If one is to rank the top worries of an adult, staying out of poverty would surely be in the first place. Saving enough money is becoming a challenge for Canadians, as per a report from Angus Reid Institute.
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If one is to rank the top worries of an adult, staying out of poverty would surely be in the first place. Saving enough money is becoming a challenge for Canadians, as per a report from Angus Reid Institute.
More than 27% of Canadians either struggle to make ends meet or live on the edge of poverty.
Additionally, a poll conducted by Forum Research Inc. indicates that approximately 26% of Canadians have no emergency savings at all, whereas 40% have a financial cushion of less than a month.
As someone with a financial background, we understand that people struggling financially often miss out on savings out of lack of awareness, or discipline in some cases. Financial experts suggest practicing smart saving habits daily, as these habits could have a compounding impact on their financial lives.
While it’s essential to be financially aware and disciplined, we decided to look into another way you can save money through regular online activities.
Swagbucks! Yes, you read it right. Let’s find out how it can help you earn as well as save money!
Swagbucks is a website that offers rewards to its users for doing simple daily activities, such as surfing the internet, watching videos, filling surveys, and even playing games. As per the facts, Swagbucks is in the industry for the past 14 years, distributing over $367,436,695 to its users.
Just like any other opportunity, signup for Swagbucks. The site offers up to $5 in rewards for just signing up. You can either install their mobile application or use their website for daily tasks.
Once you’ve signed up with Swagbucks, look at the available tasks. It includes shopping online through Swagbucks, answering surveys, watching entertaining videos, searching the web, or even playing games.
Through daily tasks, you earn SB points, which can be redeemed against gift cards from major retailers or redeemed for cash through PayPal.
Use Swagbucks search engine:
One of the first things you can do is to make Swagbucks your default search engine. Simply searching through Swagbucks’ search engine for regular queries could earn you more than 500 SB points every month.
Complete surveys through Swagbucks:
If you can spare a couple of minutes on a survey, Swagbucks rewards you with SB points. The points you receive for each of these surveys vary depending on the sponsor, between 40 and 100 SB points for every survey.
Shop online:
The average Canadian family of four spends roughly $220 on groceries every week. Using Swagbucks for shopping through partner sites and retailers, such as Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, and Target, could earn you hundreds of SB points every week. Users can print coupons from Swagbucks and use them on retailers. Swagbucks lists specific deals with different retailers that fetch SB points once the user purchases it. The cashback (SB points) varies for different categories.
Watch videos on Swagbucks:
Watching your favorite videos can be a lot of fun, especially when you are making SB points while doing so. For someone with an additional computer or mobile, one can have these videos run in the background. However, do understand that the rewards are on the lower side for watching videos, maybe 3-5 points for every 30 minutes of videos.
Install and use apps:
Another way Swagbucks can help you earn points is through downloading, installing, and using some applications. If you like the app, keep it, otherwise, delete it. However, do understand that some apps require you to either make a purchase or reach a certain level to earn SB points.
Enter Swagbucks giveaways:
Swagbucks runs giveaways for its users. The entry fee could be 2 to 25 SB points for participation. It is important to understand that it’s quite similar to the lottery, so don’t get carried away.
Refer it to friends:
If you have a big network or even a handful of friends, referring them to Swagbucks can help you earn up to 500 SB points per referral when your friend signs-up. Additionally, you earn up to 10% of SB points for all the points your referrals earn using Swagbucks.
Play games:
If you’re into gaming, Swagbucks can help you collect points for your leisure time. Playing a single game could earn you over 10 SB points, so the hours you spend playing games on your mobile are, finally, going to be of some use, after all.
Before you’re ready to roll your sleeves to go ‘Swagbuckking,’ (not a real-word), do understand the earning potential of Swagbucks. Spending 20 minutes for a survey could have you earn 40 to 100 points, but prior to it, you need to qualify for the survey, spending additional time on the task. To put it in figures, you’re likely to earn a couple of dollars every month, that too if you’re persistent in completing the tasks. You need 450 points for a $5 Amazon card, which means, a single point is worth approximately a cent or $0.01.
Assuming that you are able to earn an extra $100 every month through Swagbucks, and you put that in a mutual fund or index fund, with average returns of 6% per annum. Within 10 years, you will have approximately $16,569, as a result of compound interest.
Swagbucks is an excellent tool for earning some side-income. Now that you’ve seen how small savings can turn into a significant amount over your lifetime, it’s about the right time to signup for Swagbucks. Make sure to put these savings aside, just like we did (in the example), and create an additional retirement fund. Remember, savings are like going to the gym; you’ll have to do small sacrifices every day, but the results will take your feet off the ground!
