WMFW: Small Trickles Make A Stream (Make Money Online)

I’m often asked about the online money making offers I post:

“Do you really use these?”

“Can you really make money with these sites?”

“Are you sure this isn’t a scam? Seems way too good to be true!”

My answers are respectively:

1. Yes, although not as much nowadays.

2. Yes, although be wary of claims of huge payouts.

3. There are definitely scams out there, I won’t ever promote a scam though. Even the programs that aren’t scams tend to overestimate your potential earnings…so take their claims with a grain of salt.

Can you really make money online?

Yes you can. And  yes, you can make money online doing things like reading emails, completing surveys and reviewing products. Will you get rich? Absolutely not.

However, small trickles really do turn into a stream! Like I always say, every little bit helps. Maybe you only earn enough to take your family out to eat once a week…that still can be a big morale boost! Some people earn enough to cover their groceries for the month. Swagbucks pays for our diapers and wipes each and every month and has for the past 8 months!

It’s not as easy as it sounds though. It’s not as simple as just logging into your account and bam, people are going to give you money!

First off, the reason they are compensating you for your time is because they want something from you. In some cases it’s your opinion, in others it’s your email address, in some cases they desperately want to get their hands on your phone number.

Secondly, there’s no such thing as “free money”.

Here are some things to think about when you decide you to want to start trying to earn some money online:

1. Provide minimal personal information. If an offer pushes you past your comfort zone, opt out and wait for the next, less obtrusive offer.
2. Set up another email account. These people want your email address and they will use it. Consider it your “work” email.
3. Keep track of what you are earning and how you are being paid. It’s easy to cash those checks or spend that paypal without thinking much of it. Make sure your bottom line is making sense for the time you are spending.
4. Focus on what works and forget what doesn’t. I tried a few different Swagbucks type sites before I started focusing my efforts there. Swagbucks provided the most compensation with the least work, so I focused my efforts there and have not been disappointed.
5. Agree to give everything a shot, but allow yourself to back out if it’s not working out for you. This is similar to the above point, but it’s a reminder to keep an open mind. Just because something worked horribly for someone else, doesn’t mean that it won’t be great for you.

Why don’t you do it as much nowadays?

The main reason I don’t do many surveys nowadays is because I just don’t have time. However, if we started having money problems? I’d be right back to my survey’s and product reviews in an instant. When I was really involved in survey sites and paid emails I was averaging about a part time paycheck from a minimum wage job. Making money while I nursed and played with my babies. It wasn’t easy and a lot of it was crap, but we needed the money, so it was worth it!

What’s worth it?

I have personally either used all of the below companies OR I’ve heard great things about them from people I respect and trust (companies crossed out are not accepting applicants at this time):

1. Synovate Global Opinion Panel
2. My Survey
3. Opinion Outpost
4. Inbox Dollars
5. Nielson Home Scan
6. Valued Opinions
7. Toluna
8. My View  -Not currently accepting applicants
9. Ipsos I-say
10. Inbox Dollars
11. Vocalpoint-Does not provide monetary compensation. “Vocalpoint is a community for women that provides valuable and interesting insights about new products as well as coupons and samples you can share with those you care about. These surprising gifts are certain to brighten your day. Membership is free and privacy is guaranteed. While you are able to keep the samples or coupons you receive from us, membership is completely voluntary.”
12. Swagbucks
13. Recyclebank

Sign up for all or some of these and weed out those that don’t work for you. Utilize their referral programs and any other easy methods of earning. If you are hurting financially, you can make money by using these online companies. Keep it in perspective though and remember to use strategic shopping and budgeting to further your dollar even further.

You won’t get rich, but small trickles can create a big stream. Be wise with what you earn and you’ll definitely begin to see a profit.