I don’t know about you but this week I’ve been feeling piss poorly as my dad used to say. I’ve had a headache off and one most of the week and my tummy has kept me in the restroom more times than not but through it all I was able to get Swagbucks done everyday thanks to the LORD.

I had some really good days last week where I got double almost triple the points I needed each day. I can’t say that will happen this week but what I will say is I’m not going to give up.

Being Sunday morning it’s time for another Swagbucks Christmas Savings Challenge update, and this week we’re going to do something a little different. Instead of simply telling you what I earned yesterday, I want to keep a running total of our Christmas Fund so we can look back and see how far we’ve come.

This all started back in August when I decided I wanted to see just how much I could put toward Christmas by using Swagbucks. The idea was simple: instead of waiting until December and trying to come up with extra money all at once, why not start early?

So that’s what we’re doing. We’re earning Swagbucks when we can, adding them to our balance, and watching those points slowly turn into Christmas spending money. Even though I could turn the points in I have I will be keeping them until November when I redeem them all at once.

When we started keeping track, I had a goal of reaching 20,000 SB, which would give us approximately $200 in gift cards. But now I’m looking at that number a little differently. What if we can keep going? What if we can reach 30,000 SB?

That would give us approximately $300 in PayPal gift cards. That’s a much bigger Christmas Fund, and I think it would be pretty exciting to see if we can get there. I’m not promising that we’re going to make it. That’s not what this challenge is about. It’s about seeing what happens with consistency.

I had some Swagbucks points left over from last month and throughout the year so when I began September with 17,085 SB it wasn’t all from August. It was from times throughout the year.

As of Sunday morning, September 6, our balance is 17,533 SB. That means we’ve added 448 SB so far in September. I wish I had ended with a even number like 500 but I am happy with what I did end up with.

And yesterday, Saturday, was a particularly good day. We earned 102 SB. That’s the kind of day that makes me want to keep going. it also makes me curious to see what we will end up with today.

But here’s something important I want everyone following along to remember: Not every day is going to be a 100-SB day. Sometimes we’ll earn 25 SB. Sometimes we’ll earn 50 SB. Sometimes we’ll find an opportunity that gives us 100 SB or more. And sometimes we won’t earn anything at all. That’s okay too because that’s just the reality of using Swagbucks.

If you’ve ever tried taking online surveys, you already know this one. You can start a survey thinking you’re going to earn some points, answer several questions, and then suddenly find out that you don’t qualify.

It happens. Sometimes a survey won’t work. Sometimes you get screened out. Sometimes you spend time looking and there just aren’t any good opportunities available. And sometimes you hit a really good one.

That’s why I’m not setting this challenge up as though we have to earn a certain number of points every single day. The goal is to keep looking, keep earning when opportunities are available, and keep adding those points to our Christmas Fund. Even a few SB is better than nothing.

My goal each day is to complete as many of the Daily Task at the top of my Swagbucks page as I can and that’s what I want to check first. After that, I’ll look at the other opportunities available to me. That might include surveys, searches, offers, games, shopping or cashback opportunities, or other ways Swagbucks gives me the chance to earn.

I don’t expect every opportunity to work. I don’t want to spend my entire day chasing points. I’m looking for ways to earn a little extra money that fit into my regular day. That’s what makes this challenge manageable for me.

How Many Points Do We Need? Our original goal is 20,000 SB. We’re currently at 17,533 SB, so we’re getting closer. To reach 20,000 SB, we need: 20,000 − 17,533 = 2,467 SB Our bigger stretch goal is 30,000 SB.

To reach 30,000 SB, we would need: 30,000 − 17,533 = 12,467 SB That’s a lot more points—but we have time. And that’s exactly why starting early matters. We’re not trying to make all of this money in December. We’re building the fund one day at a time.

For this challenge, I’m looking at 33 SB a day as our basic target. That doesn’t mean I have to earn exactly 33 SB every day. Some days will be below that. Some days will be above it. A 25-SB day is still a successful day. A 50-SB day is a great day.

A 100-SB day is an exceptional day and can help make up for those slower days. And a day when I earn nothing doesn’t mean the challenge has failed. Tomorrow is another opportunity. The important thing is that we’re keeping track and doing at least the daily task because they add up.

Our September Running Total

Here’s where we stand so far:

September 1: 130 SB
September 2: 35 SB
September 3: 75 SB
September 4: 103 SB
September 5: 102 SB

September earnings recorded so far: 445 SB

Our current account balance is 17,533 SB.

The small difference between the daily earnings recorded and the change in our balance is why I’m going to keep using the actual account balance as our official running total. Sometimes SB can post later or come from bonuses or activity that doesn’t line up perfectly with the day I originally recorded it. That’s another reason I want to keep this as a weekly series. We’ll keep checking the actual balance.

August is where this whole experiment began. I want to keep our original August post as the starting point for this Christmas Fund story, because that’s where we first started seeing what might be possible.

Rather than pretending every number will line up perfectly, we’re going to use that original August record as our historical starting point and then keep our September numbers updated from here.

From now on, Sunday will be our weekly check-in. We’ll look at where we started, what we earned, where the balance is now, and how much closer we are to our Christmas goal. That way, by the time Christmas arrives, we’ll have an entire record of the journey.

The question I find I’m asking myself is could I really reach $300? That’s the question I’m asking myself now. In the past I did it and if I keep up the pace I’ve set for myself I might actually pass that goal LORD willing and the Creek don’t rise.

Our first goal is 20,000 SB—approximately $200. But I’m going to keep 30,000 SB in the back of my mind. If we make it, fantastic! If we don’t, that’s okay too. Because I already have enough for a $100 gift card and that will buy a little bit of Christmas.

If we finish somewhere between those two numbers, we’ll still have built a Christmas Fund that we wouldn’t have had if we had never started. And that’s the whole point. We’re giving ourselves a chance.

If you’re looking to make a little extra money, Swagbucks may be the answer to your dreams. Just remember that you must be 18 or older to participate. And don’t expect every survey or offer to work. Some days you’ll earn a lot. Some days you’ll earn a little. Some days you may earn nothing.

Start with your own goal. Maybe your goal is $25. Maybe it’s $50. Maybe you want to save $100 for Christmas. Or maybe, like me, you want to see how far you can push it. Which for me is half the fun.

The important thing is to start. And keep track. Because those little points really can add up. Want to try Swagbucks and start your own Christmas Fund? You can join through my referral link here: Join Swagbucks Through My Referral Link

So here we go. Sunday, September 6. Current balance: 17,533 SB. Goal #1: 20,000 SB. Stretch goal: 30,000 SB. Now let’s see what Sunday brings. Maybe we’ll have another 100-SB day. Maybe we’ll have a 25-SB day. Maybe we’ll have one of those days where nothing seems to work.

Whatever happens, we’ll record it. Then next Sunday, we’ll come back and see where we are. Watch each week as we build our Christmas Fund. Because Christmas isn’t just one day. We’re starting now—and we’re building toward it one Swagbuck at a time.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates