Getting Started!

New to the idea of freebies, free samples, deals, coupons and more? That’s okay! Everyone has to start somewhere. It can be a little tricky though to figure out where to start to make the process as easy and painless as possible. Not to worry though. Today I’m going to share my tips and tricks for getting started in the world of Free & Easy Living.

1. Dedicate a separate email address for offers, samples and freebies: Free samples and special offers are wonderful, but usually require you to provide your email address and sign-up for the company’s newsletter. This can generate quite an email clog after a short time. In order to still take advantage of the many wonderful and free offers out there, I recommend you sign up for a new email account (any of the free services will work, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo mail, etc.). Once you’ve signed up, assign this email for freebie use only. Don’t share it with your friends and family, or they are likely to send you mail that could easily get swallowed up in the process.

2. Check in often: Many freebies and special offers expire quickly because they are so popular! Set aside a special time each day for you to check out the different offers and sign-up for the ones that interest you. Maybe it’s in the morning while you check your email and enjoy a cup of coffee before you leave for work, or perhaps it’s while the kids are at school or napping. Whenever you decide is the right time, be sure to check in often so you don’t miss out on any other deals you’re interested in!

3. Join the things that interest *you*: Take advantage of the wonderful networks the internet provides! Be sure to sign-up for blogs, forums or websites that cater to your interests. Many times the companies running them offer special deals to members only, and since it’s a community of people with your same interests, you’re likely to learn about other great deals and ideas relating to your lifestyle. For Example: here’s a great post about baby and child related clubs and websites to join!

4. Take advantage of Facebook: In an effort to better advertise and reach customers, many companies offer Facebook pages now. The wonderful thing about this is that there are often time Facebook only offers on these pages! It’s a simple as clicking the “Like” button and checking the tabs to find the special offers included within. If you’re not familiar with the in’s and out’s of Facebook then check out Facebook for Beginners.

5. You don’t have to stick with just one source! Check out other blogs, do some searching, and be in control of your deals. Living a Free & Easy lifestyle is about controlling where your money goes and enjoying a more fulfilling life on a smaller budget. Be an educated consumer! Some of the blogs that got me started on the path to enjoying freebies and deals are: Freebies4Mom, FreeSampleFreak and SavingEveryday. If you want to do your own searching, I recommend using Swagbucks.com. Not only will you get similar results to your favorite search engine, you can turn those searches into earning potential!

Remember, this about taking control of how you spend your money. Be sure to have fun and leave a comment with your experience or suggested tips!

Happy Savings! ❤

[tweetmeme https://freeandeasyliving.wordpress.com/2010/08/14/getting-started/%5D

Swagbucks: Earn money for searching

Before a good friend shared Swagbucks.com with me, I was very skeptical about sites that offer free prizes for doing little to nothing. Doesn’t seem like it could be very good business for them, and it’s always got a catch, right?

Oh, how pleasantly surprised I was! Swagbucks rewards you with a random amount of swagbucks every time you use their search engine. They can do this because the search engine works much like Google. Results instantly, with a few “preferred” or “sponsored” ads on the sidebar.

Does it work? Yes! I’ve won up to 50 Swagbucks in a single search before! You can also earn Swagbucks through surveys, special offers, daily polls and more.

Do you really get the prizes? Absolutely. I’ve already earned 5 of the $5 Amazon gift cards to date and the beautiful thing is Amazon lets you use multiple gift cards on one purchase! You can also earn money paid directly to your Paypal account. This means you’re earning actual cash! Just be sure that the email you use to sign up for Swagbucks matches the email you use for Paypal.

What’s the catch? Nothing. I’ve been a Swagbucks member for over year and have yet to find a single downside to using the service. I get similar results that Google would offer, and I’m doing something I already do: Search the internet.

I also use their tool bar because it makes it easier for me to use the search function and keep track of my Swagbucks totals.  Some of the tips I’ve found the most useful for earning consistent Swagbucks are as follows:

1. Search but not too often: The key is to search about three times a day, or every 6 hours. For me this gets timed around meals (as has been recommended by many other bloggers). Swagbucks only rewards for “natural searching”. If you just start typing in “A” search, “B” search and so on, Swagbucks will redirect you to their terms and conditions page. So be aware they don’t reward abusers!

2. Take the daily polls: This is very easy to do and doesn’t take more than 15 seconds of your time. You’ll be rewarded with 1 Swagbuck just for participating AND you can submit poll question ideas. If your idea is selected you’ll win 100 Swagbucks!

3. Check the survey page daily: Unfortunately, one of the downsides to Swagbucks is that it’s rare to qualify for a survey. However, simply by going to the survey page you’ll win 1 Swagbuck! When you do qualify you’ll earn 50+ Swagbucks just for taking the survey. I’ve only been checking surveys for about 3 weeks now and have already successfully completed two of them for a total Swagbucks earning of 150!

4. Use the toolbar: Not only will the toolbar make it easier for you to search (and therefore win more Swagbucks), they occasionally give out special codes that you can redeem for even more Swagbucks!

5. Read the Swagbucks Blog: Quite frequently, Swagbucks hides codes redeemable for large Swagbucks rewards in the bottom of their blog posts. Be sure to check in often so you don’t miss out!

Check out this great post by Heather from Freebies 4 Mom for more tips and tricks, and if you’re new to Swagbucks don’t forget to claim your 30 free Swagbucks just for signing up!

Happy Savings! ❤

Note: Some of the links above are referral links. I will earn Swagbucks if you use them to sign up.

[tweetmeme https://freeandeasyliving.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/swagbucks-earn…-for-searching/%5D