Are you looking for a stable, secure way to earn extra income? If so, you’ll love this exclusive guide to make money taking surveys.
I recently sat down with a friend and fellow expat, “Stan,” who shared his personal tips for taking paid surveys online. Stan is a retired school teacher, and he uses this system to earn extra beer money.
As he says:
Surveys aren’t a ‘goldmine’ per se. But they’re easy to do and provide a stable side-income. Fill ’em out, get paid. It’s as simple as that.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- How to make money taking surveys.
- Where to find the highest paying surveys.
- Which survey sites are actually worth your time.
- And plenty more!
Enjoy, and hopefully you learn something new.
Can You Really Make Money Taking Surveys?
(A Hotel On The Beach Costs $25 A Night)
The paid survey industry is huge. And you’ll see thousands of sites promising fast cash and huge payouts.
As such, it’s easy to be a little skeptic.
But, according to Stan:
Surveys are the same as any other legitimate platform for making money. Like the stock market or real estate, there’s some good information out there. And there’s some total BS. Use your brain. If it sounds too good to be true, it most definitely is.
Stan also mentions that taking paid surveys usually earns you between $7 and $10 an hour. Not much, but it’s a good little side-stream of extra income.
In a country like Vietnam, where a full restaurant meal costs $2.50, ten bucks has real buying power.
An hour a day means you’re making $300 per month. More than enough to pay for groceries or book a nice weekend vacation.
Where To Find High-Profit Surveys
“Be careful,” says Stan. “Not all surveys are created equal. Some might earn you $1.25 for a half hour’s worth of work, while others pay $6.45 for 10 minutes of your time.”
Every survey is priced differently.
Some pay peanuts, others are lucrative. Because of this, you need to look over each survey carefully. Check to see how much time it takes to complete the task, and then compare this to the total payout.
The best strategy for maximizing your earnings is this: find surveys paying at least $1 – $2 for less than 10 minutes worth of work.
(Here’s An Example Of Good Vs Bad Time Investments)
When you complete five or six two dollar surveys in an hour, you’re earning at least $10.
Of course, not all sites pay this well. Some offer horribly low rates (less than a dollar per hour), while forcing you to complete difficult and intrusive surveys. It’s bad pay and terrible work. Something no one wants to endure.
Fortunately, Stan has a few recommendations.
And in a minute, you’ll learn all about the best survey sites you can possibly join.
Reliable Survey Websites That Actually Pay
The two best survey sites are Swagbucks and Vindale Research. Both of these offer good incentives, simple tasks, and timely payouts.
If you’re looking to make money from surveys, these are excellent starting points.
Here’s why.
Swagbucks
This is one of the best known survey sites. And for good reason. Swagbucks offers a wide variety of different ways to earn cash and prizes.
In addition to filling out traditional polls, the site also lets you:
- Watch and rate commercials.
- Solve puzzles.
- Complete simple tasks.
All of these activities pay you in “Swagbucks” which are points redeemable for gift cards and vouchers. You can use them to buy anything from pre-paid Visa cards to Amazon.com gift codes.
This is a good, popular platform allowing you to earn decent money. If you’re new to taking surveys, Swagbucks is a great option.
Vindale Research
This site is a little more advanced than Swagbucks, but it pays better too.
With Vindale Research, you earn actual money. Not points. And many of the site’s surveys pay quite well.
It’s not uncommon to find polls netting you at least $2 – $3 for 10 minutes worth of work. And, sometimes, you’ll even see ones worth $5 – $10.
Vindale Research also pays through PayPal, making it easy to access your earnings.
This is a solid site for earning cold hard cash. You’re offered profitable surveys, can easily make $8 – $10 an hour, and get paid in real money.
These factors make Vindale Research a great option for anyone serious about filling out questionnaires as a side-income.
Closing Thoughts
If you’re looking for a simple way to earn a few extra bucks a month, surveys are a good option.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan and prefer freelance writing instead. However, I won’t deny that there is decent money in filling out online polls and questionnaires.
It’s an easy activity (you can do it while watching TV or listening to podcasts), with no learning curve.
The next time you’re craving additional spending money, give paid surveys a chance. They only take a few minutes, and you’ll make a buck or two off each one.
Not too shabby.
P.S. Looking for more online business ideas? Check out this fantastic list.