Ready to Cash in for Another $25 Walmart Card

Still enjoying being on Swagbucks. I can’t believe that I joined back in something like 2010 but didn’t visit the site until about 2 years ago. I don’t have a lot of time to “play” online but they have so many ways to earn that I can always find one or two things to help boost my totals.

I don’t accumulate as much as a lot of folks do on Swagbucks. But I am so happy to be able to usually make it work for me with at least one $25 gift card and sometimes two, each month. That’s a very nice treat for me - it helps pay for the cat’s needs and some household supplies.

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/emayfieldz

Fun, Food, Folly and More

Ok - the fun and food part are correct but not the folly but hey, I liked the roll of “f” words... The folly was technically an oversight or mistake.

The past two days have kept me on my toes which can be a good thing.

Friday, I was happy to see 2 Etsy orders. 

One was for 2 sets (3 each) of my plastic canvas satin ribbon crosses and one was for a Class Reunion Report. Today I got the crosses packed and will mail Monday. 

The “folly” (or technically “mistake”) part was in the Reunion Report. I had the whole report done when I realized the buyer gave me the wrong Graduation date. I had to put the project on hold while I waited for her to email me back to verify what I figured was the correct date. I will do all the work over again tomorrow morning - not a disaster, just a bit annoying.

Silkie and I had the “fun” part today. I’ve noticed in the past that she sort of stalks the manual Bissell carpet sweeper. I ran it lightly over the rug today, as I must do off and on, for litter pebbles and such, and this time she actively stalked it. I couldn’t keep playing with her with that - nothing more to pick up. So we hauled out the Infamous Red Dot! She loves the laser light - I do not like it because my thumb gets tired. Still, she’s been inside now since Valentine’s Day and I felt sorry for her, so we played. This time, though, I did a lot of “on and off” bits, like fireflies, and this time she REALLY got into it. I rewarded her when I got tired with 3 of her prescription-diet kibbles.

I defrosted a huge bag of chicken leg quarters, just enough to pull them apart and repackage. I re-froze, immediately, 3 bags of 2 each, and am finishing the defrosting of 3 of them. Tomorrow or tomorrow night, I’ll toss them in the, you guessed it, crockpot, with celery, carrots, onion, a box of low-salt broth, maybe some kale, and a 1/2 cup barley (it really swells). Can’t wait. I can almost smell it.

Oh, and I cashed in some Swagbucks and used it to order 2 cheap nightshirts/dorm-shirts from Walmart, to pick up Wednesday. The two I’m using are very old, very stretched (falling off shoulders) and barely hanging together. No other way I could afford these, cheap as they are - I am really grateful for what I am able to do with Swagbucks.

Yep, not a bad two days, in spite of the mistake in that report.

Swagbucks Win from a Swagstakes!

I started playing with using a few points here and there in the various Swagstakes drawings on Swagbucks. I only started this during this past week and not consistently.

I kept it to using just 1 or 4 or 5 at a time but there are a few where they'll say “500 SB reward/each entry 40/limited to 50 entries, 35 left” - that sort of thing - the few I entered only this morning, one cost me 40 SBs, and limited to 25 entries, and must have only just then been posted because most entries were still available.

Well, I just won (and already received) 500 SBs!

My point level was way down after the holidays, below 1000, actually only about 650 this morning, and I "spent" about 90 playing around and was almost regretting it -

Because I use my accumulated SBs for food and other necessities (even jammies!), I hate wasting them, so even though I am really, really excited about this, I’m not going to let it push me into using a lot of my points just “hoping” to win something.

The win, 500 SBs, translates to $5 in spendability out in the real world, but for me, even $5 is important...

That really was exciting. I needed to share this with you other Swagbucks members, in case you wondered if anyone “real” ever won. The answer, obviously, is “Yes! They do!”

It took the edge off of my frustration from being disqualified from a lot of surveys today.

You can go here to check it out or to sign up - http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/emayfieldz

Trying To Get Back to Pre-Holiday Normal

Well, hopefully, I can slowly, or quickly, get back into some pre-holiday routines.

Things sort of went off-kilter and out-of-whack. Between computer breakdowns, the water rationing, trying to make holiday token gifts, and other issues, the past two weeks, especially, have been totally non-routine.

For example, for the second half of the year, I have been very excited about my Swagbucks earnings and activities. It really came in handy. Between groceries, cat food and supplies, and gas for the car (plus some other things), I began to rely on it. Then came the computer crash and a week-long delay in revving up my points. 

Then the holidays and my gift-make-it stage, and the usual newsletter production. So for the past two weeks, my balance was used and way down. I finally began getting into the activities yesterday, and am happily watching the points grow once more. It might take a couple weeks to get back up to where I can really do something, but at least I began.

My de-cluttering efforts took a big hit, too.

In fact, almost everything, that I felt I was making progress on, sort of stopped.

Many of my friends must know exactly what I mean even though our activities are different. Some went into holiday baking frenzies, others into gift-making frenzies, and some into hosting family and friends. Of course, there are some who were tied up with all three!

So it’s time for me, at least, to get back on that horse called “normal” and try to remember what that word once meant.

Gotta Get Busy and Build Up My Points

Swagbucksis quickly becoming my go-to spot for my kitty food and supplies. My income is so low that I cannot budget the way I did years or decades ago. I must buy as the funds are found.

That means that mostly bills get paid first: shelter costs (rent, utilities, car and home insurance) and bills/loans. After that comes gas for the car and food and incidentals. Kitty supplies are almost always buy as needed and hoping the funds are there.

These past few months, I've been able to use Swagbucks cards to get her wet food in quantity-boxes (enough for a month) and her dry food and even her treats. Litter is in the mix, as well.

Anyhow, I cashed in for one more Walmart Gift Card this month and used that yesterday.

My computer was down for almost a week while I was setting up a new desktop system. During that time, I couldn’t work on accumulating Swagbucks. At this point, I am very low. I need to devote at least an hour each day for a while and try to get one more gift card before year end.

Earlier, I had hoped to have one that I could simply use to treat myself – just once – to a really good lunch or dinner out. But after putting out funds for a new adapter for the computer, I’m going to need to use the next one for food/incidentals.

That doesn’t make me feel bad at all. I might have to put aside my treat but I can at least take care of some things I wouldn’t have been able to cover.

I really do have to admit that I have come to rely a lot on those convenient funds for some of the small things in my life. One of these days, if things ever settle down, I can let those points ride for something else.

To check it out, go here...http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/emayfieldz

I'm So Excited - PJ's from Swagbucks!

Thanks to my Swagbucks points, this morning I was able to pick up some "stuff" from Walmart. I usually sleep in a sleep/dorm shirt but they only come to the knees and creep up during the night. It is very drafty in my humble old mobile home, and the jammy bottoms (used to be Jane's) I wore the last few winters finally fell apart.

I just came back with a cute pair of fleece jammy bottoms. I have a bunch of tee shirts to use for tops. The bottoms are gorgeous purple adorned with adorable owls, so "owl" be cute and comfy and warm at night.

I had enough left to buy essentials for Silkie: bag of cat chow, 2 small bags of treats, and half a dozen cans of wet food.

I just love what I've been able to do with Swagbucks. And I almost have enough for another gift card - for sure before month end. And I especially love that I do not have to dip into too-scarce bill money to do it!

If you've signed up for Swagbucks, and can't seem to get started, don't give up. Try again, off and on, until you get used to it. It's worth the time and effort. Unless, of course, you are already a millionaire!

To check it out, go here - http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/emayfieldz

Dealing with Swagbucks Surveys

Like any new activity, working with Swagbucks takes a little time and a little patience. Most folks do find that doing a few surveys, either daily or weekly, helps their points total add up more quickly.

To find surveys, go to your Swagbucks home page. Along the left side is a menu that begins: Earn your SB, and under that, you'll see Answer...that's their category name for surveys. Click that. You'll see Gold Surveys at the top, plus the Daily Poll, and you might have to click "more" to see Peanut Labs.

Now, here's what you need to know about Gold Surveys and Peanut Lab surveys. You will not qualify for every one you click on. Don't expect it; don't feel hurt or angry when you do not qualify. Some surveys, even if you do not qualify, or they are filled, will still reward you with a single SB just for trying. Others will not.

There have been times when I went from survey to survey, perhaps six or seven, and didn't qualify. I just quit for a while and tried again later that day, or that evening. But there are times when I've qualified for several in a row.

The reason for the qualifying is simple. They are trying to find folks who fit into specific demographics for each specific survey. Or they might want a variety. It's not personal.

Here's something else to keep in mind. Almost all surveys begin the same way. They almost always ask for your mm/dd/yyyy birthday or age, your gender, your marital status, your income (in brackets), your level of education, and your race/ethnicity. That helps them know right away if they have too many white college grads in the Nebraska area and need to diversify for their survey. So, if you have any problem with any of that, the surveys are not for you. Try the games, or videos, or something else.

Don't stress on any one way of earning your Swagbucks. Try a little of everything, here and there, to find your favorites and your own comfort zone.

The surveys, truthfully, are the biggest SB providers. They can range from 15 to 300+ SB per survey, and from 3 to 33 minutes each.

Another tip: in the beginning, pick the shorter surveys. Also, each time you do one or two Gold Surveys, and come back to try another, refresh your page...they appear and are filled up very quickly.

One last tip. Do not give up on Swagbucks. Even if you try one week, and feel disappointed or frustrated, come back, now and then, and try again. It took me a few months (I'm a slow learner in my old age, it seems), and then suddenly, I realized the things that I liked best and could do most easily.

Good luck to you...

To check it out, or to join, go here http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/emayfieldz

Swagbucks Update and Activity

Scarcely a week ago, I cashed in some of my Swagbucks to buy some badly needed undies. I did that with a $25 gift card from those points.

Early on in my Swagbucks efforts, I had already cashed in several $25 and $10 gift cards for food, household supplies and pet needs.

By the way, I'd love to know why, when agencies mention that the average person spends XX dollars on food for the week or month, nobody seems to differentiate between "food" and what I'd call "necessary incidentals." What they never seem to calculate in there is the cost of TP, soap, dental supplies, deodorant, laundry supplies, and, well, you get my drift.

I try very hard to limit my food needs by doing a lot of cooking at home, from scratch. But those incidentals - they get me every time.

For that reason, I really have been grateful that I've found Swagbucks. The past two or three months, I've been able to avoid touching my bill money and I've been covering food and incidentals with SBs.

Slowly but surely, I am also increasing my daily totals and accumulating SBs more quickly.

What I've noticed is that we each have our own skills sets and comfort zones. It can take a while for each of us to discover which of the dozens of SB-earning opportunities work best for us.

Patience, too, is the key when dealing with Swagbucks offers and choices.

In the past, I've explained the quickest ways to build up totals, and I've explained some of the opportunities...if you are reading this, you are already on my blog. Just click on the Swagbucks topic in the list at the side and you'll see the earlier posts. 

Or, click on them here:

http://prayersncrafts.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-long-before-you-can-cash-in-on.html

http://prayersncrafts.blogspot.com/2016/08/fastest-ways-to-accumulate-swagbucks.html

http://prayersncrafts.blogspot.com/2016/08/very-grateful-for-swagbucks-this-month.html

http://prayersncrafts.blogspot.com/2016/08/enjoying-fruits-of-swagbucks-labor-of.html

http://prayersncrafts.blogspot.com/2016/10/great-buys-today-with-swagbucks-earnings.html

Back to my own experiences. Once again, I'm cashing some Swagbucks for a $25 gift card and I'll still have enough for $15 more if I need it. And, I'll be adding to that $15 every day.

What I love is that this is all free. I'm on the internet anyway. This is a far better use of that resource than playing Spider Solitaire or any of the Mahjongg versions I have on my PC. This way, I earn some SBs, then I tell myself I deserve a round or two of my fave PC game - sweet!

You can go here to join or to check it out:  http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/emayfieldz

Great Buys Today with Swagbucks Earnings

Wow - I didn't realize it's been a couple months since I last spoke of my Swagbucks adventures. Between then and now, I've cashed in my SBs for several Walmart gift cards and used them for food and pet supplies.

Today, however, I had a stronger need - undies! Now ladies, we all know about bras. They never wear out. But they s-t-r-e-t-c-h out. The straps stretch. The band stretches. Everything stretches. But they don't wear out. I needed new ones, badly. And undies, as well.

Aha! says me - SB to the rescue. I had enough SBs earned to get another $25 Walmart gift card and today I picked up 10 prs undies and two bras...absolutely FREE to me! You have no idea how happy that made me.

I still have almost $30 in my account so I think this week I'll go online and order the shower head for one bathroom. It's closer to my shut-off valve and with my current need for water-rationing, I can get in and out of that shower quicker plus get back and forth to the valve quicker, meaning less water leakage under the house.

The thing is - I'm on the PC anyhow, checking emails and my Etsy shop and other things. I don't play online games or things like that, but I'm still on a couple hours, here and there, each day. So why not use that time to do some Swagbucks surveys, watch a video quickly, print some coupons, and do a few other quick things that earn me those points?

Oh, I truly do love, love, love Swagbucks!

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/emayfieldz

Enjoying the Fruits of Swagbucks Labor of Love

Christmas Day, 2015, not quite 8 months ago, I began to generate Swagbucks rewards.

At first, totals were minor, less than 30 SBs per day, and I didn't do it every day. A few weeks ago, when I realized I could buy groceries, household supplies and pet supplies with my totals, I really paid attention.

At first, I was simply doing the fun Daily Poll from the To Do list in the left sidebar, for a point a day. Occasionally, I would get 10 SBs from grocery-type coupons I'd printed and used, and from online searches (a few points per sponsored search), or an occasional survey.

Then, on 7/21, from what I see on my SB history, I woke up. Most of what I accumulated was gained between 7/21 and  8/18. Since then, I've cashed in gift cards for $25, $25, and $10, and used them for kitty supplies and groceries and household needs.

If I were not in financial straits, think what I could have by the end of each year!

If I had not cashed anything in of late, I would already have "earned" in rewards 6049, a little over $60. But it's closer to 65 because the first card of month often offers a discount (22 in lieu of 25, e.g.).

Swagbucks offers you a daily goal with a bonus if you hit it. When I began, that was 30 a day with a 3 SB bonus. Now I'm up to 100 with a 10 SB bonus. Those bonus reward points are totaled at the end of the month and added early the next month. As a friend explained to me, they do add up.

Plus, if you hit your goal 7 days in a row, you get 25 extra bonus SBs, and if you hit your goal 14 days in a row, its 100 SBs as a bonus.

So it has already proven  that in my case, at least, it's worth my time.

I'm already paying for the internet access, so why not use it sensibly to ease some financial burdens. It would be great to one day be able to say, "Hey, I've got enough right now for a Home Depot (or Lowes) card to get a ceiling fan.

So long as I do not push myself in a stressful manner, and only do the activities that are in my comfort zone, it is enjoyable and worth my time.

You can go here to sign up or check it out - http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/emayfieldz

Very Grateful for Swagbucks this Month

Things have been a little tight this month, so I'm really grateful I've been paying more attention to my Swagbucks totals.

I'd love to save them up for something special, but for now, they are really coming in handy for food, household supplies and pet food and supplies. I just opted to trade some today for another $25 gift card that I can use for those things.

Down the line, I hope to occasionally get one or two like that as a gas card. What a treat that will be.

My computer has been giving me trouble so I hope it holds up until I get another. I need to spend time on it to accumulate those points.

In the beginning, I was lucky to manage 30 points a day. Often I didn't bother to accumulate any at all. Lately, I've hit between 100 and 250 several times. I'm getting to know which choices are best suited for my own interests and skills and time. This past week or two, I am rarely under 50 SBs a day. 

When I sign on to Swagbucks, I go to the left sidebar and scroll down to the to-do list, and do each thing on that list.

From there, I head to Discover, and do the Toro and Adgate coupons. When you print the coupons (10 for Offer Toro and 25 for Adgate), you get 16 SBs each. And, when you use the coupons, you get another 10 SBs for each one. 

You should be aware that when you use the coupons in a store, it can take a few weeks for them to credit. I don't mind that. I love opening it in the morning, off and on, and seeing an extra 10 or more SBs suddenly pop up because the coupons I used a while back were finally finished processing. We have to remember they must go through the stores themselves, and then to a processing center, and on and on. Still, it's a quiet and painless way to accumulate SBs.

I'm actually having fun learning the ropes on Swagbucks.

You can go here to sign up or check it out - http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/emayfieldz

Fastest Ways to Accumulate Swagbucks

When I first dove into Swagbucks, I found it a bit overwhelming. There were so many ways to get what I call points. Your Swagbucks total is actually a version of cash because you can convert those SBs into redeemable gift cards.

Some folks think that's all they are - gift cards. But let me tell you, this month is brutal, financially, for me. I have been so grateful to have been able to convert some Swagbucks, twice, for cards which I then used for groceries and pet supplies - once for a $25 card and once for a $10 card. I still have over 1400 SBs so if things don't change, I can always get yet one more $10 card (1000 SBs equals $10).

You need to remember that the cards do not instantaneously appear in your email box. Some arrive quickly; others can take 10 days or so. The ones I've chosen seem to arrive between 2 and  4 days. Then you print them and use them.

Back to how to get lots of points quickly.

In my humble opinion, the two best ways to accumulate SBs is through surveys and through purchases. I'll explain each briefly. One requires lots of patience and the other requires some money.

Surveys are not what you might think. These are specialized. They have several categories, primarily their Gold Surveys and those from Peanut Labs. Each survey currently available (and there are usually anywhere from 2 to 20) shows you how long it should take and how much you will get when you have completed it. Typically they range from 10 minutes  to 20 minutes, and offer from 50 to 100 or more Swagbuckis when completed.

Some folks get frustrated because the sponsors almost always qualify you first. So you frequently answer the same questions over and over - zip code, age, gender, birth-date, etc. And if you don't fit the demographics they need for that survey, it shuts down. Most will still give you 1 SB just for trying. So that's where the patience come in - I have often tried 4 or 5 or more before I get one I qualify for.

Doing the surveys, even just 2 good ones a day, can easily credit you with 100 or more SBs a day.

The other way to get SBs quickly is to buy from places that partner with Swagbucks. Once you join, every time you access a company partnered with them, you get a notice that every purchase you make at that site will credit you with a certain SB multiplier. So, you might want something from Macy's and you see a note that currently every dollar you spend is multiplied by 6 onto your SBs account. Companies include hotel chains, department stores, Amazon and eBay, flower shops, Sam's Club and so many more.

In my case, I have very little free cash, but twice I needed something that I normally would have run up to Walmart for. Instead, I ordered it online and had it delivered. I also got extra SBs when I renewed my Carbonite backup early this year. I had to do it anyway, and I got some bang for my bucks.

So there you have at least, IMHO, the quickest and best ways to boost your Swagbucks total. Once you get on board, you will find your own favorite ways to increase your totals. But have fun with it, too.

Wait until I do the one on games, later.

You can go here to sign up or check it out - http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/emayfieldz

How Long Before You Can Cash In On Swagbucks?

It took me a while to catch on to some routines that make Swagbucks worth my time. The question that bothered me most when I started to get into it was how long it would take before I could actually get any benefit from it.

The answer is that it all depends on what you want and how soon you want it. You can get small rewards very quickly; or you can do like a friend of mine does and save them all up for Christmas shopping.

Some low-point "rewards" are $5 gift cards for 500 SBs, e.g., Walmart, Target, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Burger King. Even lower, you can get $3 gift cards for your first 300 and treat yourself to a cup of coffee or a donut at Dunkin Donuts.

How easy it is to earn 500 or even 300 SBs? 

How long would it take? 

Well let's do a quick calculation. 

If you do the Daily Poll (1SB), the Daily Crave (2SBs), the Daily NOSO (2SBs), then print 15 Toro coupons (16SBs), then print 25 Adgate coupons (16SBs), each morning (or whenever), that starts each day with 37 SBs - in 10 days, you'd have your first free cup of coffee or donut. That does not count all the ways you will discover that fit your personal preferences and desires.

Do not worry about all those strange names and ways to earn. I'll explain them as we go along. And if you have questions, just ask. If I don't know, I do know where to go for the answer.

Because friends have answered me and helped me when I had questions, and because I got answers also by asking on their Facebook page, I thought I'd start sharing some info to help.

I have a feeling I'll be posting about SBs quite often because these days, there are about a trillion ways to earn SBs and another trillion ways to spend them.

You can go here to sign up:  http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/emayfieldz