Legit Ways to Make Extra $$, Part 1

So many of you see my posts on Facebook all the time with my couponing grocery trips. That's just one way that I "make money" (yes, I realize I'm actually saving it). What you don't really see on Facebook are the ways that I actually make money, granted it's not much and it's not going to pay the bills, but it does pay for some of the "extras" in life (and then I feel like I'm saving even more money!). I was going to do all of them in one post, but the more I thought I about it, it gets a little overwhelming when you're first starting. I just started with a couple, then slowly added to my list. So I have decided to do a series of posts on them.

What I would recommend before you start using these websites, is to set up an email account that you will just use for these survey & money making websites. Several of them will send out emails with links to new surveys or money-making opportunities, and, at least for me, it's easier to have them all in one place. Then when I have time I can go through them and they're not clogging my regular email or getting lost in my "junk mail" account. Typically, I log in and go through the emails & sites about three times a week during the school year, of course, in the summer I'm checking almost daily, but I have a lot more time then! Once you start registering for them, most of them have some sort of "profile" that will help the site find money-makers specific to you, so make sure that you have that filled out on all the sites, so you can get the... "biggest buck for you bang" (I don't know if it works quite as well backwards).

Here are some of the sites that I use, listed in order of my favorites, with how much money I've made off them. (Use the links on the titles to be brought to a registration page.) Join as many (or as few) as you'd like. I started with just a couple, and am slowly adding more sites that I find.

Opinion Outpost $39.40 since August 2010 (10 points = $1)
This site emails you surveys a couple times a week or so (depending on what's available and what you qualify for). You used to be able to request a check every time your account reached $5 (which is usually quite quickly!), but they have recently changed it to $20. However, for those that buy off Amazon.com (and moms out there using disposable diapers, I'll have to post about how great Amazon Mom is with their diaper deals!), you can request a $5 Amazon e-gift card. This is by far my favorite site for making money.

Ipsos (I-Say) $37.69 since August 2010 (100 points = $1)
This site also send you emails with links to surveys, but their lowest cash-out is a $10 American Express gift card, and it takes me a little longer to get there. I've actually only cashed-out twice (once for $5, when it was lower, and recently for $10). But one of the surveys that they sent me (which, of course I got points for), was also a product test for some face cream, which I eventually found in stores retailing for $22.69, plus I got to keep the face cream (and I love it! I would buy some, but it's too expensive for my taste, even with coupons! Though I do buy another product by the same makers with coupons, and have been quite happy with it as well!) One thing that I like about this site, is that at the end of just about all the surveys (even the ones you start, but don't qualify for), you get to play their "Poll Predictor Game" (I've found Adam's better at it than I am!), that gives you chances to enter into monthly drawings that they have. I haven't won any of their drawings, but the game is still a lot of fun to play!

My Points $50 since July 2010 (point value varies depending on card selection)
Alright, so with this one, I don't yet have the $50, because I'm not sure what I want to get. I was trying to get a Motherhood Maternity gift card, but I want to go to the store to make sure they have clothes my size before I order the card. So I may yet change my mind, but the great part is, they have so many options to choose from. I will say that I have noticed that it is a better value for your points to get the higher value cards than the lower ones. (I could have cashed out at $25 for Motherhood Maternity.) Okay, so how do you get points with this one? So many different ways! Are you an on-line shopper? Cause now you can get rewarded for it. Use the store links from your MyPoints page (which brings you to the same site if you typed in the URL or Googled it), and shop away! Some stores you can purchase gift cards (like Home Depot), and make in-store purchases, other you have to buy an item on-line. Not much of an on-line shopper (I'm not)? They have surveys that they email to you (just like the above two), and "Bonus Mail" (kind of like junk mail, but you get rewarded for clicking the link -5 points-, and you don't have to worry about viruses). The nice part about the surveys, is that even if you don't qualify, they'll still give you 10 points.

YouData $2.76 since August 2010
I know, you're thinking, "Really, she's even wasting her time posting that?" But, in YouData's defense I went on a 6-month hiatus. The hard part about this one is they don't send you reminder emails, so I forgot to check. So if you remember to check, it's a pretty sweet deal, and takes merely seconds each week. You view ads and get paid 5 cents, then if you "jump" to the ad's website, you get another 5 cents (it makes a cute little chime noise every time you make 5 cents too!) Then every Friday, they automatically deposit the money into your PayPal account (which you can then transfer to your bank account, or use to buy stuff online... usually my husband gets to it before I can).

If you want to start small, those are the ones I would go with.

Can't get enough? Check out my other posts...
Part 1: Opinion Outpost, Ipsos, My Points, & YouData
Part 2: Pampers, Inbox Dollars, & Send Earnings
Part 3: Swagbucks, Toluna, & Consumer Surveys