Swagbucks...

Alright, class. Today we are going to talk about search engines. Raise your hand if you use Google. Ok, ok, that's most of you. You in the back, wake up!

How many of you would be willing to switch search engines if it meant you got rewards in return? Most of you?

How many of you think I should stop pretending to be a teacher and just get on with the blog post? All of you? Well, ok . . . enough with the classroom thing, then.

Seriously, people. If you haven't heard of Swagbucks, prepare to be excited. Here's how it works.

You search for things on the internet, and in return you get free stuff. The end.

Okay, if you're like me...you're probably about to rush off and Google this thing and make sure it's not a scam. Go ahead and do that.

You back already? Can't find anything about it being a scam? That's because it's not.

Oh, and one more thing. That Google search you just did? If you had searched with Swagbucks, you could have earned something for that. Oh well. ;)

Swagbucks NEVER asks you for your credit card information or anything like that. The only information you have to give them is your e-mail address and a mailing address so that they can ship all your prizes to you.

I know, I know--it can't be that simple, right? Wrong.

I just redeemed a $5 Amazon e-gift card that I earned sitting on my rear doing my normal internet-searching activities. I spent it all on music:

"Laughing With" by Regina Spektor (iTunes price: $1.29)

"Eet" by Regina Spektor (iTunes price: $1.29)

"Folding Chair" by Regina Spektor (iTunes price: $1.29)

"Going to the Ceili" by Celtic Woman (iTunes price: $1.29)

"Our House" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (iTunes price: $1.29)

Yes, I am on a Regina Spektor kick. Anyway.

How much would all of that have cost me on iTunes?

$6.45.

How much did it cost me using the Amazon gift card I earned for free using the Swagbucks search engine?

Nothing.

I'm really making two points with this example. First, use Swagbucks. That's the most important thing. Secondly, try buying your music from Amazon instead of iTunes. All those $1.29 songs on iTunes were only $0.99 on Amazon, which is why I was able to get all five of them with a $5 gift card. But if you feel loyal to iTunes, just use your Swagbucks to "buy" an iTunes gift card. Amazon gift cards are FAR from the only prize you can get in the Swag Store. They have all sorts of prizes, but the gift cards are my favorite.

It's impossible to give you the exchange rate of dollars to Swagbucks. It varies from prize to prize. The $5 Amazon e-gift card was 45 SB. A $10 Barnes and Noble gift card is 125 SB. A $15 iTunes gift card is 185 SB.

And how do you GET these Swagbucks again? Like I said, by doing something that you probably already do EVERY day: searching the internet. All you have to do is search with Swagbucks' search engine. You will earn the bucks at random, so don't get disappointed when they don't pop up every time. I tell you--it will make it THAT much more special when you see a gleaming image of a Swagbuck shimmering at the top of your search results. I generally jump up, squeal and clap like a little kid. Yay for cheap thrills! :)

There are other ways to earn Swagbucks. You should explore the Swagbucks website. You can follow them on Twitter and find special "Swagcodes" which automatically give you more Swagbucks.

I don't really get into the Swagcodes, so I earn my Swagbucks at a slower rate than hard-core Swaggers. I still try to get a few each day, though.

Swagbuck's results come from Google and Ask.com, so it's not too shabby of a search engine. I'll be honest though. I still find myself coming back to Google. I'm not trying to convince you that Swagbucks is better than Google. It's not, as far as searching goes. But Google doesn't give me free things, so... :)

Go sign up at Swagbucks! You have nothing to lose . . . except awesome prizes. ;)

Oh, one more thing...

Another way you can earn Swagbucks is by referring others. If you click that box on the right side of the screen that says Swagbucks, it will take you to my referral page. If you sign up through that page and start to use Swagbucks.com yourself, I earn extra Swagbucks.

If you're anything like me, you might be thinking, "So, THAT'S why she's been raving about this thing--because she GETS something out of it. I bet Swagbucks isn't really all that great."

This isn't like one of those awkward Tupperware parties where you feel obligated to buy burpy kitchen containers just because the host is your best friend's cousin's hairdresser. Sign up through my referral link or not...I don't care. Just sign up.

Oh, and you won't have to convince others to join either. This blog post is my only attempt at referring others. Prior to this, I have earned my bucks totally on my own. I promised myself that I wouldn't try to convince anyone of the magic of Swagbucks until I actually had received a prize...and thanks to Swagbucks, my iPod just got five songs fuller.

Let me know if you have any questions. :)