The Survey Queen

Your2Cents: Now Toluna.com!

2009-08-11T15:00:00.002-04:00

Earlier this summer, I blogged about Your2Cents. Your2Cents recently merged with Toluna.com (previously not available in the US) and now you can earn points for sharing your opinion via polls as well as through surveys! They are also having a complete your profile bonus right now, so if you were having trouble joining before now is a great time!

Opinion Outpost

2009-08-11T15:00:00.000-04:00

I found out about this paid survey site from a guy in a chatroom. He was looking to hit people up with an affiliate link, but I took a chance to check this site out. I have to admit, I was very pleased. Opinion Outpost sends me about a survey a day, and sometimes more.

Snapshot:

Cash out with as little as $5, or 50 points
If you don't qualify for a survey, get a chance to instantly win $50, enter a sweep, or donate .10 to charity!
Surveys are typically between 15-35 points, so they add up fast
Checks take between 4-8 weeks to arrive

Overall, I like the consistency of the surveys and how easy it is to rack up points. I made enough for my first check within the first day of joining, and I am already 5 points away from requesting my second. I am confident that if I were to respond quicker to emails, I would be able to cash out $5-$10 a week. Check out Opinion Outpost for yourself!

DollarSurveys.net

2009-08-10T15:00:00.001-04:00

DollarSurveys.net is a great, straightforward website. Just as it says, you're going to get $1 for every survey you complete, paid to your PayPal account. This isn't a site you sign up for, you just go to the website everyday and take a survey.

The surveys are generally short and easy to complete. I tend to qualify for about one a day, although sometimes I get more. Just like other free sites, Dollar Surveys will occasionally have other "offers" and it's entirely up to you whether or not you want to participate in them. Sometimes they free offers, for example you may receive .50 for signing up for a newslettter, or $8 for participating in a free trial. Use your judgement, and as always a prepaid credit card.

Because this isn't a membership based site, you can go months without participating with no consequences, or particpate everyday. The site is really easy, and payment is received within 7 days in your PayPal account.

Vindale Research

2009-08-10T15:00:00.000-04:00

Vindale Research is a lot like SendEarnings and InboxDollars. They generally have certain offers you need to complete in order to get paid, and about 40-50% of them are 100% free offers. They also have free trials, and other offers you need a credit card for so use your own judgement when participating in them.

Snapshot:

Payments made in $50 increments, and can be sent right to PayPal
Participate in fun free offers and earn money-like testing new Facebook Apps and getting free samples
Refer your friends and earn $5 when they complete their profiles
If you have a prepaid credit card, participate in free trial offers for even more money!

The best thing to do with Vindale Research is check in every week for new free trials. If you're a big sweepster like me, I'm sure you have a couple prepaid credit cards with small sums left on them you can use for the free trial offers in case you forget to cancel the free trial.

This company DOES pay, and they have one of the BEST referal programs. As long as you follow these tips and don't hand out any personal credit card numbers you'll be on your way to earning $50 every 1-2 months.

Harlequin Ambassadors

2009-08-07T15:00:00.001-04:00

Love a good romance novel? Join the Harlequin Ambassadors and influence upcoming romance novels. Obviously, this is dedicated to a very select group of people but for those of you that love it is a great group for you.

Snapshot:

Get a survey about once a month and get a chance to see upcoming titles, read sneak previews a book, and give your opinions
Get opportunities to participate in exclusive sweepstakes and promotions
Get chances to review new books for free!

Since joining, I have received two boxes of books to review and share. For the small amount of work I put in (and the fact that I love a great romance novel) I think Harlequin Ambassadors is a great group for book lovers.

Global Test Market

2009-08-07T15:00:00.000-04:00

Global Test Market is another great paid survey group. You are offered about 5-40 points per survey (amount awarded depending on much of the survey you complete) and every point is worth .05. Once you get 1000 points ($50) you can cash out.

Snapshot:

Surveys are generally under 30 minutes, and get rewards even when you can't finish the whole survey
Respond fast! Just like Valued Opinions, these quotas get filled fast!
1000=$50, get cash! Great for people that want to make extra money instead of earning gift cards!
Get about 1-2 surveys a week in your inbox
Check into the member dashboard on the website about once a week for additional surveys

Overall, Global Test Market is another great paid survey company to add to your list. They offer easy to qualify for surveys and as long as you respond quick you can add up the points and cash out about every two months-and who doesn't want an extra $50 every few months?

Powell's Books

2009-07-03T15:00:00.000-04:00

Cash4Books not cutting it? Or do you, like me, have a ton of literature books? Then Powell's Books may be for you. Powell's Books is based in Portland, OR and has retail as well as online locations. They offer competitive pricing and, in my experience, buy a lot of books the "other guys" won't.

Snapshot:

Get paid via PayPal or store credit for your used books in good shape
These guys are super picky about condition, so make sure you send them books that follow these guidelines
They offer FREE SHIPPING (as long as the total amount of your sale is over $5) so all you have to do is print the label and tape it to your box

They don't take too long to send your money. Generally, it will take them a couple days once they receive it to send it to you on PayPal so they can check the books and make sure they meet their guidelines. If you have a lot of books, especially recent fiction, that are in excellent shape I definitely recommend this site. I have had two transactions in the past and earned a total of $340. ( I sold a total of 100 books averaging at $3.40 each)

Cash4Book.net

2009-07-02T15:00:00.001-04:00

When my partner and I decided to stop selling on Amazon, we were left with rooms and rooms filled with books. We thought we could try selling some on Craigslist, and donate some to Goodwill. After several meetings that fell through and countless midnight runs to Goodwill, we were still left with stacks of books throughout the apartment. So we started to look for other options (especially ones that were easy) and found Cash4Book.net

Snapshot:

Cash4Books will send you a check or PayPal money after receiving your books!
They generally buy books in good condition, published within the last 5 years
Shipping is FREE and you can print a pre-paid mailing label from your computer
They have a mobile site to help you, on the go!

To get an idea of what they are buying, you can check out their 500 list of the last 500 books they've purchased. You can also check out a list of the kind of books they do and don't buy. Generally, if you purchased a lot of your books new you won't be seeing a huge return on them. This can be a little disappointing at times. If you have a great phone and mobile coverage, you can scout garage sales for cheap books to turn for a great profit.

We ended up selling about 60 books for $244 during our sale. The service is excellent, and payment was very quick. Check them out!

ACOP

2009-07-01T15:00:00.001-04:00

The American Consumer Opinion Panel (aka ACOP) is great because they pay you per survey. Unlike most groups, which require you to save up to cash out, after taking a survey you will be able to get your reward.

Snapshot:

Rewards typically range between $2-$50 (for me it's been mostly $4-$25)
All registered members are entered into a monthly drawing for $250
If you respond to screener questionnaires (short surveys) you'll be entered into more cash prizes
You can typically expect to receive a screener questionnaire every 6-8 weeks, with the longer survey afterwards if you qualify.

Despite the low amount of survey requests, ACOP offers great rewards and are definitely worth your time. I have received both items to test and a $25 check during the past few months that I have been a member. Because of the low time investment and great chance of high rewards this is an organization I highly recommend for busy folks.

All*You Reality Checker

2009-07-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

All*You is a great magazine always filled with stuff from readers, including product reviews and articles. Get a chance to be apart of the magazine-and try new stuff-by joining All*You's Reality Checker program.

Snapshot for joining:

See your words and ideas featured in the magazine or website
Appear on the pages of the magazine or website
Best new products for free
Be part of a beauty and lifestyle makeover
Attend special ALL YOU events and parties

If you haven't yet picked up a copy of All*You magazine you are really missing out. All*You is a great magazine filled with real advice for real families. This is one of the only magazines I would recommend getting a subscription for (from DealSeekingMom you can get two years for $17.99).

Pssst-General Mills Product Panel

2009-06-22T15:05:00.000-04:00

Although I have been participating in paid surveys since I started college I only recently discovered product panels. I always knew they were out there somewhere, but I never realized they were so easy to join, and often require very little effort!

Pssst by General Mills is one of my favorite. Within weeks of joining I received a full sized box of Fiber One bars in Chocolate Mocha and very valuable coupons to share with my friends and family. I tied a coupon to each bar and left them on my co-workers desk, they loved them so much 3 out of 5 bought their own boxes within two weeks! That's the power of word-of-mouth marketing, and the reason they give us such great opportunities like this.

Pssst is really easy to join, and will probably take only a few minutes of your time. This is highly recommended for people with busy schedules-emails are very few and you get full sized products in the mail! They do send surveys a few weeks after sending the product, so be sure to tell them how everything went so you can get some more products in the future.

Paid Emails: Is It Worth It?

2009-06-22T15:00:00.001-04:00

I've been getting a couple emails lately asking me about paid emails and whether I thought they were worth the time, or "legit". So today I'm going to talk about two of the better known groups (which are the same company now) and the rules that apply to them generally apply to all paid email groups.

The groups I'm going to be specifically talking about today are Send Earnings and Inbox Dollars.

These are the things to keep in mind when joining these groups:

Use a separate email-if you end up signing up for their "free" offers for extra money, you are almost guaranteed to get spam. You may have already opened a separate one for surveys, that is the one I use.
Avoid their offers-I do not recommend signing up for their offers, because 9/10 you will get spam, and loads and loads of it. You won't earn as much just reading the emails, but it does not take up a lot of time.
Take a daily survey-You can earn extra money taking a survey everyday. Because they aren't a regular survey site that already has all your information, getting qualified for a survey may take up more time than its worth.

If you follow these keys, it's not so bad. I don't spend a lot of time trying to qualify for a survey, if it takes more than 5-10 minutes to find one I give up and try the next day. In the past couple months, with surveys and daily email, I have managed to save up enough to cash out on both sites. Not all of their free or trial offers are bad, and sometimes might actually be things you want to sign up for so you might as well check them out. They also offer cash back on tons of popular retailers, so if you already do a lot of shopping online it may be a great thing for you.

If you mostly just do the emails, the payout will be slow. If you read the emails everyday and are okay with waiting for a cash out, paid emails are not a bad deal. They take up very little time and it's always nice to get a check in the mail every few months.

If you have any other tips for these sites, or know of other similar ones please feel free to leave a comment below, and post your affiliate link so you can get credit for referrals!

Partnership-Plus

2009-06-20T15:05:00.001-04:00

Partnership-Plus pays you to shop, and with a little time and organization the monthly surveys are quick and easy. You earn points for completing surveys about what clothing you purchased that month (for yourself). You fill in information about size, fiber content and price. If you complete the survey within the first five days of the month, you get an extra 50 points, and if you complete all 12 surveys you get an extra 350 points.

Snapshot:

200 points for each monthly survey
50 bonus points for completing a survey within the first 5 days
350 bonus points for completing all 12 surveys
at 1000 points (4 months if you do all surveys early) you can cash out for $10
if you save them up to cash out later, you can save up to 5500 for $100

This is definitely not an instant payout, as it will take some time to save up enough to cash out, or to save up more for a bigger cash out. The good news is, when you do go to cash out the check doesn't take that long to arrive in your mailbox. They also have a checklist you can print out to keep track of your monthly purchases so when you go to do your survey it won't take too long to complete. For the time and effort put into this, even though it may take awhile to get your check, I believe Partnership-Plus is definitely worth the time and effort.

Kraft First Taste

2009-06-20T15:00:00.002-04:00

At Kraft First Taste, as the name would suggest, you get the chance to try out new Kraft products. You will also get the latest information about products, and get to join in on a great little community (or not if you choose not too). Check out your Offers page to what kinds of deals you can take part in and leave feedback (good or bad) about Kraft products you've tried recently.

Snapshot

Get a chance to get free products from Kraft
Share your opinion about Kraft products and help shape new ideas
Find great ideas for recipes and family activites in the community

Kraft First Taste is great for people that love Kraft products. I only occasionally receive emails from them, but I try to check in every week to see if there are any new offers. Today I received a free product coupon that I can't wait to share with my family!

Opinion Place

2009-06-19T17:00:00.003-04:00

Special thanks to TopSavings for bringing this one to my attention. Opinion Place is a great find on the internet that offers tons of rewards and the offers add up quickly. When you sign up you pick your reward options which include: Amazon.com giftcards, PayPal credit, AA Miles, AOL Credits, and entries into the monthly sweeps for $1000.

Snapshot:

Choose your reward including PayPal payouts and Amazon Giftcards!
Most surveys are only 10-15 minutes long
Payouts range $1-$5 each
Get the chance to test new products and earn more rewards!

When I signed up, I spent less than 10 minutes participating in a survey and earned $2! I then completed another survey in less than 15 minutes and earned another $3! I chose PayPal as my payout, and the FAQ states it takes about 3-4 weeks for payment to get posted (which is not so bad since you don't have to wait to "cash out" like other survey sites). Check it out!

YouData

2009-06-19T15:54:00.002-04:00

Very soon, I'm going to have an exciting new opportunity for my readers to make money while viewing ads on my blog. How does this work? A budding new company, YouData, gives the power of advertising to the people. You fill out surveys about your lifestyle and your interests, and they match that up with their advertisers. This unique formula brings you ads you actually want to see!

You don't have to wait until YouData is on my blog to start earning money though, you can sign up right now and start earning right away. Check back every few days for new ads. This takes up so little time, and the money ads up quickly. My first week I made about $4, and new ads are being added all the time.

The money can be transferred right into your PayPal account at the end of the week. This is a great addition to your survey line up, and easy to do for busier folks.

*Note: if you do not wish to use me as a referal, please visit http://www.YouData.com instead

Top Savings

2009-06-19T14:39:00.002-04:00

While most of my posts will be in regards to surveys and product panels, when the chance arises to introduce my readers to other great ways to make money (and get stuff) I am not about to pass it up. Top Savings is one of those chances. Top Savings is a freebie/deal site that posts the best freebies, coupons and deals the internet has to offer.

Snapshot:

Top Savings has a community rating system, people use it for the best and worst deals
They sort links by "Participation", "S&H" and regular so it's easy to find ones that work for you
The side navigation bar helps you find what you're looking for
The posts are short and con

Top Savings is one of my absolute favorite freebie/deal sites on the internet. Sometimes, I just cannot believe the great things I have received in the mail for free. Over the past year, my mailbox has been packed with Stila lipgloss, baby goodies, countless travel-sized samples, every magazine subscription I could ever possibly want, and amazing high-value coupons.

VocalPoint

2009-06-16T22:57:00.002-04:00

If you love free stuff, VocalPoint is a great panel to join. They periodically send out great stuff to try, free product coupons and tons of samples. I've even heard of them sending out gift cards to places like Target! They even have a really cute, family-oriented website. I love the little polls and articles. This is a site I HIGHLY recommend for people who want stuff with little-to-no involvement.

Snapshot:

Free Samples and coupons in the mail
High value coupons on their website!
Opportunities to try out and provide feedback on delicious new products
Read great family articles on their easy-to-use website

Check out VocalPoint today!

Global Opinion Panel-Synovate

2009-06-16T22:29:00.004-04:00

Global Opinion Panel/Synovate is great panel. They offer a check rewards system, and you can start requesting your checks as little as $5. They also give you the opportunity to test products from time to time, and earn more points while doing so. Typical surveys range from 1000-6500 points each, and you can start redeeming points when you've received 5000!

Snapshot:

1000=$1

Start redeeming when you've reached 5000 ($5)

Rewards are in the form of a check

You get at least 50 points even if you do not qualify

Get a chance to test products!

It is very easy to bank a lot of points with Synovate, and since they don't send surveys out often it's very easy to participate with this group while working with other, or having another ful time gig.

Nutritional Tree

2009-06-16T16:49:00.002-04:00

Want some mostly instant gratification? Nutritional Tree is a great site where you can exchange product reviews for free stuff! This does not take a lot of your personal time, and its easy to get points reviewing everyday products you love (and hate too).

Here are some of the great samples you can currently request:

Yummi Bears-children gummy vitamins
Wysi Wipes-pill sized wipes that expand in water
Emergen-C-one packet
Mia Bella full sized candle

You get bonus points for reviewing an item that hasn't been reviewed before. They review each post, usually within 24 hours, before you get your points. The samples ship quickly, and it's a fun way to try new products or get things you love (like Emergen-C!) for free. This site is totally worth the time and effort. Check Nutritional Tree out today!

E-Poll Surveys

2009-06-15T18:18:00.006-04:00

E-Poll Surveys is a great survey site. They don't send out surveys as often, but it's easy to earn points because they reward generously. Another great thing about them is that you can also trade your points for donations to charities like the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Humane Society. Charity donations start at 2500 points, and rewards start at 3500. They recently made it possible to request a cash payment through PayPal! If you prefer, you can also get your reward in the form of Amazon gift cards or even a free pint of Haagen-Dazs!

Snapshot:

Surveys tend to be around 100-500 points depending on length
Redeem for rewards at as little as 3500, or 2500 points for charity!
Prizes include cash payouts, Amazon giftcards, and ice cream!
They typically send out a survey every 1-2 weeks

You need to respond fast to these surveys as their quotas get filled quickly! I have redeemed in the past for $5 on PayPal, and currently have about 800 points in my account from three different surveys.

Because they send out so few, I think E-Poll Surveys is a great addition to your list of survey sites or for people looking to get some free ice cream. It's easy to get points, and does not take up a lot of extra time.

Paid Surveys: Valued Opinions

2009-06-15T15:45:00.003-04:00

Valued Opinions is another great and legit paid survey panel. They reward with giftcards once you bank $20. Unlike other sites, they give a monetary value to all surveys so you know what you're getting. They send out 1-2 surveys a week, and the surveys are generally $1.50-$5 each. They come pretty steadily, and while the payout isn't quick its great for people that want to add a little extra to their list or who just want an easy way to make a little extra for themselves.

Snapshot:

Each survey is about $1.50-$5, the longer the survey the more you get
At $20 you can get your rewards in the form of a gift card
They offer giftcards from Amazon, Visa, Macy's, Blockbuster and more!
You may get a chance to complete special surveys and be rewarded up to $50!

I've been apart of Valued Opinions for about a month now, and I have earned $10.75. It takes up very little of my time compared to other survey sites, so I feel the compensation is great for the time given.

Paid Surveys: i-Say

2009-06-13T02:49:00.002-04:00

Ipsos i-Say is one of my favorite panels because they've sent me one of my favorite things (cookies). Outside of that bias, i-Say is definitely one of the best paid survey sites. They send me at least 2-3 surveys a week, and each of those surveys is worth "points" which can be redeemed for many giftcards and soon, cash on PayPal.

As I mentioned before, they also have partners who will occassionally send you items to try. This is usually pre-market and you and your family won't be able to tell anyone about it. After a few days of use (or consumption) they'll send you another survey for your feedback.

When your account reaches at least 50 points you'll be able to redeem them for giftcards to tons of great places, including Amazon.
Even if you don't qualify for a survey, they'll give you 1 point.
You get entered into drawings for CASH (right now it's $5000) just for joining!
If you play the "Poll Predictor" Game you get a chance at other great prizes!
Loyal members (those who take most or all surveys sent to them) get enterd in their annual drawing to win a car!

Overall, i-Say is a great panel to win prizes, get swag, and earn giftcards. Check it out!

Bzz Agent

2009-06-13T01:59:00.003-04:00

One of the most popular product testing/promotion sites is Bzz Agent. And for good reason, once you get set up some people get as many as one new campaign a week! This is a great site for people that love swag, have connections, and love to tell their friends what they think.

Visit the banner below to visit my profile! If you join, make sure to become my friend!

Swag Bucks

2009-06-11T23:23:00.003-04:00

SwagBucks is pretty new, and I've met a lot of people that are afraid its not "for real". When I first heard of it I was sceptical as well. You earn points for searching, and then you can redeem those points for prizes. At only 45 points you can get a $5 amazon giftcard! It's all true, since using SwagBucks, I have earned 2 $50 Sephora giftcards, and tons of $5 Amazon giftcards.

Swagbucks is easy to use, you can download a toolbar for IE or use an add-on for FF
The search is powered by Google and Ask.com so you get good results.
You can refer your friends and for every buck they earn from searching, you earn one too!