If you know me, you likely know I love Swagbucks. It is currently my favorite site to earn a few gift cards.  I've been doing swagbucks for at least 5 of its 7 years  of existence, if not a bit longer.  Up until this year, I only "kinda sorta" did it.. just casually.  Even at that, I was still earning enough points to get about a $50 gift card for Christmas and Easter each year, and still have some in reserve.  Since my birthday in January, I've been working it more like a really bad paying job haha.  I don't think you will ever get rich doing swagbucks, but, you can earn enough to make it worth your time.

It is up to you how much you want to earn.  Put in the time, and you will earn more.  I have had plenty of friends that haven't done anything with swagbucks, and I've had some that have earned several gift cards.  Previously, I've only ever given my referral code, and told people I get $50 gift cards to help offset Easter and Christmas, and leave it at that.  Well, I've noticed something... no one has really stuck around, some don't even do it long enough to earn me any referral points.. which means, they didn't even earn 10 points!  That isn't helping either one of us!

With swagbucks for any referrals you earn 10%.  So, every 500 points you earn (that is equal to a $5 gift card), I would earn 50 points.  might not sound like much... but it's 50 points I didn't have to work to get.  If I have 10 referrals earning a $5 gift card every month.. I'm earning a $5 gift card every month just off them.  See why it's important your referrals are making money too?  ...and why its important to share your link with your friends?

In case you haven't signed up.. I'd love you to be my swagbuck friend/ referral!  I'll teach you all I know :)   Just log in here,    Swagbucks  and then read all my tips and knowledge.

No matter how aggressive or relaxed you are about swagbucks, there are a couple things you should do every single day:

Your to do list is easy points.  try at least one survey a day, if it doesn't have a ! point after it, you will earn 1 point even if you get disqualified.  and you will put a check mark on your to do list.  get 6 check marks, and you will get a small bonus, manage to get all 8 and you will get a bigger bonus (I don't think it will ever be more than 10 points, but hey! thats an extra 10 points, and it adds up over time :)

Daily Poll.  This is the easiest point you were earn, ever.  Cast your vote, and you can be done.  If you want to comment, they used to randomly give people points for comments, but I don't know if they do anymore, and half the time, I avoid it because everyone wants to argue.

Deal of the day: so simple.  click on the link, look at the deal. Ta-dah! you just earned a point!

Daily Discover- find an easy offer.  If you have a sponsored video, those usually count.  If not, there are usually 1 point offers that you can do that make this an easy check mark.

daily search- this is just the search and win.  I will sometimes search on purpose if I haven't won  a random one.  I usually type in random movies, songs, random thoughts, and sometimes I will beg and plead to please let me win because I just want to go to bed haha.

Daily Crave: I usually click on the link to get their crave, but rumor has it, you can do any crave and get credit.

Daily watch:  watch a video.  I usually go to parenting, or SBTV )mobile) and find a 1 point video to watch and find the shortest one to do.  You can click to the next video once you have the check mark.  
Surveys: you can earn up to 5 points from getting disqualified, which tends to be an easy 5 points.

Other things you can do, and probably should do:

Swag codes: occassionally Swagbucks will give you a code you can enter.  It goes in the box at the top

you hover over it, and then enter your code.. they are always case sensitive.  Be sure you are paying attention to where they say to redeem those codes.. it may be anywhere, only a desk top type computer or only a mobile device, or only in the swag button.  

Refer friends!:  invite your friends, to earn gift cards with you!  share your success stories!  Use your referral link!  Make some easy points without doing anything!  

videos:  bring up a second tab on your browser, and stream some videos.  You don't have to watch the whole video if you don't want.. once you see the little check mark, you can move to the next video.  If you have something else to do, you can click back and forth between the video tab to whatever you need to work on and get through the videos while you work, earning you some fairly easy points.

SBTV:  (mobile videos).  turn this on, click the play button and let it stream.  The daily limit is 10, however, sometimes it will give you bonus points.

Games:  under Play, at the bottom, are three free games... Swagasaurus bux, memory, and swag jump.  I like swagasaurus bux and swag jump the best, but you can play any of the three.  Typically you earn 2 swag bucks for every 2 games you play, but if you do particularly poorly on the game it may take longer.  You can earn 10 points in games each day.

Sponsored videos:  Probably my favorite way to earn!  If you are on any saving groups that talk about swagbucks, you've probably saw things like Tank top Girl (TTG), and Laptop Guy(LTG).  These are favorites of almost everyone that uses swagbucks.

when you go to sponsored videos and see either of those, if you have the ability to do nothing else but click through these offers.. do it!  These are seriously easy points, and fairly quick.  TTG you interact with the video at least once, and when it gets to 00 in time, click I'm done, x out of the screen and click her picture again and repeat until it pops up with a screen that goes straight to 00.  LTG will give a message that the offer is all done when he's gone.  Sometimes its a one and one type of thing, and sometimes you can earn over 100 swagbucks off the videos!  I personally also like the one with a lady in front of a desktop computer worth 3 points every time you cycle through the video set.  I will do all of the sponsored videos if I have time, but priority lies with the two pictured above.  LTG is almost always more generous to me than TTG, but it may not be the case for you.  These are limited time videos, so if you see them available, grab them while you can!  

additional options:  This last list of options its up to you how much you want to do with these.  it is possible to hit your daily goals without doing any of these providing that one of the above has been nice and given you a fair amount of points.  That may not always be the case.  Here are some additional options that I do, but don't always bank on.  

Surveys:  These will help you have amazing days, or help salvage a bad day.  However, they can be infuriating when you've gone all the way through the survey only to be told they already hit max capacity and you just wasted 20 minutes or more for 1 swagbuck.  Some are better than others.  you may decide these aren't worth your time at all, like I did until this past January.  Or, you may love them, and do them as often as you qualify for surveys.  It's up to you.

Swagbutton:  This is an add on you can get.  I like it. It alerts me to swag codes that I would otherwise miss.  It also will give surveys that typically I qualify for and get credited with.  They are my favorite surveys to take.  You can also watch videos on there.  

The pic is of the swag button and the drop down box of options.  

Shop and Earn:  Need to shop?  Order it through swagbucks... make sure its activated so you get points.  You can order many things and have it as a store pick up the same day.. This earns you a few points and saves you from impulse purchases.  These don't award right away, and the amounts vary, but its an easy way to get a little bonus for something you were buying anyway.

Coupons:  Under shop, then coupons, you can print grocery coupons.  Sure, I could ask you to use my coupon bag so I would get a few cents from you using my link, but, I would rather you make a few points.. 10 to be exact for each coupon you use at the store.  You save money on your groceries, and earn 10 extra cents for each one you redeem.  Again, this is not a quick turn around, so don't expect them very soon.  It says it can take up to 12 weeks, and it really can... to be honest, I think even longer sometimes.  

Offers:  For me, these are hit and miss.  You can poke around and see if there is anything you are willing to do.  I don't do these very often.  I will sometimes do the ones that give you points for playing a game, or for getting a free Disney DVD.  I personally won't do the offers that you sign up for a trial offer, and then have to cancel. Some people do, but I would forget and end up paying.  I've done radio Loyalty, which is a couple points for every 30 minutes you listen to music.  You do have to pay attention to when the capcha pops up on this one though, it will give you the capcha at 30 or 35 minutes whatever it is, and then if you don't enter it right away, the next half hour doesn't start until you clicked the capcha.  

Explore the site. You might find something I haven't discovered.  Do yourself a favor, and try to make your blue goal (the first goal) every day You earn bonus points for streaks.  7 days = 25, up to the whole month = 300 sb.  when you meet either goal, you earn bonus points too.  These will be available to grab the following month a couple days in, and then you have about 14 days to claim them.  Make sure you claim your bonus points!  It will be located under your daily goals tab at the top.  

my personal goal is 200 a day.  Some days I make my goal, some days I don't and some days I earn well above my goal.  There isn't a right or wrong way, but if you set a goal for what you want to accomplish and find a system that seems to work for you, go with it!  Keep an open mind, and remember, if you can hit even 100 points a day, that is $365 a year in gift cards.  You won't get rich, but that would certainly help with the holidays, or buy something nice for yourself.  Combine it with other savings methods I talk about and earn yourself a vacation...or whatever it is you are dreaming about! 

I've still be doing my one Thursday a month posts on my friends blog.  I need to post connections to them here as well :)

I have gotten much more serious about saving money this past month.  I have goals.  I want to take my kids to Disney World.  Working as a substitute teacher not working more than 2-3 days a week, that doesn't exactly make saving particularly easy.  The bonus, is I don't own credit cards, so I don't have to worry about those.. but the student loans from college more than make up for that.

This means, I have to think outside the box.  In some cases, it also means sucking up my ego, and doing things I might not normally do.

I put as much as I am able to away from my subbing job.  which means anywhere from nothing to $50 a month.  yes, thats a big margin, but its literally the way it goes.  If I don't splurge on anything, have any school related expenses, and work at least 6 days during the month, I can put much more away than I can a month like this one, where subbing jobs have been rare, I have school pictures for 2 $30), year books for 2 ($24),   book fair for 2 ($10), and a school fundraiser ($30).  (or $94....thanks school.. ugh).  this is one of those months I may actually have to dip into the Disney fund just to cover everything.

This is what I'm working with to save money for the trip, to attempt to get there in 2 years.

save from paycheck
swagbucks
mycokerewards
ibotta
checkout51
savingstar
instaGC
BzzAgent/Mypoints
SBKC
rebates
recycle cans/ pop tabs
yard sale

my kids plan includes
gift cards/ cash from friends and family for holidays, birthdays
chores
yard sale
recycling with mom.


I'll explain a little about each of these and provide referral links when possible.

 swagbucks   This is my favorite website to make "money".  You actually earn points to turn in for gift cards. However, for Disney, this is perfect.  You can redeem your points for Target gift cards, which you can turn around and use to purchase Disney gift cards, which never expire and are good on EVERYTHING Disney!  each point is essentially worth a penny as 500 points = a $5 gift card.
This is the first month I've been serious about swagbucks. Before this, I would casually earn points and would still have enough to turn in for about $50 for Christmas and $50 for Easter each year.  This month alone, I have already made enough points for $70
I do the daily poll, I scroll through the NOSO and earn 2 points from that (I don't click on anything except see next offer). I play swagasaurus bux and swag jump for the 10 point limit.  I stream videos on the ipod (mobile SB) for the 10 points and any bonus points it lets me get), I stream videos on the desk top, I do the nGage and Ncrave.  I print coupons from swagbucks, I do the surveys when they let me.  If I need something, I will check and see if I can order it through swagbucks shopping, and pick it up in store to avoid shipping fees, but still get my points for purchases through SB.  I make it a point to at least hit the minimum daily goal and try to hit the second daily goal or more as well. This allows me to earn around $10 worth of bonus points each month!  You can also earn points from your referrals, which is lovely bonus points :)

 my coke rewards :  This one is good if you drink any coke products, or have someone willing to save them for you.  Enter up to 75 points each week.  bottle caps are worth 3 points, 12 packs are worth 10 points and cases are worth 20 points.  You can also do activities like share stuff off their site to build your status.  You will need to earn gold status to get Target gift cards.

Ibotta :  This is a grocery rebate app.  You will need a smart phone, or mobile device of some sort. I use my ipod for now, but will switch to a phone when I get a better one.  You take your mobile device with you, find an item with a rebate, click unlock, scan the barcode of the item, and then once you purchase it, you can scan your receipt to get the rebate.  You can go through pay pal or gift cards.  You can also have team mates. These are your friends on facebook that also have the app. you have to connect Facebook to your app in order for this to work.  If you use my link to sign up, and you cash out 2 rebates within 2 weeks, I will get $5 and you will get $10!

check out 51 :  very similar to Ibotta, except, you don't have to take the phone with you. You click the offers you want ahead of time, then redeem them with your receipts.  After $20 you can cash out.

savingstar :  Pretty much exactly like Check out 51.

InstaGC :  This is similar to swagbucks. You can earn points to exchange for gift cards.  I will be honest, I get most of my points through their free points on Facebook.  I haven't had many survey opportunities, but you might!  You can set a goal, and cash out when you reach your goal. I believe goals start at $1.

Bzzagent :  Okay, this one is a little different.  This one you fill out surveys, and if you are lucky, they pick you to get something to sample. The better job reviewing the item you do, the more chances you have at getting picked again.  I love BzzAgent Campaigns!  I get free product, coupons to give friends and when I do my reviews I get MyPoints, which is another site similar to Swagbucks that you can turn in for gift cards.  You can get referrals for both, but with MyPoints it has to be people you know personally.

SBKC :  This company will pay you for some of your junk mail.  You can't tear the envelopes, but you do have to open it, so open your mail carefully,  They accept a wide variety of mail and email, and give you points towards it.  They don't always have openings for new people, so check to see if you are able and if not, keep checking back!  Check to see what type of junk mail they are looking for as well.  They cash you out after $20 dollars worth of points as well.

rebates:  If you get a rebate as a check for cash, cash it in and add it to your Disney fund!

recycling cans/ pop tabs:  walk along the roads, collect cans.  If you live in a state with bottle deposits, then grab the tabs off before turning them into the store and recycle the tabs!  You won't get rich, but aluminum is around 40 cents a pound, so for every 100 pounds you turn in, its an extra 40 dollars you didn't have!

Yard Sale:  Declutter your space.  Sell it and stash the money back for your trip!  It serves 2 purposes.  First, you have pulled some of the stuff cluttering up the house and given your house a make over, and two, you now have extra money for your vacation!  Win-win!

There are other ways to save, and I'm starting to learn about a few more, but I want to check them out a little before recommending them.  If you have a way to save money, share it with me!  I'd love to hear your ideas!  

so, I've been somewhat neglectful of my blog for the last ...oh... multiple years :/ But, I recently started to do a guest spot on a friends blog check it out, share some love with my friend :)Thrifty Thursday

shout out for another blogger that I really like.

Once in a while you come across someone who has recipes that make you giddy, because not only do they look good, but they are healthier than average as well. That is http://www.alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2011/09/homemade-gummy-fruit-snacks-healthy.html her blog is based on gluten free, diabetic, healthy-ish, and just plain goodness :)

I've tried the gummy fruit recipe.. don't make the same silly error I did and think jello counts as gelatin.. get knox lol. Mine didn't gel up quite as hard as they should have.. but oh my were they tasty

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

We love going to dinner at The Irma in Cody, Wyoming. One of the highlights is their bread pudding with whiskey sauce. It's unlike anything I've ever had. It's intoxicating.. quite literally. Too much whiskey sauce will have you stumbling your way out of the restaurant... or at least it seems like it. I searched online high and low, and couldn't find a whiskey sauce that seemed like it would be even close. I chose Paula Deen's Bread Pudding recipe, simply because she is awesome, and she makes everything so wonderful, I figured even if it wasn't right, it would at least be really good! I omitted the pecans because the Irma's doesn't have them, but I'm sure they would be amazing in it.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/the-best-bread-pudding-recipe/index.html

For the Whiskey Sauce, after studying several on the internet I went with my own version...partially because I simply didn't have any eggs, and partially because I didn't think they seemed quite right.

melt 1 stick of butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. while that is melting add approx. 1 teaspoon of Vanilla. Once it's melted add approximately 1 TBSP of honey (I always use local honey for the benefits it provides). add approximately 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Keep stirring. Add 1 cup of Whiskey. Finally add about 1/2 c -1 cup of brown sugar. stir frequently as it simmers. I simmered it for about 15 minutes.

Serve while still warm. You can also put some whipped cream on top of the individual serving of bread pudding. (ladle the whiskey sauce over the individual serving, or serve on the side in a small bowl). This has a kick!

Hope you enjoy!

pour a ladle or so of Whickey

Pumpkin chili

Occasionally I get brave and decide I have to try something that is outside of my comfort zone. This recipe certainly qualified. I mean, who normally puts pumpkin in their chili? Certainly not me. It sounded interesting to me, so I had to try it. I adapted a recipe a bit because I wasn't using the crock pot (but I will give those directions as well). I was going to, but I just ran out of time.

ingredients:

1 onion; chopped (this was actually too much for my family, so if you love onion, keep this amount..if you don't.. cut it at least in half.)
3 cloves of garlic; minced (I didn't have garlic, so I used about 1/2 teaspoon of dried minced garlic).
2 cups chicken broth (I used a can of swansons)
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 lb ground beef
1-15 ounce can of pumpkin
(2) 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes. (I can't come anywhere close to this amount as I have `family that doesn't like tomatoes.)
1 tsp dried parsley ( used dried flat leaf parsley)
1 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp of cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder (I used crushed red pepper)


cook the onion and beef until the onion and burger are done. (I added teh garlic right away too, but the actual directions say to wait. add it and then cook for one minute) If you are doing a crockpot variety, put the meat mixture into the crockpot and remaining ingredients and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
I just left it in the pot, added the remaining ingredients and simmered it for about a half an hour to an hour.

I made this with copycat red lobster biscuits (already blogged about in here). This was a hit, with the exception that it had too many onions, and not enough spice for some of my family.

I adapted this recipe from www.lynnskitchenadventures.com

Artichoke and spinach dip

This summer I joined a CSA (Community Ag Association). I loved it, but I was getting veggies that I didn't have a clue what to do with. I learned much, and have found some new veggies that I like. One of those is artichokes. The biggest problem with artichokes was, I didn't even know where to begin. I was shocked upon the discover they are similar to a cactus. I searched high and low on the internet and found a blog that was very good at explaining how to clean them and keep them looking good.
http://becksposhnosh.blogspot.com/2006/05/how-to-trim-artichoke.html

I didn't have any actual lemon, so I did the best with what I had, and used a bowl of water with concentrated lemon juice. It browned a bit, but no where close to as bad as it did when I didn't use it.

I searched for a recipe (which for the life of me I cannot find) for something that I stood a chance of actually eating.
I THINK this is pretty close to the original recipe that I used.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/hot-artichoke-and-spinach-dip-ii/detail.aspx

I'm horrible about following recipes. Either I don't have all the ingredients, or I don't want to pay the money for the ingredients, or I want to make it healthier. This one was no different.

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
garlic, (I wanted to use fresh, but I only had minced garlic as a spice..I probably used about 1/2 tsp.
several crumbled leaves; dried basil
salt to taste
artichoke hearts, drained and chopped I used all I had, which probably amounted to about a cup if I was lucky.
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1 or 2 dashes of dried red pepper

I threw it in a pot on the stove, heated it until the cheese was melty and gooey, and tossed it in a bowl and served it with tortilla chips. The kids loved it, my dad liked it and I was pleasantly pleased with it.

I'd have liked to have used other cheeses, but I simply didn't have any other kind in the house and forgot to buy any when I was out.

I will admit.. It was a LOT of work cleaning the artichokes for the little amount I got out of them ( I had to clean about 10 or so artichokes to get 1 c.. but mine were very small). I think canned artichoke hearts would be much easier, just not quite as healthy or give you that satisfaction that comes with making it completely from scratch.