Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Sydney:
Four years ago my husband and I purchased our first home. It was a definite fixer-upper but it was in the area we loved and a price we could actually afford. We knew fixing it up would be a slow process as we saved for the projects as well as making sure we could pay all our monthly bills.
At first, we were able to get a lot of the cosmetic and small things done, like patching holes in the walls and painting. The larger things, however, had to be put on hold while we saved up a little more money.
The house had a nice screened-in back porch and I was excited to spend a lot of time out there. I imagined dinners and relaxing afternoons reading books while taking in the nice view of our yard.
I soon found out, however, that because the screen was in such bad shape (there were holes in it everywhere and some was even missing) that it was almost impossible to enjoy being out there without being assaulted by the hundreds of mosquitoes and other bugs that were drawn to the light in the evenings or just me during the day. Soon I found that the porch was only used as a means to get to the back yard.
During the next four years, the plan to repair the porch got put on hold as other, larger expenses, such as replacing the furnace and air conditioning units and having our first child, got moved to the front of the line. I began to get discouraged with getting the “fixer-upper” part of the house done as things were breaking more quickly than we could fix them.
So when I discovered Swagbucks last year, I decided I would pick a home project that I wanted to “treat” myself to. Being a stay-at-home mom, I had a little flexibility in my time but also wanted to make sure to spend most of it with our son.
I decided to dedicate one hour each day to Swagbucks: taking surveys, completing offers, watching videos, and doing searches. I started to really rack up the points and eventually was able to turn them in for gift cards to Lowes and Walmart.
I finally got enough to give that porch the makeover it deserved!
With new screens, new paint, a new fan, and new patio furniture, our back porch is now a place we can really enjoy. We love having family dinners out there, and I can relax and read… or even do my daily Swagbucks surveys and offers there!
I finally feel like I was able to do something to fix up the house — which felt like a real win — without completely destroying our regular budget. -Jen
Angela says
so happy for you and your family; I totally understand about fixing up the home I too am fixing up my home but just like you it seems like things are breaking down faster than I can fix but you give hope for the rest of us congrats
teri goodman says
Glad to know I’m not the only one using Swagbucks for home fix-ups! I used $25 GC for Home Depot to get the paint for my living room and another $25 GC for Home Depot to get bags of mulch for my yard. Its great to know I can still fix up my house even on a fixed income!
cheryl says
It takes me really long to earn points on there I only have 200 points and been on there a year now please help!!
Dolores says
Hon, I’ve been on Swagbucks for 4 days and I have 418 SB. All you gotta do is lowkey lurk in those dark corners and find the deals no one elses sees. I always do the Peanut Lab surveys bc they r easy af and all you gotta do is enter your email and BOOM 136 SB. Im on a roll. $20 here I come ;))))))
Jamie Rohrbaugh says
Awesome dedication! It looks beautiful – I love the colors!
Lisa says
LOVE this success story! It looks lovely!!
Tammy says
It looks great!
Raquel says
I was wondering if there was an amount of swagbucks you try to earn in that hour. I feel like once I’ve reached 50 then I should try for another 50 and before I know it, I’m on the computer for hours.
Sydney says
I really just try to make at least my first goal each day (there are two, but you only need to hit the first to get the bonuses). So whatever that is, I try to make that or as much as possible of it.
If I don’t make that in the hour I might leave the videos (encrave) running or if I have time at night when I’m watching TV I might try to catch up, but I can usually get it in the hour.
Chelsea says
As a stay at home mom to one rambunctious toddler, living in a major fixer upper in her favorite neighborhood- I completely relate to this story. You might have just inspired me to earn swag bucks for a small kitchen facelift. 🙂 how long did it take you to earn enough gift cards?
Sydney says
Hi! I’m not sure why it says Jen, I think maybe a paste error lol. (or maybe they change the names and I should have gone with it…)
But I only signed up with swagbucks in late December, and we finished this in mid-April! So about three and a half months. And actually, it was all the success stories here that really inspired me to go for it! I’ve only done anything free, but I’ve done the side things like Bing Rewards which you can cash in for more Swagbucks which helps. Making your goal helps too because you get bonuses. And keeping up with the Swagbucks Facebook…everyone there is so helpful getting newbies started, I had so many questions at first.
Good luck with your kitchen facelift! Can’t wait to see that success story posted here! 😉
Sydney says
And by “anything free” I mean I haven’t done any offers you have to pay for unless it was the Shop & Earn when I was already buying something from a store listed there.
Chelsea says
That info is so helpful, thank you for sharing! Your porch is inviting and beautiful!
Anna @ Feminine Adventures says
Way to go Jen! It’s beautiful!