Mega Swagbucks Day!

Happy Friday! and Happy Mega Swag Bucks Day!

Those of you who know me know I love a great deal. I'm a sucker for saving money and if it's free, it's for me! I try to keep it in check and make sure the effort I put out doesn't negate the benefits of saving money. Let's be honest, if you have to spend an hour combing through magazines and newspapers and only come up with 2 or 3 coupons, it's not really worth your time. But if you spend that same hour doing something you would normally do... like, say, researching a current writing project... and you can earn money, I say you're spending your time wisely! That's why I'm a member of Swag Bucks. 



Swag Bucks is a search and win site that awards points or "swag bucks" randomly for searches and other activities. The brilliance behind the site is you really don't have to do anything different than what you normally do in order to win. Now I'm as skeptical as the next guy when it comes to somethin' for nuthin' but I took a chance on this one after doing a little homework, talking to a friend who uses the site and eavesdropping on the chatter on their Facebook wall. It seems people really do win... and now that I've been using it for six months I can testify that it really does work and you CAN get somethin' for nuthin' using this site.

There are a number of prizes in the Swag Store ranging from stickers and pencils to a Keurig coffee maker or PlayStation 3 console. There are also a number of sister-sites that have their own store with a unique collection of prizes, just remember you can't use swag bucks earned on one search and win site in a store from another site. I prefer to stick with the main site and my prizes-of-choice are Amazon.com gift cards and Target.com gift cards. I like the PayPal gift card, too, since it is literally free money.

So, how does it work? It's very simple...

First, you sign up using my referral link (... because I get matching bucks for your search wins!) Then, download the swag bucks toolbar. I know you probably don't think you need yet another tool bar but this one is key to getting the most out of the system. The toolbar includes a search box that uses Swag Bucks' search engine plus a lot of extras like links to the different ways to earn, Swag Bucks social media sites, e-mail shortcuts, weather reports and more.

The main ways to win swag bucks is by using their search engine (you can win 3 - 4 times per day), the "Daily 5" (four activities you can do everyday for a guaranteed 5 Swag Bucks), special offers, watching videos and playing games. Then there are Swag Codes. Codes are released randomly, sometimes require you to hunt them down or solve a puzzle, and are only good for a limited amount of time... but they're fun! There isn't a code everyday and sometimes there are two in one day, but they are a great way to supplement the bucks you are already earning.

Now before you think I'm just selling for Swag Bucks, this post is completely voluntary. I felt compelled to post today because Fridays are Mega Swag Bucks Day! This means that you have a greater chance of winning larger amounts (more than 10 bucks in on win) on Fridays then you do the rest of the week. The wins are still random and you can still win smaller amounts (usually somewhere between 7 and 9) but larger amounts are out there. I started off today with a win for 24 Swag Bucks while doing research for an article.

In the past six months, I've earned enough swag bucks to buy a high chair for my daughter, holiday presents for my kids and a few treats for myself. I currently have over $50 in my Amazon.com account waiting for me to finally decide what I want to spend it on. I was amazed but it really does work and the people I've met through the site are awesome! I've made some new friends, had tons of fun and made free money all at the same time. You really should check it out and consider joining...

...but make sure you do it under my referral link!