When you’re trying to raise a family on one income, it doesn’t take you too long to figure how to make money taking online surveys.
After all, there’s only so much you can stretch your budget before you have to figure out ways to bring in a little extra income. Taking online surveys allows you to make a little bit of extra money without having to worry about putting kids in day care or having it affect your day job.
How to Make Money Taking Online Surveys
Only sign up for reputable survey companies. Look for reviews online, ask friends and family, etc. You should never pay to take surveys, and any survey service that wants you to pay first or provide a credit card number is going to be a scam.
I’ve personally had good experiences with the following companies:
I’ve also heard good things about Harris Poll, Toluna, Opinion Outpost, Valued Opinions, Vindale Research, and National Consumer Panel.
Sign up for a variety of paid survey companies. Some companies will provide you with a regular dose of paid surveys while others will send you opportunities sporadically. If you’re signed up for several different companies, then you’ll have a steady stream of opportunities to make money taking online surveys.
Pay attention to the terms. Each survey company is different, so read over the terms. Some companies assign points to surveys and you cash in those points for products or cash. Others simply pay a flat cash rate per survey. A few companies will even have you do market research (where you are paid to test products). Look for companies that pay cash (or offer products you want) in a reasonable time frame.
Your goal is to make money and stretch your budget, so don’t waste your time completing surveys that only give you a sweepstakes entry. A chance to win money is not the same as actually earning money!
Use a dedicated email account. Consider setting up a special e-mail account just for surveys. Once you’re signed up with multiple companies, you will start to get a lot of e-mail. Have all of your survey e-mails sent to one inbox and it will be easier for you to find the money-earning opportunities.
Sign up for Paypal. Paypal is free and simple to use and some survey companies pay more quickly if you accept Paypal payments.
Complete your profiles. It can feel a little tedious to enter your demographic information on the profile page for each survey company, but if you want to make money taking online surveys, you need to do it. That profile information helps the survey company determine what types of surveys to send to you. When they’re able to get better qualifying survey takers, they pay more and offer more surveys.
Set aside some time to take surveys. Most surveys can be completed within 5 to 15 minutes. A few take longer, but those usually pay more. I try to do surveys a few times a week. I answer surveys from my smartphone while I’m waiting for appointments or waiting to pick up kids form school. I also do surveys while watching TV (usually when my husband is watching sports!). I have found that when you answer surveys regularly, you get more survey opportunities. That means more money-earning potential!
Be honest in your surveys. Don’t fudge the answers to questions in the hopes that you’ll qualify for a longer survey. Companies are looking for honest thoughts and opinions and the answers you provide help them create products and services. You are helping to make a difference, so answer honestly.
Don’t expect to get rich or to get rich quick. You can make money taking online surveys, but it won’t make you rich. And not all survey companies pay quickly.
It does take time to answer surveys, and you may find that you can make more money faster doing other things. But if you’re looking for something simple you can do to bring in a little extra spending cash for your family, taking online surveys can be a great resource for you.
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So true! At the end of the year I cash in everything and use for Christmas presents. I had my best survey ever last fall. It was from Ipsos I-say, and a few weeks after completion they emailed me a code for $150 credit on Amazon!!! It was more involved than other surveys, as I had to videotape my responses and upload to the survey page. It’s so fun to see the commercial we watched & critiqued is now running constantly on TV.
That’s awesome! I love it when you can make money from home that way!