As a location independent nomad, I’m always looking for new and creative ways to earn cash online. And I ALWAYS tell others who are hoping to become location independent that one of the most important things you can do is diversify your income streams. Using Swagbucks to earn cash online in my spare time is my new favorite way to do this.
Swagbucks is a rewards program that allows you to earn gift cards that can be redeemed at many of your favorite stores, or transferred directly into your PayPal account as cash! They have even partnered with certain airlines and travel booking sites to allow you to earn gift cards that can be put directly toward your travel expenses.
Sounds pretty perfect, right?
It’s incredibly easy to set up an account and get started earning points (referred to as SB) right away, for doing simple tasks like watching videos, taking daily polls, responding to surveys, playing games, and shopping (in fact, I’m watching videos and earning SB as I write this!).
So, in the simplest sense, it’s earning cash for doing the things you already do online.
Earning extra cash online with a rewards program like Swagbucks is a great idea for anyone who wants to:
- Start saving money to put toward a travel goal
- Create a new income stream as a digital nomad
- Pay down your debt faster
- Get paid for the things you do online already
- Have more money for the little “luxury” items you usually feel guilty buying
- Earn extra money for any reason!
Unlike some of the other rewards websites I’ve seen, Swagbucks doesn’t feel spammy at all. You won’t be in constant battle against unwanted popups, and the dashboard is clean and easy to navigate.
They’ll walk you through the points earning process when you first register, making sure you know exactly how to find the right opportunities for you. You can also install the Swagbucks browser plugin which will alert you to earning possibilities anytime you’re browsing the internet (and you’ll earn points just for installing it).
There are also opportunities to enter sweepstakes for big cash prizes and cool products.
Some of the major retailers you can earn gift cards for include:
- Kohl’s
- Target
- Amazon
- JCPenney
- Best Buy
- Petco
- Ebay
- Sephora
And many more!
Some of the travel brands you can redeem your points with include:
- Hotels.com
- Hyatt Hotels
- Southwest Airlines
- Royal Caribbean Cruises
- Celebrity Cruises
If you’re feeling magnanimous, you can donate your SB to one of Swagbucks’ charity partners, including:
- charity: water
- UNICEF
- The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
- Wounded Warrior Project
- The Humane Society
- Action Against Hunger
- Save the Children
And more!
Finally, if you simply want your payout in cash to spend on whatever you please, you can redeem your SB for a Visa cash card or transfer your balance to your PayPal account.
Swagbucks Can Help Your Journey to Location Independence
You might be surprised to learn that online survey and reward websites play a significant role in helping many bloggers and entrepreneurs run location independent businesses.
And it’s not hard to see why…
They are easy to use, they don’t require any real mental energy, and they can be done in your “down time” so that even when you’re not technically working, you’re still making progress toward your goals.
You don’t need to have a well-established blog or rely on a huge audience to start earning money. You don’t need a blog at all–anyone can do it!
If you’re just starting out on a journey to location independence, it can be frustrating not knowing how to earn that very first dollar online. This is one way to start earning cash online that many people overlook simply because it doesn’t fit into any traditional business model.
But if you were to look at the various ways different digital nomads and entrepreneurs earn their money online, you would see very quickly that the combinations of income sources very rarely “make sense” (whatever that means).
Some sell their photography. Some are paid by sponsors to produce branded content. Some use display ads and affiliate marketing. Some set up drop shipping stores. And others still spend a chunk of their day filling out online surveys. Some people out there probably use ALL of these methods!
And as I mentioned above, having diverse income streams is hugely important. Not all of them have to be massive, either, because when added together, these trickling streams of cash can add up to big wins.
Not only that, but taking mental breaks from your work improves your productivity, and while I certainly don’t advocate spending all of your “breaks” at your computer (I like to get up and do active things, if possible), it’s a fantastic feeling to be earning rewards (and cash!) during those periods of rest.
Psychology tells us we are motivated by small wins (this is called the progress principle), so to know that I am earning little by little in a way that doesn’t feel at all like work, I’m even more motivated to kick ass in my real work every day.
And there are so many times when I’m sitting at my computer and I’m not being productive anyway–browsing Facebook, getting lost in an alternate dimension in YouTube–so why shouldn’t I use that time when I’m otherwise just dicking around (let’s call it what it is) to earn cash??
Short answer: I should. And with Swagbucks, I can.
It may not be a major part of my online earning strategy, but it’s a fun and simple way to earn extra cash here and there, and if you’re just starting out on your journey to location independence, it’s a good way to see a quick win now that will motivate you to keep going.
There are SO many paths to location independence and SO many ways to earn a living online. I truly believe that it’s within reach for anyone who’s willing to put in the work and think a little bit outside the box!
Earn Cash Online Today: A Few Things to Keep in Mind
When taking surveys, do your best to answer the questions thoroughly and honestly. You may be disqualified for trying to rush through them or for giving obviously false information. Remember–they are looking for real answers from real people.
In some cases, the answers you give will disqualify you from finishing a survey because you do not fit their intended demographic. You will still be rewarded 1 SB for these surveys and then given more suitable options down the line.
Be sure to read the terms of each opportunity very carefully; you don’t want to disqualify yourself from earning your SB by not following the rules or wind up paying for monthly subscriptions that renew automatically!
It would be very difficult to earn a full-time income just by filling out online surveys. It can be a good supplement to your current income, but don’t expect it to solve all your problems and be especially wary of other rewards programs that promise you the world.
Please note: You must be a resident of the United States, UK, Australia, Canada, or Ireland to join Swagbucks.
If you are traveling in another country and want to access your account, I recommend doing so through a VPN (virtual private network). Otherwise, you may not be able to access the appropriate deals and surveys. This is also one way you can join Swagbucks if you’re already traveling abroad. Read more about what VPNs are and why they’re useful here.
Would you ever earn cash online with Swagbucks or other rewards programs? Do you have other good ones to recommend? Share below!
This post contains affiliate links.
