Tweet
I've been very fortunate to make a nice little side income from paid surveys.
Over the last 18-months I've made an average of more than $450 per month from online surveys alone. No, $450 isn't going to pay the bills, but it can pay ONE bill (in my case, car payments).
Yes, it took hard work and dedication but it was worth it. In this post I'm going to show you exactly how I did it.
While a lot of this advice can be found in some way or another, I wanted to put it all in one place so people here at SavingAdvice.com so that everyone could get value from it.
Step 1: Join the Right Survey Sites
The biggest mistake paid survey newbies make is that they join scammy survey sites, get burned, and quickly give up. Ever since I started with paid surveys a few years ago, I've been VERY choosy with the sites that I join. If I see a lot of bad reviews I usually move on to another site.
Here are the panels that send me the best-paying surveys most often (in no particular order):
Ipsos I-Say
NPD Online Research
Global Test Market
Inbox Dollars
Pincone Research (hard to get into but amazing if you can do it)
My View
These are just a start, however. To get past the $250 per month mark you have to join AT LEAST 20 panels.
Don't get burned! NO survey site ever asks for any payment whatsoever. Make sure that the sites you do join are 100% free and you can do no wrong.
Step 2: Get Organized
I'm naturally a messy guy. My desk is littered with coffee cups, wrappers and papers. But when it comes to surveys, I have my stuff together.
I'm talking about spreadsheets, schedules, calenders...the works.
You don't need to get organized to do well, but I the more organized you are the most surveys you'll fill out and the more money you'll make.
At a very basic level you should:
-Have a dedicated email address just for surveys (unless you want your regular inbox filled with junk)
-Sync that email with your phone (the best payment surveys "sell out" quickly so you need to move quick if you want to get in on the action).
-Simple spreadsheet that tracks your points at different sites so you know how close you are to cashing out
-Use Roboform or another web tool to help you register/log into each site in seconds
Step 3: Work It
There's no secret to making the most from paid surveys: you need lots of "butt in chair time". At first you'll love taking surveys...but after a few days it will start to feel more like work.
There will ALWAYS be something more interesting than filling out surveys (Facebook, TV, email etc.). The few people I know that pull in $200 or more per month from surveys really work hard.
That means tuning out ALL distractions and filling out as many surveys as possible during your free time. When I'm feeling especially dedicated I even set off certain hours of the evening just for paid surveys. Trust me, during "survey time" I make significantly more than when I'm just fooling around with surveys.
Step 4: Keep It Real
My best months have one thing in common: I was invited to a number of special surveys, product tests or focus groups.
Every now and again a panel will send out invites to participate in VERY high-paying survey (up to $75 in my case). And you know what? They're fun! Yes I'm a big nerd...
Anyway, the moral of the story is to do your best with the surveys you qualify for. If you just rush through them, the panel will take notice and a) not pay you for that survey and b) not invite you to higher-paying surveys and online focus groups.
I know it sucks spending an hour on a $5 survey, but it's worth it when you realize the opportunity they can open up.
Step 5: Get Serious
The most important thing I ever did was set goals for my survey "career". At first, I would just take as many surveys as I could per month. But I found that my focus wavered and I never felt great about how much I accomplished (I'm sure you've felt this before).
At first I set my goal for $200 per month. And you know what? I hit is almost on the dot!
So then I took it up a notch to $250...and reached that too.
Then I said to myself "I'd like to make $300, but there's no way that's possible"...until I made it.
Now I think I'm finally approaching the ceiling for monthly paid survey income...but I still set my goals higher every month and hit them...so who knows?
I know there's a lot of confusion and misinformation out there about paid surveys so I hope this helps you on your journey. Feel free to post in the thread if you have a question.
Over the last 18-months I've made an average of more than $450 per month from online surveys alone. No, $450 isn't going to pay the bills, but it can pay ONE bill (in my case, car payments).
Yes, it took hard work and dedication but it was worth it. In this post I'm going to show you exactly how I did it.
While a lot of this advice can be found in some way or another, I wanted to put it all in one place so people here at SavingAdvice.com so that everyone could get value from it.
Step 1: Join the Right Survey Sites
The biggest mistake paid survey newbies make is that they join scammy survey sites, get burned, and quickly give up. Ever since I started with paid surveys a few years ago, I've been VERY choosy with the sites that I join. If I see a lot of bad reviews I usually move on to another site.
Here are the panels that send me the best-paying surveys most often (in no particular order):
Ipsos I-Say
NPD Online Research
Global Test Market
Inbox Dollars
Pincone Research (hard to get into but amazing if you can do it)
My View
These are just a start, however. To get past the $250 per month mark you have to join AT LEAST 20 panels.
Don't get burned! NO survey site ever asks for any payment whatsoever. Make sure that the sites you do join are 100% free and you can do no wrong.
Step 2: Get Organized
I'm naturally a messy guy. My desk is littered with coffee cups, wrappers and papers. But when it comes to surveys, I have my stuff together.
I'm talking about spreadsheets, schedules, calenders...the works.
You don't need to get organized to do well, but I the more organized you are the most surveys you'll fill out and the more money you'll make.
At a very basic level you should:
-Have a dedicated email address just for surveys (unless you want your regular inbox filled with junk)
-Sync that email with your phone (the best payment surveys "sell out" quickly so you need to move quick if you want to get in on the action).
-Simple spreadsheet that tracks your points at different sites so you know how close you are to cashing out
-Use Roboform or another web tool to help you register/log into each site in seconds
Step 3: Work It
There's no secret to making the most from paid surveys: you need lots of "butt in chair time". At first you'll love taking surveys...but after a few days it will start to feel more like work.
There will ALWAYS be something more interesting than filling out surveys (Facebook, TV, email etc.). The few people I know that pull in $200 or more per month from surveys really work hard.
That means tuning out ALL distractions and filling out as many surveys as possible during your free time. When I'm feeling especially dedicated I even set off certain hours of the evening just for paid surveys. Trust me, during "survey time" I make significantly more than when I'm just fooling around with surveys.
Step 4: Keep It Real
My best months have one thing in common: I was invited to a number of special surveys, product tests or focus groups.
Every now and again a panel will send out invites to participate in VERY high-paying survey (up to $75 in my case). And you know what? They're fun! Yes I'm a big nerd...
Anyway, the moral of the story is to do your best with the surveys you qualify for. If you just rush through them, the panel will take notice and a) not pay you for that survey and b) not invite you to higher-paying surveys and online focus groups.
I know it sucks spending an hour on a $5 survey, but it's worth it when you realize the opportunity they can open up.
Step 5: Get Serious
The most important thing I ever did was set goals for my survey "career". At first, I would just take as many surveys as I could per month. But I found that my focus wavered and I never felt great about how much I accomplished (I'm sure you've felt this before).
At first I set my goal for $200 per month. And you know what? I hit is almost on the dot!
So then I took it up a notch to $250...and reached that too.
Then I said to myself "I'd like to make $300, but there's no way that's possible"...until I made it.
Now I think I'm finally approaching the ceiling for monthly paid survey income...but I still set my goals higher every month and hit them...so who knows?
I know there's a lot of confusion and misinformation out there about paid surveys so I hope this helps you on your journey. Feel free to post in the thread if you have a question.
I don't buy a lot of crap I don't need. I don't rush out to try every new product that hits the market. I stick mostly to basic items that I've used for years. I buy a lot of store brand and generics. I don't buy a lot of convenience items. I'm also a 48-year-old male, not a description that gets retailers too excited.
Comment