Web surfing can bring you money and prizes
Posted
Mar 05 2009, 11:45 AM
by
Joan Melcher
Rating:
Searching the Web has become second nature to most of us.
Want to know the height of the Chrysler Building? Google it. Wondering when the Dow Jones industrials started trading? Try Microsoft’s Live Search. Need to find a magazine article? Go to FindArticles.com.
Want to earn free prizes or money while you’re searching? Now, there’s a concept.
Jeff at StretchyDollar recently posted a glowing recommendation for one of many portals that are providing incentives for searching: SwagBucks.com.
Jeff explains: “After signing up, you can either visit SwagBucks.com and use the search engine there (just like the search engine at Google.com). You can also use a plug-in or toolbar with your browser if that works out easier for you. The SwagBucks search engine compiles results from Google and Ask.com, so you’re not searching some no-name search engine, but actually two big time ones!”
He writes that he accumulates 30 to 40 Swag Bucks a month from searches. There are many different ways to redeem them, but one of his favorites is to use the Swag Store to order a $5 Amazon gift card with 45 Swag Bucks.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you use Blingo.com, you’ll be eligible every day to win prizes from Publishers Clearing House. If you’re the game-playing type, check out IWON.com. You can play Addiction Solitaire and other games for prizes. But, uh … don’t get addicted. You might forget to search. A quick look at prizes reveals a $1,000 Macy’s shopping spree, a Prada handbag and an eight-foot slate pool table.
If you’re the altruistic sort, there’s GoodSearch, with its slogan “You Search We Give.” You enter the charity or school of your choice and GoodSearch provides coupons, discounts and deals to it based on the number of your searches.
Dogpile has one of the more engaging main pages we’ve seen. Yesterday, a “superdog” was shown rescuing a needy puppy. You can feel good about a day of searching the Web when you know proceeds from your many clicks will go to such feats.
One thing to pay attention to is what search engines these portals use. For instance, GoodSearch uses Yahoo, while Blingo uses Yahoo, Microsoft’s Live Search and Ask.com.
After all, this is all about finding what you’re looking for, right?
Related reading:
Web sites to find free stuff and other discounts
If it's free, it's for me: Gratis goodies online
Investors press for Yahoo sale
Google Chrome: Direct attack on Microsoft
