The Christian Woman


Get Paid for Taking Surveys

There are many online paid survey programs available, but for many the payout versus time spent just isn't worth the effort. However, three online paid survey sites that I really recommend are American Consumer Opinion Panel (ACOP), NFO MySurvey.com, and CashCrate. I also recommend SurveySavvy although I haven't qualified for one of their surveys yet. However, you do earn cash for completed surveys so I think it's worth joining - be sure to fill out the profile section to increase your chances of qualifying for surveys.

All of these programs are free to join but I do recommend you open a free email account (Yahoo or Gmail) specifically for surveys. Some of the offers from CashCrate in particular could generate extra email so it is better not to bog down your personal account. Also note that the CashCrate site has a forum where you can get tips from other users.

ACOP and CashCrate pay cash for all surveys for which you qualify. NFO pays reward points which can be exchanged for cash or prizes and the points add up quicker than you would think. I highly recommend all of these programs as an easy way to bring in a few extra dollars here and there.

In addition to online surveys, it is also beneficial to join local marketing groups that hold focus groups in your area. A focus group is a small group of people chosen by a marketer to talk about a new product or idea. A session usually lasts between 1-2 hours and pays $50-$200 for your time. You can now sign up with many of these companies online. Check out Greenbook.org for listings in your area. Craigslist.org is also a good place to look for focus group opportunities under "jobs-etc" if your city is listed.

My new favorite program is SwagBucks, a search engine interface. All you need to do is perform all your internet searches through SwagBucks and you will earn points that you can redeem for prizes. The best reward seems to be a $5 Amazon giftcard for 45 SwagBucks and it doesn't take too long to get there. If you join, you will receive 3 SwagBucks just for signing up.

Also, check out email reward programs. Get paid for reading emails and for shopping and it's free to join. My favorite is My Points where you read their email ads to earn points which you can redeem for gift certificates. You can also do your online shopping through their site to earn extra points, although I prefer to use Ebates first if I can. After a few months you'll have enough points to cash in and it doesn't take up much time.

Ebates is a great program to earn back discounts on many online purchases. I use it all the time for my online shopping, especially at Christmas time. Just launch to the shopping site through Ebates and they will automatically put a set percentage of your purchase into your account. Combine that with an online coupon and you can end up with a nice discount.