No, I am not. Pretty simple. But, some might question why I am so caught up in taking surveys online. Well, I’m not really that caught up in it. I do post about it a lot because I was surprised that I actually made money off of it.
In 2007, I made a whopping grand total of $45.50 and that was beginning in the month of May which is nearly half way through the year. On top of that, there were many surveys I did not complete because I felt they were not worth my time, for example $1 for a 20 minute survey. I made an additional $50 from eRewards which I was able to cash in for three magazine subscriptions.
So, it is possible to make money with surveys although not anywhere near enough to quit your day job. I like the fact that for very little work I am making money. I have used it to splurge on small items that my budget wouldn’t allow for. Now, I am putting it all toward my emergency savings. Some of that money will eventually be used to buy things for the baby. Have I actually made enough to buy anything for the baby. Yes, so far this year I have made $8. That is at least enough to buy a couple packs of bottles, or some baby wipes, onesies, etc. So, that is why I keep bringing it up. I think if you have the time it is well worth the small effort. So here, I am going to go back through the companies I am a member of and talk about what I think of them now vs. when I was just starting out. I will also add a couple that I recently joined.
The writing in black is what I originally said in my first article. The red comments are my opinions now.
Survey SavvyThis one doesn't send as many but they do pay quickly.This company has begun sending more. As I complete more of their profile type surveys (unpaid) they find more that I can complete. In fact $6, of the 8 I just mentioned is from them within the first week of January. They will credit to paypal.
Esearch.comThis company sends good surveys and pays well for what they ask you to do. Pay quickly.
I still agree with this statement. I would say I get maybe one survey every two months from them though.MySurvey.com You earn points which can later be redeemed for cash or prizes.
Not too fond of this one anymore. I have only earned 200 points, but you have to log in each day to check for surveys which is a drag. Also, that 200 points is equivalent to $2.00 and you must have $10 before you can cash in. This one is not worth the work involved to get the money.E-RewardsThis is for prizes only, but the prizes are pretty good and this site has sent me the most surveys of all. I am already up to $30 in rewards currency which can be redeemed for airline miles, yearlong magazine subscriptions, money off different retailers etc.
Still agree with everything I wrote here. Just wanted to add that I am going to continue to do these surveys and use my prizes as Christmas gifts this year.Full disclosure- some of these are affiliate links (not all -these truly are the best I know of). Once you join you can also become an affiliate.
NEW!!
Clearvoicesurveys.com
I just joined and have already earned $2. They do not pay by cash or check but they will send you a prepaid debit card once your balance reaches $10. You can also opt for magazine subscriptions, restaurant gift cards or an Amazon gift card. $10 survey dollars equals $10 cash on any of these rewards.
BuzzBack.com
This company pays $5 for you to review products you use etc. The registration was a bit lengthy. I have not gotten any surveys yet, but I just signed up yesterday. I will edit this post if I find them not up to par!!
So there you have it. My research ought to save you some time in finding a good company to join. As I have mentioned before there is one other company I belong too but I am forbidden from mentioning it. If you go to Volition.com and check out the message boards you are sure to find info about it. If not then wait a few minutes and an ad will eventually pop up on the very top of the screen. It starts with a P J
Showing posts with label supplementing income. Show all posts
Showing posts with label supplementing income. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Free Gifts for Next Christmas
Ok, ok... I know the last thing you probably want to think about right now is Christmas, but I have a great tip that you have to start on now if you plan to use it in December. And, this is not just for Christmas obviously. You can use this for birthday gifts, etc. I wish I had realized it sooner but I didn't so on to next year!!!
What I am talking about is eRewards.com This is a survey company I have talked about before. They do NOT give cash, but the rewards are actually quite cool AND they can be given to other people. Mainly I am thinking of the magazine subscriptions they offer. These are really good subscriptions!! They are popular magazines that you HAVE heard of. I have already gotten a subscription to Redbook and Shape magazine and they also have Fast Company, TV guide, etc. THere are other rewards, like certain amounts of cash off of places like eBags, Omaha Steaks, etc. You can also get airline miles for Northwest and others (don't know because I would only use miles from NWA)
Anyway, you must spend your rewards at the end of the year, but this is a great way to take some surveys and get some extra gifts for Christmas. The surveys are fairly simple and quick to take. Also, you can decide how many you get each week. (Although if you want more you won't necessarily get them if they aren't available)
I was a bit upset with myself because I had stopped taking the surveys and once I started looking at all the subscriptions they offered I wished I had gotten a few more. I still had over $50 worth of reward cash to spend and this bought me 3 subscriptions.
Currently the highest amount you can get is $100. SInce I have begun taking the surveys they have added, I'd say at least 50 more rewards so they are getting more sponsors all the time. I have not gotten any spam from other companies, etc. from this and they do not offer an affiliate program so I am just telling you this because I think it is great. If nothing else, when you are trying to save money it allows you to buy a few "extras" for yourself just by taking some surveys.
If anyone is more interested let me know and i can try to get a list of more of the rewards. (Many may be sold out right now because they just made everyone use their rewards, but more should come online soon!)
What I am talking about is eRewards.com This is a survey company I have talked about before. They do NOT give cash, but the rewards are actually quite cool AND they can be given to other people. Mainly I am thinking of the magazine subscriptions they offer. These are really good subscriptions!! They are popular magazines that you HAVE heard of. I have already gotten a subscription to Redbook and Shape magazine and they also have Fast Company, TV guide, etc. THere are other rewards, like certain amounts of cash off of places like eBags, Omaha Steaks, etc. You can also get airline miles for Northwest and others (don't know because I would only use miles from NWA)
Anyway, you must spend your rewards at the end of the year, but this is a great way to take some surveys and get some extra gifts for Christmas. The surveys are fairly simple and quick to take. Also, you can decide how many you get each week. (Although if you want more you won't necessarily get them if they aren't available)
I was a bit upset with myself because I had stopped taking the surveys and once I started looking at all the subscriptions they offered I wished I had gotten a few more. I still had over $50 worth of reward cash to spend and this bought me 3 subscriptions.
Currently the highest amount you can get is $100. SInce I have begun taking the surveys they have added, I'd say at least 50 more rewards so they are getting more sponsors all the time. I have not gotten any spam from other companies, etc. from this and they do not offer an affiliate program so I am just telling you this because I think it is great. If nothing else, when you are trying to save money it allows you to buy a few "extras" for yourself just by taking some surveys.
If anyone is more interested let me know and i can try to get a list of more of the rewards. (Many may be sold out right now because they just made everyone use their rewards, but more should come online soon!)
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Supplementing Income Part 3- WOW! So easy!
I was over at volition just surfing around last month and I came across a thread for Cash4Books. A lot of the people said that none of their books were listed but (being a book junkie) I thought I would try some of mine. (you can search by isbn #)The first book was accepted, then the second, third time lucky too! I ended up sending them around 15 old books I had lying around and I got just under $70!!!
I thought okay, yeah it says I will get $70 but when I send them in they will all have "something" wrong and they won't pay me. NOPE! I sent them in with the pre-paid label I printed off my computer and within about a week, they deposited the money into my Paypal account (paypal does charge a small fee on your payment).
Well, I thought maybe I could turn this into a little side business by going to my local thrift store and finding books, checking them on my Blackberry while I was in the store and only getting books that were worth more than what I was paying. Well, I walked into my thrift store only to find that they were going out of business... nice. But I think I will hit up some of the local yard sales. People are always trying to get rid of old textbooks (one of my best sales was for an OLD textbook $20)
A few tips- They only take non-fiction books.
Also, if you don't like the price, check back in a week. Their prices change weekly. I had a Rachel Ray cookbook that they were not even buying the first time I put it in. Then I tried again later and they accepted it. ALso, I had a book that they were going to pay around $1.75 for, when I reentered it a week later to add it to the actual invoice it was worth almost $5!!
You only have one week from the time you submit your order to get the books to them because like I said the prices change weekly.
Try this out and if you have any questions please ask! I would be more than happy to give my experience!
OOPS, ALMOST FORGOT!!! You actually get a BONUS for using Paypal to accept payment. Like 3% I think!
I thought okay, yeah it says I will get $70 but when I send them in they will all have "something" wrong and they won't pay me. NOPE! I sent them in with the pre-paid label I printed off my computer and within about a week, they deposited the money into my Paypal account (paypal does charge a small fee on your payment).
Well, I thought maybe I could turn this into a little side business by going to my local thrift store and finding books, checking them on my Blackberry while I was in the store and only getting books that were worth more than what I was paying. Well, I walked into my thrift store only to find that they were going out of business... nice. But I think I will hit up some of the local yard sales. People are always trying to get rid of old textbooks (one of my best sales was for an OLD textbook $20)
A few tips- They only take non-fiction books.
Also, if you don't like the price, check back in a week. Their prices change weekly. I had a Rachel Ray cookbook that they were not even buying the first time I put it in. Then I tried again later and they accepted it. ALso, I had a book that they were going to pay around $1.75 for, when I reentered it a week later to add it to the actual invoice it was worth almost $5!!
You only have one week from the time you submit your order to get the books to them because like I said the prices change weekly.
Try this out and if you have any questions please ask! I would be more than happy to give my experience!
OOPS, ALMOST FORGOT!!! You actually get a BONUS for using Paypal to accept payment. Like 3% I think!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Supplementing Income Part 2 or The Mystery Shop/ Survey Saga
Well, I am not exactly sure how long it has been since I began mystery shopping and taking surveys but I have definitely made some money. Here are my findings so far.
When I began mystery shopping I signed on with two companies. I quickly found out that I would not find many jobs working for only two companies. I am now signed on with about 6 different agencies and honestly even with that many, if I wanted to make this a full time gig, it would be impossible. As a matter of fact in the time since I began I have completed only two shops and have made a total of $25. This is partly due to working and just not having time to do it as much as I would like. I am going to try to do a lot more in July and I will keep you updated on that.
Pros/Cons of mystery shopping-
It is kind of fun, if you don't mind lying your butt off. Most companies require you to have a "scenario" in mind when you shop. For example, they may have you go in and ask for something you would never buy for yourself and you have to go in and say, "oh, it is for my dad/mom/husband etc. " Also, there are specific things they are checking to see if the clerk offers you like reward programs, asking you to sign up for a credit card, etc. I actually felt bad when a person I shopped told me I could get the item for a better price at another store, and I had to put that in my report complete with his name and description attached.
Another problem can be the amount of money versus the length of the survey. Some companies have relatively simple surveys that take 5 minutes to complete, so ten dollars for that company is easy money. However one of the shops I did was very simple but the survey was 10 pages long and all I got was ten dollars. I didn't feel it was worth the money in the end because of all the time I spent on the report.
Most companies are also very picky about grammar, punctuation, and spelling in the report, so if you aren't very good with writing the narratives can be tough, and they will dock your fee.
On the positive side, you get paid to shop. You do not always have to make a purchase and usually when you do it is reimbursed. Occasionally you may do a shop when in the end you "reveal" yourself in some kind of kooky grand finale and tell the manager all about your waitress and then get your meal comped. Lol, I haven't done one of those yet. Seems just a little too corny.
On to the surveys. I have honestly made about the same amount of money here for what I feel is less work although it can be tedious. And yes, there are companies who pay $5 per survey (although, I am sworn to secrecy now that I am a member, see the links at the bottom for some hints). You cannot make the huge amount that some companies tout. Plus, in order to make that kind of money you would have to be taking five to ten surveys a day and that would really suck. They are not a ton of fun to take, and depending on the pay I do turn some of them down. I will not do a 15 minute survey for $1. It just isn't worth it to me. If you want to make money without doing a lot of work, surveys are the way to go. You won't get rich, but I think I have some great tips on how to make the money add up.
My biggest tip is to open a paypal account if you don't already have one. There is one survey company and one mystery shop company I use that sends actual paper checks, the rest deposit directly to paypal. (and some will NOT do it any other way) I have just been letting the money pile up. Personally I am trying to save up toward a vacation. Obviously it will take a while, but I just let it pile up and I don't even check the balance. (I do check to make sure my mystery shop payments go through, because I do consider that a part time job, but I am not as worried about the survey money).
The greatest tip I have for any reader is to visit the website volition.com This is an unbelievable resource for finding mystery shop jobs, merchandising jobs, and survey opportunities. One of my favorite sections is the "Stuff I found" forum. It is a great place to find awesome freebies and this helps me curb my need to shop til I drop. I hope to do a complete article on Volition in the near future! Oh and that is also my hint for the great paying survey company... go play hangman- or check out the forums it shouldn't take too long for you to find it!
When I began mystery shopping I signed on with two companies. I quickly found out that I would not find many jobs working for only two companies. I am now signed on with about 6 different agencies and honestly even with that many, if I wanted to make this a full time gig, it would be impossible. As a matter of fact in the time since I began I have completed only two shops and have made a total of $25. This is partly due to working and just not having time to do it as much as I would like. I am going to try to do a lot more in July and I will keep you updated on that.
Pros/Cons of mystery shopping-
It is kind of fun, if you don't mind lying your butt off. Most companies require you to have a "scenario" in mind when you shop. For example, they may have you go in and ask for something you would never buy for yourself and you have to go in and say, "oh, it is for my dad/mom/husband etc. " Also, there are specific things they are checking to see if the clerk offers you like reward programs, asking you to sign up for a credit card, etc. I actually felt bad when a person I shopped told me I could get the item for a better price at another store, and I had to put that in my report complete with his name and description attached.
Another problem can be the amount of money versus the length of the survey. Some companies have relatively simple surveys that take 5 minutes to complete, so ten dollars for that company is easy money. However one of the shops I did was very simple but the survey was 10 pages long and all I got was ten dollars. I didn't feel it was worth the money in the end because of all the time I spent on the report.
Most companies are also very picky about grammar, punctuation, and spelling in the report, so if you aren't very good with writing the narratives can be tough, and they will dock your fee.
On the positive side, you get paid to shop. You do not always have to make a purchase and usually when you do it is reimbursed. Occasionally you may do a shop when in the end you "reveal" yourself in some kind of kooky grand finale and tell the manager all about your waitress and then get your meal comped. Lol, I haven't done one of those yet. Seems just a little too corny.
On to the surveys. I have honestly made about the same amount of money here for what I feel is less work although it can be tedious. And yes, there are companies who pay $5 per survey (although, I am sworn to secrecy now that I am a member, see the links at the bottom for some hints). You cannot make the huge amount that some companies tout. Plus, in order to make that kind of money you would have to be taking five to ten surveys a day and that would really suck. They are not a ton of fun to take, and depending on the pay I do turn some of them down. I will not do a 15 minute survey for $1. It just isn't worth it to me. If you want to make money without doing a lot of work, surveys are the way to go. You won't get rich, but I think I have some great tips on how to make the money add up.
My biggest tip is to open a paypal account if you don't already have one. There is one survey company and one mystery shop company I use that sends actual paper checks, the rest deposit directly to paypal. (and some will NOT do it any other way) I have just been letting the money pile up. Personally I am trying to save up toward a vacation. Obviously it will take a while, but I just let it pile up and I don't even check the balance. (I do check to make sure my mystery shop payments go through, because I do consider that a part time job, but I am not as worried about the survey money).
The greatest tip I have for any reader is to visit the website volition.com This is an unbelievable resource for finding mystery shop jobs, merchandising jobs, and survey opportunities. One of my favorite sections is the "Stuff I found" forum. It is a great place to find awesome freebies and this helps me curb my need to shop til I drop. I hope to do a complete article on Volition in the near future! Oh and that is also my hint for the great paying survey company... go play hangman- or check out the forums it shouldn't take too long for you to find it!
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Supplementing Income
Let me start this post by saying I think my husband is crazy. When I told him about how I was not making enough money to cover the bills he said, well, you need to get a part-time job. So I ask, who will watch the kids.... well he will, so I say "YOU get a job". Lol, anyway, I am trying some things to supplement my income. I realized last night that I was looking at things the wrong way. Instead of trying to FIND a NEW job, I could just find some things that would add income to my current income. Since I am a teacher and summer is coming up I decided to sign on with two companies as a mystery shopper. There is already a prospect for checking out a pizza joint so hey... if nothing else I will get some FREE pizza. We also travel to Minneapolis a lot so next time I am there I could do some shops also. I also signed up with three online survey companies- Survey Savvy, NFO and Esearch. All three pay cash for surveys. I found them by reading this blog article:
http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/technobabble/2004/11/19/150-an-hour-from-paid-surveys-pt-ii-gnomies-speak-up/
Scroll down and you can read his updates. He actually IS making money. Not $150 an hour, but I am thinking I can use the small amounts of cash to slowly build up my emergency fund, etc. So let see I will count this for the month of March too. My steps toward paying off my debt for the month of March have been:
1. I am controlling my spending. No more eating out etc.
2. I called my phone and cell companies and turned up about $50 a month worth of savings.
3. I am having a garage sale.
4. Signed up for online surveys and mystery shopping.
5. I haven't had a weekday to do it yet, but I also plan to call and stop my deferred comp and college saving for the girls.... that almost makes me want to cry but it will be $150 to put toward debt.
For April exclusively-
1. I will change my W whatever to get more cash in my check. I am claiming 0 deductions right now.
2. I will keep you updated on the sale, and the other goals, surveys and mystery shops.
If you have any other ideas please feel free to post them here. I am sure others are looking for more ideas as well.
http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/technobabble/2004/11/19/150-an-hour-from-paid-surveys-pt-ii-gnomies-speak-up/
Scroll down and you can read his updates. He actually IS making money. Not $150 an hour, but I am thinking I can use the small amounts of cash to slowly build up my emergency fund, etc. So let see I will count this for the month of March too. My steps toward paying off my debt for the month of March have been:
1. I am controlling my spending. No more eating out etc.
2. I called my phone and cell companies and turned up about $50 a month worth of savings.
3. I am having a garage sale.
4. Signed up for online surveys and mystery shopping.
5. I haven't had a weekday to do it yet, but I also plan to call and stop my deferred comp and college saving for the girls.... that almost makes me want to cry but it will be $150 to put toward debt.
For April exclusively-
1. I will change my W whatever to get more cash in my check. I am claiming 0 deductions right now.
2. I will keep you updated on the sale, and the other goals, surveys and mystery shops.
If you have any other ideas please feel free to post them here. I am sure others are looking for more ideas as well.
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