How to Get Free Gift Cards

It’s a New Year and one of my resolutions has been to recommit to using Swagbucks daily. I’ve written about other ways I earn free gift cards here and I am continuing to do all those things. Still, one of my goals this year is to earn more free gift cards than I did last year so I am focusing today on how to do that with Swagbucks.

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I am a firm believer that every little bit counts and something is always better than nothing. That is especially true when one is trying to be frugal and stretch every penny.

Several years ago, I discovered Swagbucks as a free way to earn gift cards. I was very devoted to it for a time being and earned at least one $5 gift card every month. Then, I slacked on using Swagbucks but no more! I’m working at earning more money for our family from home so it’s time to resume using Swagbucks .

I’ve been trying different ways to earn SB and am pleased to say that in the past year, I have earned $25 (or more) in gift cards every single month from using Swagbucks (almost) daily!

Why do I like using Swagbucks?

It’s an easy way for at-home Moms to earn a little something extra while they are playing with the kids. Who doesn’t like earning free gift cards for Christmas shopping at Amazon or grocery shopping at Walmart? Swagbucks allows you to do so by earning SB that can be redeemed for free rewards such as these.

The concept is simple. You do various online things through Swagbucks to earn SB. SB can then be redeemed for rewards such as free gift cards.

Here is how to get free gift cards at Swagbucks. You don’t have to do all these things every day but every little bit adds up. These are the ways I have found to maximize my SB earnings at Swagbucks.

1. Sign up for Swagbucks.

Commit to spending a couple minutes each day on Swagbucks. This is important. You get out what you you are willing to put in! You can also download the Swagbucks Mobile App if you are so inclined, but for now, I stick to using my laptop. Sign up for Swagbucks here.

2. Answer the Swagbucks Daily Poll (1 SB).

The daily poll is the first way I earn SB each day. I click through to the webpage and answer the question of the day. Quick and easy!

3. Complete the Daily Crave (2 SB).

Swagbucks has a daily crave offer where you can view a short video or click through a couple pages to earn 2 SB. It is quick and easy to do this every day.

4. Search through Swagbucks (5 to 20 SB).

Swagbucks randomly awards SB when you search through their search engine. It is random and doesn’t happen daily for me but it is always nice when it does. I probably earn SB once or twice a week through Swagbucks searching but I also only search once or twice a day through their search engine.

5. Install the Swagbucks TV app (10 SB).

This is my new favorite way to earn Swagbucks with minimal effort, but only works if you have a smartphone. If you do, install this app today! The concept is simple. When you are at home, on your wi-fi, start running the Swagbucks app. I like to do this first thing in the morning as I wake up. For every several videos you watch, you earn 2 SB for a total of 10 SB daily. Sometimes bonus points are available too!

The nice thing about this app is that it runs continuously so I can start the app, mute it, and let my phone earn SB for me while I’m doing other things. I tend to pick the categories like news and health because the clips are shorter and play through faster. I occasionally check my phone to make sure the app is still running but otherwise just let it run until I’ve earned my points for the day.

Bonus tip: There are 10 second videos in the home and garden category. I made these my favorites by holding down on the videos and then run this Favorite playlist every day to earn my SB quickly. 

6. Watch play lists on Swagbucks (1 to 100 SB).

This is one of the newest ways I am earning more SB. When I am doing things around the house, I open up the Watch tab on Swagbucks and start some playlists running. I try to look for videos that are shorter and earn more SB, like 12 videos for 3 SB. The nice thing about this is that it can run (on mute) while you are doing chores around the house. Sometimes, if I remember, I turn the videos on before I leave the house to play while I am out and about.

7. Meet a daily goal (3 to 11 SB).

When you first start using Swagbucks, you’ll notice a Daily Goal posted for you on the Swagbucks homepage. If you meet your initial goal of the day, you have a chance to earn more SB by reaching a higher goal. It should be noted that your initial goal starts at 30 points (and you earn 3 for reaching it) but after reaching it for awhile they start raising it. If you miss some of the higher goals, they drop your goal back down so it is easier to achieve.

8. Complete several days of meeting your goals (25 to 300 SB).

This depends on how long of a streak you have going. You earn bonus SB for every week you meet your goal. I’ve earned 25 and 50 points for reaching my daily goals but haven’t made it any higher…yet!

9. Install the Swagbucks toolbar on your computer and enter bonus codes when they pop up (3 to 5 SB).

Since I did this, I am generally able to enter at least one bonus code a day. I like this because the toolbar alerts you when a new code is available and tells you exactly where to find it (ie Facebook or on their webpage) and I simply have to click through. I copy the code and past it in Swagbucks code box to have the SB credited to my account.

10. Complete surveys (25 to 300 SB).

I rarely do this because I prefer quicker options. That said, if you have the time to devote to surveys, your SB can add up quickly! I’m going to try to spend an occasional evening watching Netflix and answering surveys, at least once a month.

11. Click through your inbox and complete point offers available to you (2 to 1000 SB).

I often complete the quick quizzes for 2 points or print a special coupon for 5 points. There are trial offers, magazine subscriptions, and countless other SB opportunities available. Don’t forget to glance through your inbox on occasion, especially if you just need a couple more points to reach your daily goal.

12. Print coupons through Swagbucks. 

Do you use coupons at the grocery store? If so, consider printing your coupon through Swagbucks. You earn a SB for every coupon you print – up to 50 prints (SB) a day. Plus, you’ll earn 10 SB for every coupon you redeem at the store. Note that it can take up to 12 weeks for redeemed coupons to be credited but they will be credited!

All of these things take around 5 to 10 minutes a day but you could put in more time if you want. Even if you do the bare minimum and simply run the Swagbucks TV mobile app every day, that is enough to earn a $10 gift card each and every month! If you attempt some of the other activities and meet your daily goals, it is pretty easy to double those SB earnings into a $25 gift card each month. Yes, it takes a little time and effort but I truly think Swagbucks is a great way to earn free gift cards and stretch a limited budget further.

Bonus: Right now, when you join Swagbucks and invite your friends to join, you earn more Swagbucks too. Yes, Swagbucks has a referral program which can be nice to use. Still, I only share about Swagbucks because I have personally found it an easy way to earn free gift cards that help our family budget. Swagbucks isn’t for everyone but if you have a bit of time and are willing to give it a try, I believe many people will enjoy the free gift cards that come from using Swagbucks. Right now, everyone who signs up through your link (this is mine) and earns 300 SB before the end of the month, will get another bonus 300 SB. I share this to help you earn, too!

Now comes the fun part. Reward time! When you have accumulated lots of SB, you can cash them out for rewards such as gift cards. There are countless reward options with Swagbucks! I personally like the Amazon gift cards to use for Christmas shopping or for household grocery purchases. Other reward options include gift cards for Walmart, Target, JC Penney, Paypal, Ebay, Southwest Airlines, Regal Cinemas, Applebees, Papa John’s, Starbucks, The Children’s Place and many, many more!

If you wait until you have enough points to redeem for a $25 gift card, you receive a discount, saving you 300 SB. I used to always cash out at the $5 gift card level but now I wait until I have enough for $25 to stretch my SB further. This is true for any $25 gift card – but only the first $25 gift card you redeem each month so plan accordingly.

By starting now, you can earn SB for next Christmas (my goal) or perhaps earn gift cards to give as birthday presents. You can even work on earning a gift card each month to spend on groceries at Walmart or Target to stretch your grocery budget further. It’s never too late to start earning with Swagbucks!

What do you think? Do you want to earn free gift cards with me this year? Have you used Swagbucks before or are you ready to give it a try?

If you’re looking for more ways to earn free gift cards, be sure to check out my post on 4 Ways to Quickly Earn Gift Cards in Minutes a Day!