A lot of my readers ask me about the extra ways that I have made spending money while being home with little man. I decided to start sharing. Every Tuesday, I will be posting about different ways to make a few extra dollars. This isn’t the get rich quick way. But consistantly, the last few years have been debt free Christmas’ because of giftcards and paypal that I have earned through surveys and focus groups. You can view my tips for a Debt-Free Xmas HERE. I usually complete the surveys at night while watching TV or when little man is napping.
The Basics
Surveys are a great way to earn a little extra money or gift cards. I also tested out 11 products before they hit the shelves. I even took part in a consumer panel for a week in which I got paid $100 (in Visa gift card) for entering in our snacking habits into a palm pilot for the week.
The key is to find reputable survey companies. I have compiled a list for you of survey companies I have worked with personally and some recommended to me by friends that have used the company. Here are some things to remember when signing up to take surveys.
1. Make sure the company is reputable and pays for your work. You can check to see if they have any claims at the Better Business Bureau.
2. You may want to set up a separate email so that the requests filter to that and not clutter your main email.
3. When you join the survey company, make sure that you fill out all of the profile information and any profile questionnaires that they send you. These will help them profile you for future surveys. These surveys are usually tedious and not all of them result in points or money, but they will lead to future opportunities.
4. Never enter secure information like social security numbers, account numbers, passwords when you take a survey. I would also never give my employers name as well. I have never been asked any of those questions by survey companies. You may be asked age, race, religion, household income, birthday, etc. Those are all questions I have seen before and are used to profile consumers.
How do these survey companies work? How can they afford to pay me money?
Most survey companies have contracts with larger companies to do market research on their behalf. They are trying to get information about consumer purchasing and demographics so that they can create new products or services or get information on who to market the product to. Since they are being paid to collect this information, they in turn can afford to pay the consumer. Sometimes they will pay in “points” which can in turn be cashed in for gift cards, paypal payments, checks, or amazon codes. Each survey company pays in a different way.
You won’t get rich from filling out surveys, but if you consistantly fill them out, you can earn extra cash. Are there any drawbacks? Yes. Sometimes you will only get a small amount for filling out the survey. Sometimes they are extremely time consuming. If you don’t fit a certain demographic, your survey invitations may be infrequent. Also, some companies have a high threshold to cash out, like $20 or $30. If you don’t recieve a lot of invitations, it may take a long time to get that reward.
I wanted to share with you the survey companies that I have had personal experience with. I put them in order of my favorite. Remember each company will work differently for you. Demographics will dictate how many surveys you recieve and each family is different. Just remember to fill out any profile surveys and information. The more they know, the more you may qualify for.
Survey Companies I have worked with:
Opinion Outpost - This has been my all-time favorite. I recieve the most surveys and they pay the most for the surveys I do. They also have a low cash out point. It used to be $5 for a check or Amazon Gift Card. They did up the check amount to $20 this year, however, the Amazon Gift Cards are still at $5. They operate on a points system and those points can be cashed out for a check, amazon gift cards (instant) or a donation to the American Red Cross. I always consider the Amazon cards like cash because I order everything from groceries to toilet paper from Amazon. They also give you $1 for each friend you refer to the site. I have never had a problem with them in any way.
Lightspeed (now called My Survey) – They switched to a different name and now my login doesn’t work anymore and they aren’t taking new applicants right now, so I’m just waiting until they accept new to re-sign up. Lightspeed worked on a points system as well. I have not only taken surveys, but I have qualified for surveys at the end that ended up sending products home for me to try and complete additional survey for additional points. I’m not sure if things have changed with the name change, but I was happy with them in the past.
Toluna - Works the same as the other survey companies – complete surveys for points which can be redeemed for check, paypal, or gift cards. They had converted the amount of points a while ago and it seems to take a lot longer to get your reward, but there are always surveys for me to take.
Valued Opinions - This works like most other survey companies. I recieved a $20 Visa Gift Card when I got to the payment threshold. It looks like now you can only redeem for Amazon, Macy’s and a couple other gift cards. I don’t recieve a lot of survey requests, but the ones I did get were worth it. If you want to become a member through a referral from me – email me with your email address to jen (at) mymommyworksonline (dot) com
Synovate – I just joined this so I can’t speak yet as to how great this company is.
Hybrid – Surveys and Offers
My Points – You get points for surveys, clicking through and reading emails, if you shop online through there site, and completing offers (free and pay). They pay in gift cards (most brand names – like Target, Pottery Barn, etc.) or paypal.
Reward Port - You get points for surveys, clicking through and reading emails, if you shop online through there site, and completing offers (free and pay). They pay in gift cards (most brand names – like Target, Pottery Barn, etc.)
Inbox Dollars - You get points for surveys, clicking through and reading emails, if you shop online through there site, and completing offers (free and pay). They pay in gift cards (most brand names – like Target, Pottery Barn, etc.) You get a $5 bonus for signing up!
** Note about these companies – They also have offers that are trial offers, so be very careful. If you aren’t a person that’s diligent about sending things back or staying on top of calling a company to cancel, pass it up. You will end up losing money if you agree to a trial with a credit card and not send it back in time***
Other Survey Companies that are out there – I don’t have experience with them so I can only speak generally on them
Ipos- I say
Minefield
Neilsen Home Scan Panel – Have you ever seen shoppers in the grocery store that don’t work there but carry a scanner anyways? This program you scan what you shop for and then you earn points which translates into prizes. I have heard mixed ratings on this program, plus I don’t do a ton of shopping in grocery stores, so it’s a waste of time for me.
Please Note: I do my best to screen survey companies, however, use your own due diligence when you sign up. Some of these links (not all) are affiliate links and I may recieve points or compensation. You can read my full disclosure policy under the About tab.
This is one of the ways to make money that I see the most scams. I researched carefully when I was looking to mystery shop. I thought it would be a great opportunity to get out of the house and make extra cash while doing it. I found two companies that I like to work with. They are:
