the instructions.


5) Once signed up, click on "Toolbars" all the way at the top and then click "Download" to get the swagbucks toolbar/search box.  This is where you will search for things online instead of in your google or yahoo search box.  Occasionally when you search, a special box will pop up telling you you've won swagbucks.  There are other ways to earn as well, but don't concern yourself with those now.  Just start searching as you normally do (over-searching can keep you from earning) and browse around the site to learn about other ways to earn as you have time.

That's it!!

To read more about what *I* do to earn swagbucks, click here.  Happy earning!  Every little (or big) bit helps:-). Pin It

I Think I'm In Love

 This drawing is closed and the winner is.... Karen!  Please email me (thyhand123@gmail.com) so I can send you your $25 Amazon gift card code.  Happy searching with swagbucks, everyone! 

Okay.  I wasn't going to post today.  I've got bathrooms to clean, a treadmill to walk on and a shower to take before a neighborhood Christmas party tonight.  But, I couldn't resist.  If you haven't gathered by now, if I find something I love, I talk about it.  And I am on the verge of in love with Swagbucks.  Here's why...

1) I purchased 90% of our Christmas presents from Amazon two weeks ago using Amazon gift cards I earned with swagbucks.  I did not stand in lines.  I did not sit in traffic.  I did not have to change out of my "in for the evening" clothes.

2) Since we were able to buy so many gifts this way, we were able to give to several charities/mission agencies this Christmas instead of choosing only one.

3) Thanks to my referrals and the way I've set up my bookmarks, I don't even think about the fact that I'm searching swagbucks until the little swagbuck pops up showing me I won more.

4) The swagbuck folks are introducing all kind of cool features, one of which is their FREE Trade In Books option (you pay no shipping).  I was intrigued by this option because I hate selling books.  Some, I donate, but the others I know I could earn some money for.  Often, my consignment shop won't take them and if I try to sell them on eBay, I usually earn pennies after the fees they charge and the piddly amount the book sold for.

Well, I tried swagbuck's program the other day and it was easy as pie.  I earned 900 swagbucks (they will be credited once they get my books) which is the equivalent of $10 in Amazon gift cards.  Here's how it works...

~ Log in to swagbucks (or, if you haven't signed up, sign up here).  Click on the "Earn" button at the very top and in the drop down, click on "Trade In".  Choose "Books".

~ Now, run around your house like a mad woman (or man) and pull together a stack of books that are only gathering dust.

 photo courtesy of swagbucks.com

~ Type in the ISBN numbers (one at a time) from your books and see if they are accepting them.  If they are, click "Sell", then go back and add more books until you're all booked out.  They do not take all books and their swagbuck values varies.

~ Once you've entered all your books, follow the instructions to finish your "order" (even though you're not buying anything) and print out the shipping label.

~ Box up your books, slap on the shipping label and take it to the post office.  That's it.  You don't pay a dime.  There's no requirement to buy books back.

5) If you've read all the way through this post, you are either considering signing up for swagbucks or you already have.  If you have already signed up with me (all your referrals have really helped me earn!), I want to do something nice for YOU.  So, if you've signed up with me in the past, I want to give you a chance to win one of my $25 Amazon gift codes to copy and paste into your next Amazon order.  Just leave me a comment telling me you've signed up (with a way to ID you) and I will draw a name this coming Tuesday, December 7th.

Happy Swagging, everyone!  Have a wonderful weekend!!

For more tips and information on signing up and using swagbucks, click on the tab at the top of my blog called "Swagbucks".

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Close Your Eyes and...

...imagine you are sitting in your warm house by the fire (if you have a fire place or stove, of course). It's wet and cold outside.  You know the stores are swarming with holiday shoppers in a hurry.  Those shops are crowded, the lines are long and parking spaces are tough to come by.  Not to worry.  You're snug at home, doing some of your Christmas shopping online with the Amazon gift cards you earned through swag bucks.

You can't help it, but you feel a little sorry for all those holiday shoppers.  Some of them are your family and friends.  Now imagine them home, snug and warm, doing their holiday shopping on line.  They'll be smiling, too, and so glad you told them about swag bucks back in those warm, summer months.

Now, open your eyes.  Oh, wait.  I guess they've been open all along if you've been reading this.  Carry on.

This past week, I hit $200 in Amazon gift cards earned through searching swag bucks.  The quickest way to earn is by sharing swag bucks with others.  When you tell your friends about swag bucks, you (not me) will earn the swag bucks they earn, making your bucks grow even faster.  I'll just be happy for you, imagining you snug in your warm house come November.

For all the basics you need to know about swag bucks (including how others can sign up with you), go here.

If you're ready to sign up yourself, go here and start earning swag bucks today:-).

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Still Swagging Strong

 (Occasionally, I blog about swag bucks on Saturdays.  Feel free to ignore me if you want.)

Swagging sounds a little like swaggering to me and that makes me feel a little tough.  Like, hey, look at me, tough girl that I am... I'm earning free amazon gift cards. Take that.

Now, if you search with swag bucks, this is what you love to see...

I've been so busy with the produce coming in from the garden, the kids, the laundry, etc., that I barely have time to give swag bucks a thought.  You know what?  I don't even have to!  I just go about my normal daily business checking email, looking up things I want to learn about, recipes I want to try and I am pleasantly surprised by these little boxes that pop up now and again and tell me I've won swag bucks.

I am fully in the habit of searching with swag bucks for everything, even having bookmarked swag buck searches that lead me to my favorite sites.  By doing this, I'm really not even thinking about swag bucks until I'm faced with a win.  Talk about easy.  I do try to remember to do the daily poll, but I've given up looking for codes for now.  Not because it's hard- just because there is not enough room in my brain right now.  It fills to capacity fairly quickly.

So, there you have it.  Thanks to swag bucks and thanks to all of you who have signed up with me, I have $125 in Amazon gift cards to use towards Christmas gifts so far.  Not too shabby indeed.

Being too busy is no excuse not to earn swag bucks.  I'm living proof:-).

Sign up here.

Want to learn more about swag bucks?  Check out my previous posts where I explain how it works and tips for searching.

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This is the Week to Swag (Bucks)

I am still having so much fun with swag bucks!  If you've already joined and you're having trouble remembering to search or if you're still on the fence, I have some news for you!

First of all, if you've joined and you find yourself forgetting to search, here area a couple things you can do.  First of all, make sure you've downloaded the toolbar (log in, and click the "Toolbar" tab at the top) so it's there where you can see it.

Now, here is the tip that has helped me SO much.  While it may be a pain to remember to search, think of what you already do on line.  Do you check your email?  Do you Facebook?  Do you have blogs you like to read (wink, wink)?  Well, search for those!  For example, enter your email website into the Swag Bucks search box.  Once the results pop up, bookmark that results page (renaming it "email").  Now, when you want to check your email, go to your bookmark, click on it and up will pop the results page.  It will count as a Swag Bucks search and you're on your way to checking your email.  It adds one extra click, but will help you win more swag bucks.  I do this with my facebook account, my blog, my email, my Netflix account, my local weather webpage, etc.  I win this way regularly and I'm searching while checking the sites I usually check anyway!

If you haven't joined yet AND even if you have, here is the great news...

First of all, if you sign up before June 11th and then use this code "SUMMEROFSWAG" (Enter the letters between the quotation marks in the field "Enter your Swag Code" once you're logged in to  your Swag Bucks homepage and hit the "Gimme" button) you'll get an additional 20 Swag Bucks (you get 30 automatically for signing up, so this makes it 50!).  The code will only work until midnight on June 11th (PST).

Next, check this out (per the Swag Buck's blog)...

"Yesterday I told you Monday was going to be a big day for Swag Codes, and it is - AT LEAST 5 different codes will be coming your way on Monday!

That's not even the best part, though. The best part is why we're having a big code day.

It's the kickoff to our Summer of Swag! We've got some really big stuff that will be debuting this summer - things you've been asking for - and TSG can't WAIT to share them with you. It's definitely going to be a summer to remember at Swagbucks.

In the meantime, this coming week is going to be a BIG one too. In addition to going code crazy on Monday we'll be highlighting a different bill every day - BIG bills, too. As an added bonus, every day the featured bill will be awarded to every 7th win on Swagbucks! On Monday, that bill will be the 25 Swag Buck bill."

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So, now really IS the time to sign up and search.  If you're ready, go here!  If you want more info., click on my "Swag Bucks" page just under the header picture up at the top of my blog.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

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Just a Heads Up

Occasionally, on Saturdays, I will be posting about swag bucks.  If you want nothing to do with them, that is A-OK.  I don't want you to read something that means nothing to you, so click away and I will see you on Monday.  Have a wonderful weekend in the meantime:-).

After One Week of Swag Bucks...

It's been a little over a week since I joined swag bucks (if you have no idea what I'm talking about read this first, then come back) and so far I have earned 1,871 swag bucks (1800 of which I've already redeemed for $20 in amazon.com e-gift cards to spend as I please).  If you've signed up already and are curious as to what I am doing or if you're on the fence about joining, here is some more information for you.

Before I begin, let me remind you that swag bucks is free, there is no obligation to buy anything and no penalty for giving up on it if you hate it.

That said, here is what I've done this week...

1) After signing up, I downloaded the toolbar (Go to swagbucks.com, log in and click on "Toolbars" at the top).  It takes up a half inch strip of space at the top of your screen.  I was hoping they had something like this because if there wasn't an easy place for me to search, I knew I'd forget to search swag bucks.  I have been doing on line searches just like normal, just in the swag bucks window.

If you try to search more often, it doesn't help you.  In fact, that can keep you from winning.  I like this feature because it takes off the pressure to search, search, search.  Don't, don't, don't!  With normal searching, I have been winning between 20 and 50 swag bucks a day (just by searching).  You won't win every time, or every day, but don't be discouraged. I've found that searching 3-5 times in the morning (then stopping for a couple hours), again in the afternoon (then stopping for a couple hours) and again in the evening before bed gives me at least a couple wins a day.

2)  At first I went hog wild and also signed up for a bunch of special offers (look under "Ways to Earn" at the top of the website for "Special Offers") that earned me swag bucks (getting e-newsletters, watching short promotional videos, etc.).  These are all well and good and do give your swag buck account a boost, but they aren't necessary. In fact, the only special offers I do anymore are watching short video clips when they pop up on the homepage (scroll part way down- they can be found between the two yellow arrows when they are available).  I also answer the daily poll question (under "Ways to Earn", click on "Daily Polls") which earns you 1 swag buck.  I also look for the swag code when I think about it (to learn about swag codes, click here, and click on the "swag code" tab).

3) I told my friends about it, including you!  When someone signs up because of you, you earn bucks along  with them when they win on searches (up to 1000 swag bucks).  Just make sure they sign up with your unique link.  You can find this by logging in to swagbucks.com and then clicking on the purple "Promote" link along the left hand side.  This will give you your "referral link".  That is the link your friends should use to sign up.

If you feel weird telling your friends about it, don't!  You can still earn swag bucks just through searching.  You will earn swag bucks a little slower- but they are still swag bucks and can be traded in.  Maybe once you've cashed in for a couple gift cards, you'll feel more confident sharing swag bucks with friends.  But, it's up to you.  If you want, it can be your little secret:-).


So, that's it!  Ready to sign up?  Once you do, make it a habit to search in your swag bucks window.  You won't win swag bucks if you don't search!  And, if you want, tell a couple people about it and watch your swag bucks grow:-).

One more thing.  It's corny, but you're going to really start liking this guy's face.  I'm just warning you.

And, I highly recommend reading up on some really helpful tips and rules that you need to know about.  This site and this page are excellent places to start.

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My New Job

I just got a new job.  I started two days ago and so far, it's been easy and, actually, kind of fun.  I get to stay home in my yoga pants.  I get to decide when I work, if you can really call it that.  For my efforts, I will be earning free gift cards to use on whatever we need.  That's pretty great considering we have no other means of income for the next year and by next year at this time, our savings may be as depleted as our pantry is right now.

So, what I am doing?  I'm swagging.  (Can I say that?  Does that even make sense?)  My dear friend, Mavis, who has been a reader of this blog of mine since almost the beginning and whose comments you probably see now and again, introduced me to swag bucks.

In it's simplest form, you sing up here by filling in your information.  Then, you download (don't be scared- it's nothing freaky and won't mess up your computer) the swag bucks toolbar.  It will show up near the top of your screen and in it is a new place to search the internet (an alternative to searching google, yahoo, etc.).  Each time you search, you have a chance to earn swag bucks (sometimes you earn 1, sometimes 11, sometimes many more).  You also earn 30 swag bucks just for signing up.  The swag bucks can be redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, etc.  There are lots of other ways to earn additional swag bucks, but only if you want to.  (Swagbuck tips and frequently asked questions.)

Here is what I am doing.  I am going to use their search box only when I need to search and I'm going to answer their new poll every day (this earns you 1 swag buck).  ONLY when I have extra time (eg: after the kids are in bed), will I browse the site further to discover all the other ways I can earn swag bucks (which includes shopping in their store when you need something, taking surveys, etc).

My goal?  To see if we can make it to next spring using swag bucks.  For gifts, night time diapers, etc.  Mavis' plan is to earn enough gift cards to pay for all her Christmas shopping this year.  That's some holiday cheer, no?

Another great thing about this new job of mine?  There's no interview.  Ready?

YOU'RE HIRED!!  Congratulations!  I'm so proud of you:-).

Now, go sign up for swag bucks and let's see if we can't all save ourselves a few dollars this year. Pin It