Taking Surveys for Money: Getting Started

I'm pretty sure that if you've looked up "make money taking surveys" in any search engine that you've been FLOODED with tons of results claiming to lead you to tons of survey sites that promise you riches in a few minutes. They also tell you that for a small fee that they'll lead you to all of the survey sites that you need to begin--stay away from sites that make you pay for a survey data-base.

There are plenty of sites out there that you don't have to pay for in order to receive surveys in your email inbox that you can start earning cash for. Some are mentioned at the end of this post.

The money that you make from online surveys can range from $1.00 to as high as $20.00 (this is only in my experience--this is not including in-home product evaluations or focus groups). Some survey companies pay in points which can be redeemed for cash or prizes.

So, this is what I did to begin taking surveys for money online about 5 years ago and it brings in a bit of money for me and I hope that it will for you too!

1. Set up an email address that is dedicated to surveys and survey offers. This ensures that your personal emails don't get mixed up with your personal emails. Free email programs like Hotmail and Yahoo are good ones. (I use Yahoo). Also if you get burned by a survey site (what I mean is if you sign up for a survey site and begin receiving spam) it won't clutter your personal email address.
   
2. Get RoboForm. Roboform keeps all of your personal information (name, address, phone number, etc.) secure and makes filling out surveys a snap. You can get so many more surveys completed with Roboform. Roboform also stores ALL of the passwords from the different survey sites that you are part of so that you don't have to keep track of them yourself. I have used Roboform with no problems for over four years now and it makes filling out forms so much easier. Click here to download Roboform.
   
3. Sign up for survey companies. Some are listed at the bottom of this post. 
4. Create a new folder in your Favorites of the internet browser that you are using and label it "Surveys." This way you can keep track of which companies you are signed up with--and if you like to check your survey balances like I do, you can check them quickly and easily (and not worry about passwords with the Roboform that you downloaded!)
   
5. Check your email at least once a day for surveys. Some surveys are time sensitive and others have a quota of people to be filled before the survey closes.

Here are a couple of survey companies to get you started: (I will have a page with a list of them in the near future!)

• Mindfield Online 
• Survey Saavy 

Finding Mystery Shopping Jobs

In order to begin finding mystery shopping jobs, you need to sign up as an independent contractor to as many companies as possible. Signing up is free (if it isn't the company is usually not legit) and easy. If you can answer a few questions about yourself and provide a good writing sample (some companies require this) then you can be on your way to mystery shopping.

There are hundreds of companies out there and to be sure that you are signing up for a legitimate one you may want to read my previous blog post here. You can also check the Mystery Shopping Providers Association website to see if the company is registered with them (I currently do not shop for any company that is not registered in their database to avoid scams).

Once you receive your first shopping assignment, be sure to go over the instructions as thoroughly as possible so that you can ensure that you are performing the shop correctly. If you have any questions, contact your scheduler (usually the person who assigned you the shop over the phone or through email).

Turning in your shop on time is also a crucial factor in determining if you will receive more jobs or not from the company. Shoppers who turn in paperwork in a timely manner are usually offered a lot more shops that those who don't.

So start that first step today and start applying to those companies!

How to Become a Mystery Shopper, The Only Book You'll Ever Need, Expanded & Updated Second Edition

Pre-paid vs. Contract Phones

A really good way to cut down on those expensive cell phone bills is to evaluate how you use your phone. If you can really evaluate how often and how long you use your phone, switching from one type of payment plan to another can save you hundreds of dollars a year!

A prepaid phone is one that you prepay for your minutes on. It's basically pay-as-you go. If your phone is used solely for emergencies and that is all, then prepaid is the way to go. A contract can stick you with hundreds of dollars in payments for a year; while with a pre-paid phone you could have continual service for sometimes under $100.00 a year. Virgin Mobile has an excellent program where you can pay for phone service for $20.00 every 3 months, that's only $120.00 a year! You can switch companies anytime with prepaid phones without worrying about early termination charges making them ideal for anyone who doesn't want to commit to a particular company.

A contract phone is one that you pay for your minutes after you use them. This type of program is great for someone who talks on the phone consistently, texts consistently, or would like to access the internet. Sprint has a simply everything plan where you get unlimited talk, text, and minutes for only $100 a month. This is very beneficial to anyone who needs their phone on a regular basis. There are plans that are less costly for someone who talks a lot, but may not want other features such as internet and texting. With a contract phone it is important to make sure that the plan you choose fits your talking habits. Charges for going over allotted monthly minutes can be costly if you run over them a lot. Also, choose a company that you know that has good coverage that you'd like to stick with for a while--contracts are usually from 1 to 2 years and getting out of them often costs about $175.

So to save money, evaluate your cell phone bills and see what works for you. Again, that could mean saving hundreds of dollars in the long run.

Get paid for taking surveys!

One way to make some extra money this Holiday Season is to do some online surveys. There are a ton of scams that are out there, but here are some companies that I have found to be completely legitimate!

• Mindfield Online
• Greenfield Online
• NPD Online Research