More Swagbucks cuts - is it still worth it?

I used to love Swagbucks, I really did – and I still think it’s a great way to earn. But I can’t deny that it’s getting more and more difficult to earn as much as before while spending the same amount of time on the site.

2018 has seen them bring in more and more cuts in the ways in which we can earn.

They’ve:

• Increased the daily goals
• Decreased the daily goal bonuses (they used to be 10% now they’re often less)
• Made it more difficult to get search wins, and also reduced the average amount of SB on those search wins
• Reduced the amount of SB you can get from the video apps from 70sb (Android) to 34sb a day
• Reduced ToolbarTV from around 20sb a day to 4 or 5sb a day
• Reduced Extravaganza amounts from around 40sb to 35sb
• Reduced the daily to do list bonus, despite telling us they were increasing
• Removed the 1sb from the Daily Deal
• Made it so that we can only redeem the Swagcode from the Swagbutton or the mobile app
• Made it difficult to earn anything from Swago unless you have both a mobile and a computer
• Reduced iSpy from around 20sb to 16sb

And here comes yet another cut:

Another one?

Yes another one.

As of now, the previously weekly iSpy will now only be held on the last Tuesday of the month.

So instead of being able to collect 16sb every Tuesday, now we’ll only be able to earn 16sb once a month.

That’s a loss of around 48sb a month – I know it doesn’t sound like much but when you add up all the small ways that sb are being taken away, it soon adds up.

It means that to earn the same, we have to work harder and spend more time on the site.

Well that sucks!

It does, but it’s not all doom and gloom, honestly. There are still some great ways to earn on the site and it IS still possible to hit goal every day and earn bonuses.

But, still being honest, I find myself spending less time there and more time on InstaGC, Earnably and Branded Surveys and as such my earnings there have gone up dramatically.

What have you done to make up the Swagbucks shortfall? Come and tell us in the Facebook Group.

Earnably cashouts now indur a fee

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If you’re a member of UK based GPT site Earnably, you may have noticed a change in the amount of points you need to cashout to Paypal.

Until 26th July, it was 705 points to receive £5 to your Paypal account.

Recently, Earnably have added a 2% Paypal fee to all Paypal cashouts.

This means that it now costs 720 points for £5 to Paypal, which pretty much puts them in line with other sites.

You can read about the changes here.

However, it does seem that there have been a few other changes, as some rewards from Earnably have DROPPED in value, making them fewer points than they were.

Here’s a comparison of old vs new prices for Paypal cashouts:

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£1 – WAS 180 points – NOW 170 points

£2 – WAS 320 points – NOW 315 points

£5 – WAS 705 points – NOW 720 points

£10 – WAS 1410 points – NOW 1440 points

£25 – WAS 3515 points – NOW 3570 points

£50 – WAS 7020 points – NOW 7110 points

£100 – WAS 14010 points – NOW 14190 points

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So while it’s still the best value to cashout at £5 or above, if you usually cashout at £1 or £2, you’re going to be better off.

Swings and roundabouts folks!

Not on Earnably? Join by clicking the image below:

Keep Rewarding - quick and easy points with Reward Video

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I’ve been testing out Keep Rewarding as part of the #JulyChallenge in our GPT Genies Facebook group. Those of you that know me know that i like things simple, quick, easy and preferably passive. I’m not a fan of long surveys for few points, and I don’t like faff.

Which is why I avoided the Rewards Video tab on Keep Rewarding for a good couple of weeks – all that clicking seemed just a little too much like hard work to me.

But, in the interest of research, I decided to give it a go – and I was pleasantly surprised.

Read on to find out where to find it, how it works and how it compares to activities on other sites.

Where do I find Reward Video?

Once you have logged in to Keep Rewarding, click on the Earn Points option, and Reward Video is towards the bottom of your options:

How do I earn on Reward Video?

Simply click on the ‘Watch the video!’ button and a pop up will launch.

It could be a video to watch, an article to read or a website to visit. While I was screengrabbing for this blog post, there were quie a few article type ones:

Simply click on the action button (in this case ‘Read Article’) and 1 of 2 things will happen:

• if it’s a video to watch, the video will play in the pop up window
• if it’s a website to view or an article to read, the article will launch in a new tab

Article to read has launched in new tab

Once the article has launched, come back to the pop up you were on before, just leave the article to load.

If it’s a video, watch the video until you see the following:

Simply close down that pop up with the X in the corner to claim your points, then start all over again!

How much will I earn?

Currently Reward Video is giving 0.75 points per view, although a few days ago it was 1 point per view, so this could change at any time.

How does this compare with other ways to earn?

Because I’m all about time vs money and not wasting my time on active things to earn fewer points than I could elsewhere, I tested this out.

To get 10 credits (7.5 points at the moment) took me about 60 seconds on a laptop.

I decided to compare this to some other offers I found on various sites (I focused on things that needed attention and clicks, not passive elements):

This 20 minute survey on Swagbucks would pay 60SB, or 60 cents, about 45p.

20 minutes on Reward Video could give roughly 150 points, $1.50, about £1.15*

 

2.5 minutes on the basic (before 300 points) level of Minute Staff (on InstaGC) gave me just over 3.5 points, or 3.5 cents, about 2.7p.

2.5 minutes on Reward Video could give me roughly 18.75 cents, about 14.5p*

This 6 minute survey on Adwall/InstaGC pays 9.66 points, or 9.66 cents, about 7.5p

6 minutes on Reward Video could give me 45 points, or 45 cents, about 35p*

*PLEASE NOTE: All figures are based on current exchange rates, cashout value of 500 points = $5 and there being enough tasks available on Reward Video.

So is it worth it?

On a brief look, yes I think it is. Just clicking is something you can do in front of the TV or while doing other things. You’re not going to get disqualified halfway through, or timed out because you forgot to go back to it.

Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to make millions from it, but as a quick and easy way to get a few points when you have a little time it’s worth giving it a go for a few minutes.

Of course, there are always going to be higher paying surveys and offers on any of the GPT sites you use, the examples I have used are some of the smaller paying options, but this is certainly worth adding to your routine as another little step towards that cashout.

Not on Keep Rewarding? Join me here.

Shopping Swago time again!

The digital rewards site Swagbucks is offering big payouts during their July Swago board, which runs from July 9th through Monday, July 16th! Swago is just like bingo, but in this case you're filling out squares as you earn points on their site for doing things you already do online. If you're thinking of trying Swagbucks, this is a great chance to learn all about how the site works and earn bonus points while doing it, meaning you can get more gift cards faster. Here are a few tips: 

• Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete. They can be anything from getting a search win, completing a survey, or just visiting one of our popular stores!
   
• Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item is complete.
   
• You have until 6pm UK time on Monday, July 16th to mark off as many squares as possible so use your time wisely.
   
• Be mindful of the patterns and their corresponding bonuses located on the right of your Swago Board. The patterns will vary in difficulty and bonus value. Once you’ve achieved a pattern, the corresponding “Submit” button will light up. You can have multiple patterns available for submission, however, you can only submit ONE pattern so choose wisely.
• Each activity you successfully complete on your Swago Board will give you anywhere from 1-20 spins on the Spin & Win Wheel. PLUS, when you submit your board for a bonus you'll get additional spins. The number of spins will depend on the pattern you complete. The wheel has all sorts of great prizes that you can win, and each spin is a winner!

The Spin & Win Wheel will be available all throughout Swago and you have until 8am UK time on Tuesday, July 17th to use all your spins. 

Fill up your board and then submit your pattern to get even more points - if you can fill in the whole board, you get a 300 SB bonus, which is enough for a $5 gift card from the retailer of your choice.  

Click here right now and click "Join" to get started! If you don't already have a Swagbucks account, you'll be able to quickly sign up; PLUS, if you earn 500 SB before the first of August, you'll get a bonus 500 SB!

Earnings roundup - April / May 2018

So, can you make money from survey and GPT sites? Each month I'll show you what I made the previous month, explain a little about the sites and apps I used, and keep a running total for the year.
Here's the total so far:

January 2018 - £327.88
February 2018 - £203.73
March 2018 - £390.14

So, April / May 2018

It's been a mad couple of months with a lot of work and family stuff going on - so much so that I didn't even get a chance to total up my earnings in April - so this post is April AND May

Let's see how things went...

Swagbucks

I kind of fell out of love a little with Swagbucks these past 2 months - but it's still a good earner. Swagbucks  used to be my favourite site, probably because it was the first one I joined, and it's the one I used to make the most from.. It's mainly video apps, surveys, clicks, offers, trials etc. If their advertisers aren't paying much  then there's not always a lot to do. I don't like doing surveys, so I rely on the video apps (which I can leave running while I do other things) and other parts of the site to earn. I had a whle week off in April and 2 whole weeks off in May, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had managed to cashout £85 in April and £90 in May.

You can sign up to Swagbucks by clicking here. Read how you can get a bonus in June, then sign up using your email address, not the Facebook option.

InstaGC

I love InstaGC because there's a lot of opportunity for passive earnings (ie not having to do anything). I mainly run videos on here, there are 4 streams of videos to run and I run them all as often as I can. There are also surveys and offers, the same as Swagbucks, and a lot of the surveys are short, which I like. 

Again, I took a week off in April and 2 weeks off in May, yet still managed $183.61 (April) and $165.66 (May) which makes around £138.26 in April and £126.21 in May

You can sign up to InstaGC by clicking here - if you do, it's worth dropping me a line on Facebook as it can be a little confusing at first and I can help you to get started.

Earnably

Earnably is a new site I started in April - it's pretty much the same as InstaGC and Swagbucks, in that you can run videos, do surveys, take offers etc. It's not as 'sophisticated' as some of the sites and has quite a simple layout, which may work better for some people. It's rapidly becoming one of my favourites, so well worth a go.

In April I made £61 in about 10 days, in May £81, which I'm happy with considering the time off.

You can join Earnably by clicking here.

Branded Surveys 

Branded Surveys, which used to be called Mintvine is a bit of an acquired taste these days but I kind of like it. I don't earn as much as I used to from it, but I stick with it because it pays for my Pizza Express addiction.

Like the others, it's surveys and offers - no video options anymore, which means actually DOING something on the site, which is one reasonI don't make as much these days.

In April I cashed out £20, in Pizza Express vouchers. You can also cash out to Paypal, Tesco, Amazon etc, but I use it purely for Pizza Express for a nice treat every month. In May I also cashed out £20 in Pizza Express vouchers. I think I need an intervention :D 

You can sign up to Branded Surveys by clicking here - new members tend to get some good surveys for big points and little effort so definitely worthwhile.

Prolific Academic 

Prolific is purely a survey site, but as it's an Academic site the surveys tend to be really interesting and sometimes even fun. There's sometimes an option to earn bonuses, but in general they're one of the better paying survey sites. The only dowside of this site is that they don't email you when a survey is available, so you have to check the site regularly and as such it's easy to miss out on surveys / studies. Payment ranges from pence per study to pounds - in the past I've done stuides worth £16, £20 and more.

Newbies on here tend to get a lot of studies - in my first month I made over £100. This tapers off after a while, and that, combined with the fact that I didn't have a lot of time to be checking in April and May meant that I only made £6.42 in April and £5.01 in May - must try harder!

You can sign up to Prolific by clicking here. Be sure to complete all of the prescreening questions and to check in often.

Minor Earners

I have a few phone apps and other sites that I also use that take up very little time, and I can do while in the car (as a passenger!), watching TV, waiting for the kettle to boil, in queues in shops etc. 

CitizenMe

Short (4 or 5 questions usually) surveys that pay small amounts immediatelyto Paypal. You'll have to search your app store to find it and it's never going to make you rich but every little helps! April earnings - £0.98. May earnings - £0.20

Attapoll

Another app that sends out surveys every couple of days - in April I was able to cashout £6.57. They pay to Paypal within a couple of hours.

You can get Attapoll by clicking here - it's pretty straightforward and will alert you when there is a survey available.

Panelapp

One of the easiest apps I have - simply log in each day to gain points. Occasionally there are short 1 question surveys, usually based on where you have been using data from your GPS. It's most definitely not a big earner, and you can only cash out to Amazon, but I had enough points to cash out £1 in May. You can get Panelapp here.

GFK / Incompass 

These are browser plugins / apps that just sit on my computr or phone and I do nothing - they pay out every few weeks and are easy earners

In April I had £30  and in May £20 from these

Be My Eye

Be My Eye is a mystery shopping phone app that gives you various tasks to do - some of these don't even involve going into shops! In April I amde £5.50, but nothing in May due to time.

Total

So that means that April 2018 came in at  £357.49 and May 2018 came in at £338.41- considering the time constraints I had, I'm happy with that. It's June now though and time to start the push towards Chriostmas, so i need to up my game this month!

That's £531.61 from January - Feb, plus £357.49 in April and £338.41 in May, making a running total of £1617.65 so far this year.

Onwards and upwards - I have to up my game if I'm going to beat 2017's total of £4000!

*Please note that most of the links in this post are referral links and therefore I will receive benefits if you join via my link. That said, so will you in some cases, and it's in my interests to help you make the most of them, so feel free to PM me on Facebook anytime.

It's Barbecue time! 300 SB could be yours with new Swagbucks' Swago!

Summertime, and we have a new Swago...

Fire up the barbie, dig out the sausages, clear Iceland of frozen burgers and let's get earning! You could earn up to 300 SB in the new Swagbucks "Swago" promotion, the Barbecue edition, starting Monday, 28th May, at 5 PM BST (9AM PT).

Swago is just like bingo, but in this case you're filling out squares as you earn points on their site for doing things you already do online.  For each completed square you'll also earn spins on the Spin & Win wheel!

If you're thinking of trying Swagbucks, this is a great chance to learn all about how the site works and earn bonus points while doing it, meaning you can get more gift cards faster.

Help! I've lost my survey site mojo!

You know when it's just one of those days and you really can't be bothered doing yet another survey you'll probably be disqualified from, but you know you should really be earning to get to your targets?

I bet we've all had it, when the thought of another day trying to reach goal on Swagbucks, or getting to cash out on InstaGC or Earnably just feels like a chore.

And it seems like everyone else is just 'getting it' while you're fighting a daily battle to earn less than minimum wage?

Do you know something? I get like that for at least a week a month, sometimes more.

Here's what helps me get out of the funk.

Switch sites.

At times it's just easier to earn on some sites than others. If Swagbucks isn't doing it for you, forget about that extra 300sb for your Monthly Master - it's about £2.40 and really not worth the stress. Try a different site to the one you've been struggling with.

Run videos

If I see another 'Here's 1sb for trying' I think I'll scream! Run the video apps on Swagbucks, Playlist 4 and 6, EngagemeTV/Smores and Video Loyalty for InstaGC, or (not AND) EngagemeTV/Smores and Video Loyalty for Earnably. It's passive earnings and most modern phones and tablets can multiscreen, although it does help if you have a laptop.

Take a quick break

Go read a book, have a walk, play with the kids, just get your head out of the survey drama and enjoy some time not worrying about targets and goals and when you can next cash out.

Come and moan in the group

Everyone is allowed a moan sometimes, and we don't mind the occasional moan in the Facebook group - you'll find lots of help and support.

Reread the blog posts

I really can't recommend this highly enough. We wrote them to help you and you never know when you'll pick up hints and tips that you hadn't even thought about. And if you haven't read the blog posts, READ THE BLOG POSTS!

And if all else fails...

Take a longer break

Sometimes a few days or weeks off is enough to get your mojo back.

What do you do to get out of survey slump? Let me know in the comments below.