If you’re scouring the internet for ways to earn extra cash from the comfort of your home, you’re likely to stumble upon countless suggestions. A stand-out option that often appears due to its accessibility and simplicity is taking online surveys. Many reputable platforms reward you just for sharing your opinions or answering questions on a variety of topics. This beginner’s guide will break down the basics of survey sites and help you make the most of your survey-taking time to maximize your earnings.
While the financial rewards from survey-taking won’t be funding major purchases like a new vehicle, weaving this activity into your daily routine can effectively manage smaller expenses. Take, for example, your daily visit to Starbucks for a morning coffee or tea. On average, people within the U.S spend $11-$20 per week on Starbucks coffee, specifically. Most of us know, that can quickly add up to a lot. By dedicating a bit of time to completing surveys, you could offset your coffee expenses, essentially making your coffee consumption ‘free’ in a way. There’s something uniquely gratifying about enjoying a cup of coffee that doesn’t dent your wallet. By engaging in surveys, you not only earn a bit extra but also enhance your coffee experience with the taste of savings and accomplishment.
What’s the best way to succeed with surveys?
Think of survey-taking not as a job but as a consistent habit. While dedicating 24-hour marathon sessions to survey-taking might rack up funds, it’s more practical and manageable to sprinkle survey-taking throughout your day, especially if you’re balancing a job, family, or other responsibilities. Surveys can take just a couple of minutes or as long as 1 hour. Setting a daily goal—whether it’s time-based or earnings-based—helps structure this earning opportunity. Consider filling out surveys during downtime, like your commute on public transportation, or make it a relaxing end-of-day routine paired with your favorite herbal tea or snack.
To maximize efficiency, set an earnings goal, such as $2 a day, and keep a list of smaller expenses you plan to cover with your survey earnings. This not only gives value to your time but also provides a clear objective each day. If your daily target is $2, by the week’s end, you will have earned $14 – enough to pay for your lunch!
Choosing the Right Survey Sites
It’s crucial to use platforms you can trust. Swagbucks, for example, offers a variety of surveys and lets you redeem earnings for cash through PayPal or gift cards. Prime Opinion is another great survey site with lots of reviews from Trustpilot. Just like Swagbucks, you can also redeem earnings for gift cards or paypal. Scroll to the bottom to check out the full list.
You might earn anywhere from $0.25 to $5 per survey. Remember, some surveys may only take about 2 minutes, while others could take 30. Note that you may not qualify for every survey, as some require specific demographic, career, or lifestyle insights. If you’re disqualified, don’t get discouraged—just keep going!
Most sites provide an estimated completion time for each survey, and usually, the longer a survey is, the higher the reward. This means you could knock out several short surveys to meet your daily goal, or if you have more time, opt for a longer, higher-paying survey.
Lastly, when participating in survey sites, heed the following advice to protect your personal information: only engage with well-reviewed, trustworthy platforms, and never share sensitive information like your Social Security number. Utilize sites like TrustPilot to read reviews and real customer experiences. Reviews are always a mixed bag but the best sites have exceedingly more positive reviews than bad.
By following these guidelines and sticking to a consistent routine, you can make your daily cup of coffee—or any small daily treat—a guilt free reward. Happy surveying!
Survey Taking Sites to Try Today:
- Swagbucks
- Prime Opinion
- InboxDollars
- Survey Junkie
- Five Surveys