I love free stuff. Don't get me wrong, I'm not cheap, but who doesn't love free stuff? And it's even better when you actually care about the stuff you can win. Recently I was messing around online and I started looking for a way to get a cheap iPod, as mine is getting old and is slowly losing its ability to function. After a little looking, I came across swagbucks.com. 

It seemed interesting so I started to do some research. Swagbucks is a website that essentially acts as a Google alternative (The search engine is actually powered by Google). You can play games, take surverys, complete tasks, and even use it simply as a search engine. For using the site, you are awarded Swagbucks, or the virtual currency of the website. Swagbucks are awarded completely randomly, but relatively often. If you earn enough Swagbucks, you can redeem them in the Swagstore for prizes. After a little more research, I found some poeple saying that the things they ordered using their Swagbucks actually came as promised. One guy even boasted about a brand new 64GB 4th generation Apple iPod Touch. 

I was skeptical at first, as I'm sure you are as well. However, I used Swagbucks as my main search engine instead of Google for about a week, and quickly had thousands of Swagbucks in my account. Searches can yield anywhere from 2 to 50 Swagbucks. I decided to invest in a $25 iTunes card, figuring that it couldn't hurt, I didn't pay for anything anyway. Four days later I was pleasantly surprised when I received an unused $25 iTunes gift card, which I promptly used on the Mac App Store. If you're still skeptical, search on Google...or Swagbucks and look for success stories. There are hundreds out there.

What I'm doing today is both earning myself Swagbucks (why not take advantage of a wide reader base?) and informing you about the product. When you, as a member, refer others to Swagbucks, Swagbucks actually matches every Swagbuck your referrals earn, up to 1,000 Swagbucks per referral, with no limit to the number of referrals. If you would help me out, this is my referral link which will take you to a registration page. Registration is free and takes less than a minute. You can then start searching and playing immediately. If you sign up now, there is a current offer of 1,000 SB if you start a free 30-day trial with Netflix (for new customers only, past or existing customers are ineligible). 

Finally, some advice on how to maximize your Swag. (Clever, huh?)

1) Don't Force It

Don't spend all of your time trying random searches constantly. The system sees this and will not award you Swagbucks. Instead, use Swagbucks to replace your current search engine and the Swagbucks will come rolling in. Just be patient and you will start to see the Swagbucks pile up. 

2) Watch the Offers

Periodically the main page will have new offers, offering huge amounts of SB for simple tasks, often signing up for a free trial or taking a survey. Some of these are worth 1,000 SB or more. 

3) Pass it on

Do the same thing I'm doing: get referrals. As soon as you start to get referrals you can literally get Swagbucks for doing nothing. To put it in perspective, If you have 10 referrals max out the 1,000 SB limit, you can be halfway to an 8GB 4th generation iPod touch. Similarly, please support me by using my referral link, it doesn't cost you anything, and doesn't affect your account at all. 

4) Network

Following @Swagbucks on Twitter and liking the Swagbucks.com Facebook page will give you constant updates on special offers and givaways. Just today I got 100 SB by entering a code posted on the Swagbucks Twitter feed. Again, patience is key. If you don't have a Twitter yet, this might make it worth trying.

The Bottom Line

As is custom with my posts, there is of course a bottom line. This post's bottom line is simple. Use Swagbucks. It's no different than you normally operate, and it earns you free stuff. What's not to like? 

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