Surveys. Get paid to take surveys online? Right. Uh-huh.
This post contains affiliate links. Please see our full disclosure policy HERE.
I know what you are thinking.Seriously, Amanda? Are surveys even legit?
Well, I’m here to tell you that yes they are. And yes you can make money from them.
But let’s get realistic first. Of course there are scams out there when it comes to surveys. That’s why you want to do your research and make sure you are signing up for legitimate survey companies.
If a survey company asks you for money to sign up, run – far far away, and FAST. That is a scam. You shouldn’t have to pay money to make money. (Unless you are building up your own business, but in the case of surveys, you shouldn’t be paying anyone money.)
But let’s get to the answer you really want to know. Can you make money taking surveys?
Yes, as I stated above, you can. But this isn’t some kind of elaborate plan to get you rich, and quick. As far as I am aware, taking surveys has not made anyone rich so far.
However, if you are looking for some side money, they can be a great way to make a bit of extra cash.
For me, taking surveys were great when I had really small babies. I was very limited in my time, but I could sit down and do some surveys at nap time, or while I was nursing (I was pretty good at multitasking when i needed to with babies!)
Basically, let’s be honest – with small kids I didn’t have a lot of freedom. I wasn’t going too far from home that often because we all know when a toddler misses nap time everyone pays.
So, surveys worked well when I was “grounded” at home a lot of the time but really wanted to bring in SOMETHING.
And while it didn’t make me rich, it was still really nice to get that extra 100 dollar paycheck in the mail for work I did during nap time.
HOW TO MAKE MONEY WITH SURVEYS
Your best chance of making some money with surveys is by signing up for multiple survey companies. They don’t necessarily have surveys for you at all times, so by signing up for more than one company you will be able to make some money through a few of them, adding up your dollars!
Some survey companies give you the opportunity to make money through more than just surveys. Some activities will make you more money or “points” than others so you’ll want to be sure you’re doing the activities that make you the most. Some sites work on a points system rather than a money system that you can cash in for money or gift cards when you’ve accumulated enough.
You need to make sure you are honest with your answers, and that you take your time with them. Do not just start clicking any answer to get through the survey quickly. I’ve seen many surveys have little “tricks” to make sure you are actually reading the questions and following the instructions.
Today I want to share with you 5 of the best legitimate survey companies so that if you decide you want to do surveys you don’t have to worry about whether the company is decent or not.
GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS ONLINE
Swagbucks – In my opinion, Swagbucks is the #1 site you want to sign up for. Swagbucks is more than just a survey site. You earn “swagbucks” for each survey you do, but you can also earn swagbucks for searching the internet, doing a daily poll, redeeming swagcodes, and doing other various tasks. You can then redeem those swagbucks for cash into your paypal. or gift cards to places like Amazon or Starbucks (there’s a whole list of places you can get gift cards for.)
Pinecone Research – Pinecone has a reputation for being one of the best survey companies to sign up for online, and I have used Pinecone in the past.
VIP Voice Panel – VIP Voice Panel is another one I’ve personally used.
Survey Junkie – Survey Junkie is another favorite in the survey world. You only need to make $10 before you can cash out. You can redeem the points you make at Survey Junkie for either cash or e-gift cards.
Opinion Outpost -You can redeem your cash from Opinion Outpost at just $10. They are also another site where you can redeem your points for e-gift cards instead. There seems to be no shortage of surveys at this site, and you can earn money quite quickly if you are consistent with it.
SURVEYS CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE EXTRA CASH
One of the downfalls I’ve run into with surveys is that you can be half-way through a survey only to be told you don’t actually qualify for it. So that can be frustrating. However, aside from that, I have definitely benefited from them.
The extra cash you make doing surveys are great ways to save for something like Christmas, or a trip, or just some fun money! I like to do surveys throughout the year to save for Christmas, but I’ve also used gift cards on trips we have taken.
Like I said above, while it won’t make you rich, it can help ease your financial burden a little bit and is a great option if you need something you can do at home.
When I was doing surveys I was also doing mystery shopping. Both these two options were great when I had young kids and was staying at home with my kids but I still wanted to somehow contribute something to the household finances. I think a common feeling among stay-at-home moms is that we want to be at home with our kids, but we also tend to feel a little guilty by not bringing in any money. This was a way I could do a little bit of that.
However, you don’t have to be a stay-at-home parent to add something like surveys or mystery shopping to your life. I know many who have done these kinds of jobs on the side when they were going to school, or on top of their full-time job.
Combining these types of side hustles with frugal living can really help your bank account. While all these things on their own don’t seem like very much, over time they add up. I like to say that saving money is a mindset. Once we are determined to do what we need to do in the way of making money and saving money, we start seeing improvement in our finances.
Have you tried surveys before? I’d love to hear below if you have.
