Making extra money (Gift cards and cash) with points/rewards sites

I actually get asked this a lot --- how do I earn so many gift cards?  This is usually from friends and family who are surprised to learn that I earn a lot of gift cards online.  I typically use them to offset things like my Amazon habit, but I can often use them for paying for things I truly need at a store.

If you've been a reader for a long while, you know that I covet Amazon gift codes and often save them up for something I really want, but don't necessarily want to pay for outright.  Even if I balk at paying full price, saving up Amazon gift codes can add up to a hefty discount at the very least.  Right now, I have a specific product I am saving up for and am nearly at the half way point with $80 in my Amazon bank. 

So how do I do it?  Here's my list of ways I earn gift cards online.... (and referral links if you'd like to join too!)  Also, please feel free to message me or ask questions in the comments.  I'll do my best to answer them for you.

Swag Bucks  -  Swag Bucks is one of my favorite rewards sites out there.  I earn Swag Bucks for searches online, watching videos, doing the daily polls, scrolling through the No Obligation offers, keeping tabs on their social media looking for special Swag Codes, surveys, playing games... there are many ways to earn.  I don't do many of their partner offers, if any.  I earned $10 in Amazon last month from Swag Bucks.  450 Swag Bucks = $5 Amazon, $5 PayPal = 700 Swag Bucks

If you haven't yet joined, join today!

Zoombucks -  Like Swag Bucks, you earn Zoombucks for doing things like searches and watching videos, visiting the offers page (scroll to the bottom of Gambit wall), visiting the Zdaily page, surveys, scoring higher than others in games, and more.  They also periodically have Zoombucks codes, which you can add to your account similarly to Swag Codes.  These build slower than Swag Bucks, but it's still a good way to earn Amazon.  1,000 Zoombucks = $10 Amazon, $5 PayPal = 650 Zoombucks

Not already a member?  Join Zoombucks and start earning.

iRazoo - iRazoo is another points site that offers points for searches, watching videos, Treasure Codes (usually posted on their Facebook wall), visiting their offers wall, surveys, and more.  Unlike Zoombucks and Swag Bucks, you are awarded multiple points for actions.  (For instance, watching a video on Swag Bucks might get you 1 SB, but on iRazoo, you might get 7 points, 12 points, etc.) This allows you to build faster, which is good since it takes a fair amount of points to cash out.  I consider this site my 'slow and steady wins the race' site.   $5 Amazon = 3,000 points (other gift cards available, just not PayPal)

Join iRazoo and earn points toward gift cards.

SocialMoms -  As a blogger, I belong to SocialMoms.  I earn the most points by blogging for programs.  I recently took an opportunity for Esurance worth 8,000 points.  When these credit, I should be able to trade those points in for Amazon gift codes.   I also earn points for posting comments on articles on the SocialMoms site, and tweeting out links to content there.  Though I haven't taken advantage of it, you can earn points for submitting content to be published on the SocialMoms site.   They used to be known as 'TwitterMoms' so you'll need to have a Twitter account to join.  4,000 points for a $20 Amazon code (though may vary)

Join SocialMoms and earn points like me.

SuperPoints - SuperPoints is the relative new kid on the block.  However, many of us are earning Amazon with little effort.  I earn points from emails several times a week, playing the Super Lucky Button, surveys, watching videos, and doing offers.  I have cashed out once for $10 and am close to cashing out again.  The more friends in your network, the faster you can cash out.  For instance, I'm only at the gold level now.  That means I can't cash out until I have 1,000 points.  Those with more friends can cash out at 500 points.  SuperPoints is also invite only - so you if you're looking for an invite, look below for a referral link.   The higher the level you are, the more benefits (such as more Super Lucky button spins).   Basic level = cash out for $25 Amazon or $25 PayPal at 2,500 points; Gold level = cash out for $10 Amazon or $10 PayPal at 1,000 points; Platinum = cash out for $5 Amazon or $5 PayPal at 500 points.

Join SuperPoints by using this referral link.

My Coke Rewards -  This program is one that I use to get free coupons and gift cards.  Though they offer gift cards somewhat infrequently, it's important to check in to their site every now and then to see if any are available.  I usually get a heads up about gift cards from a coupon board I visit.  The points values differ, but I've redeemed for Walgreens gift cards, a Home Depot, Subway, and more when they're available and I have enough points.  This is another one of those 'slow and steady' programs because I tend to hoard points until I can redeem for gift cards or lower priced coupons for freebies.  Lately, they've been offering a special deal on TGIFridays $5 promo card (aka coupon) for 175 points.  Their Wednesdays deals are worth popping in for to see if it's something good or not.  Also, though you may not be interested in this program, your school likely is.  So don't toss your caps if you don't do this program.  Instead, send them to a school that's participating.

Join My Coke Rewards here.

MyPoints -MyPoints is a rewards site that's been around for more than a decade.  I have been a member for several years and have earned gift cards by cashing in points earned from surveys, click through emails, my activities on BzzAgent, shopping through the site, and viewing videos on site.  For me, I don't shop heavily through MyPoints, which is how you build points the fastest, so this site is a slow earner for me.  However, just clicking through emails with 5 points attached does add up over time.  Amazon availability is sometimes spotty and September/October are when a lot of members who have been banking their points all year cash out for Christmas shopping, leaving the rewards a bit sparse.  Currently:  $25 Amazon = 3,950 points, 4,550 points = $25 PayPal

You can only refer people you know personally, so I can't post a referral link.  However, if you want to join, visit www.mypoints.com. 


Bing Rewards - This is a search site that rewards you for performing internet searches. Plus, you can earn points for activities (such as, say 3 points for clicking through a link).  With Bing Rewards, I click the ribbon icon and drop down the menu to see what's available for me to do.  Additionally, check out the Discover tab often as there are lots of activities there for new members who just joined.  Currently, you earn 1 point for every 2 searches per day (up to 10 points per day) through March 1.  $2.50 Amazon = 275 points; $5 Amazon = 525 points


Join Bing Rewards

Things I may not have mentioned....

Virtually all of these programs work best if you refer friends.  The points sites above, especially the search and win sites, do offer a material benefit to someone referring a new user.  Most match at least for some of your referrals' activities, so spreading the word helps boost your account when your referrals participate on those sites.

Additionally, these sites are things that I do while watching TV or just spending time on my own.  I don't sit here all day doing nothing but points site activities.

Think of them as long-term projects because you aren't likely to 'get rich quick' with them (unless you get a boat load of referrals...).  I know that it will take me a month or more to cash out for some sites. Swag Bucks earns me the fastest, so if I'm short on time, I go with the sites that are going to pay off faster.

It also pays to keep tabs on the points sites' Facebook and Twitter accounts.  ZoomBucks, iRazoo, and Swag Bucks all release codes via social media.  You don't want to miss out on these codes since they're basically free points. 


Please leave any questions below in the comments or feel free to contact me directly.  Thanks for reading and I hope you'll consider joining these sites as an easy (and painless) way to earn gift cards and cash in your spare time.

Need a SuperPoints invite? Get one here!

SuperPoints has really gained popularity and the easiest way to join is with a SuperPoints invite.  As of 2/9, they moved to a static referral link, which eliminates the timed token invites that used to be sent out.  I think this is a wise move that will help grow their base. 

SuperPoints works somewhat like Swagbucks in that you earn points for doing offers, tasks, the Super Lucky button, inviting friends, and more.  These points convert to gift cards and the more friends you have, the faster you earn rewards.  So once you join, ask your friends to join too.  SuperPoints would be a great rewards program for college students to help them earn money away from home.

Superpoints referral link

Bing Rewards: Just redeemed for my first $5 Amazon GC

I signed up for Bing Rewards on 12/31/2010, mainly because I was afraid the 250 credits for signing up would disappear come New Year's.  I'm glad to say that it is still available and that if you love Amazon as much as I do, you may want to sign up and start earning your way toward Amazon gift codes too!

A $5 Amazon GC is 541 points.  The 250 you get when you first sign up puts you just about half way there.  The rest of the points I've gotten from checking the offers tab and finding things to click on that credit me with points here or there.  I have been typically finding offers of 12 points per action.  I don't always see a new offer every day though.  However, today there were two offers and that put me over the threshold for being able to claim the $5 Amazon as a reward. 

In addition, from now until 1/29, you get 1 point per search.  This adds up quickly too and though I may not search there every day, I'm still managing to accrue points easily.

You do need IE to install the Bing Bar.  I use a different browser for most of my searches and do have Bing installed on my IE and do my best to pop on to the internet through IE too.  The confirmation email stated that subject to verification, I should get my reward within a week or two.

If you haven't signed up, you can go here to do so.  This is not a referral link. 

Sponsored Tweets: Earn Money for Tweets #ad

 

Earlier this week, I cashed out for some money at Sponsored Tweets.  I ate the $2 early withdrawal fee, but it didn't sting too badly.  I needed cash fast and the payment I requested hit my PayPal as quick as lightning.  As in almost immediately.  This is one of the things I love most about Izea - they pay super fast when you cash out.  There's no wait.

Sponsored Tweets does suggest an amount for tweets.  You are, of course, free to raise or lower it as you wish.  I had a time where I got only a few offers and once I lowered my price per tweet drastically, the offers poured in.  After my follower number climbed some, I raised it a little bit and have not seen offers drop off, so I must be charging a fair rate.

If you are interested in signing up for Sponsored Tweets, please let me refer you.  You won't get rich, but you will make some money.



Pinching Abe does, from time to time, include referral links and/or affiliate links within the body of the text. Please be aware that clicking on any of these and/or shopping through those links may benefit her by way of earning money toward a commission for referring you to specific deals or sites.

Earning Amazon.com Gift Cards at Crowdtap...

I've been a member of Crowdtap for approximately two months.  Since then, I've earned enough to cash out and have already received my Amazon.com gift code as promised. 

How Crowdtap works:  You sign up and then you answer quick hits and questions to earn points and money.  Once your account reflects a $10 balance, then you can cash out for Amazon.  5% of your total will go to the charity that you selected upon sign up.   The more thoughtful your answer, the better chance that you have that you will receive a star (worth  points) or even be chosen to win the $25 for the discussion you were invited to.  I've never won that, but I keep hoping!  Being awarded stars not only gives you points, but you also get points toward your quality score.  If your quality score drops to zero, then your account will be suspended.  Avoiding a zero is easy if you provide thoughtful answers when asked.

The more points you accrue, the higher level you become, which enables you to be invited to more discussions and perhaps even be invited to a product trial.  I noticed that the higher my level went, the faster I was able to reach the payment threshold. 

Does it take a lot of time?  I don't think so.  I made sure I checked the box for email notifications, so when there are quick hits and other discussions available for me to do, I get alerted.  You also get 10 points for signing in each day and 25 points for daily comments.  These points options are easy to take advantage of to build your level fairly quickly.

Want to join?  Crowdtap is currently invite-only BETA, so you will need to be invited to get in!  I'd love to refer you.  What I like most about Crowdtap is being able to give my opinion. Some surveys want you to just check a box and the discussions at Crowdtap really let you tell a company everything that that radio button choice didn't give you the option to say.  I also love the Amazon aspect of Crowdtap -- earning toward Amazon is fairly easy.  Plus, the charity aspect is cool too.


You can join Crowdtap by using my referral link. 

Disclosure:  Crowdtap does have a referral program.  Joining via my link would benefit me.

SponsoredTweets now lets you cash out early (costs you $2)

If you have monetized your Twitter with SponsoredTweets and just can't seem to reach the minimum payout, here's some good news for you:  you no longer have to reach $50 to get paid.  I just saw a blog post there that mentioned the ability to cash out early, albeit at the cost of a $2 fee.  I cashed out and within a minute and a half, I had some bucks in my PayPal account.  Bear in mind, this is income and as such, they do ask for your SSN for tax purposes (you populate a popup screen).  Once you hit the submit button, your money will appear in your PayPal account almost immediately (something I really love about Izea).  So as long as you have $2 to spare, you can cash out early.

MyLikes vs. SponsoredTweets for monetizing your Twitter account

  

As a Twitter user, I have accounts with both MyLikes and SponsoredTweets.  I've been with both for a few months now, and here's how they stack up:

Paid to me via MyLikes since I joined in March, 2010: $9.63

Paid to me via PayPal since I joined in November, 2009: -0-, but with $20.19 pending.

SponsoredTweets has a $50 threshold before you even see a penny.  This can be hard to reach if you have to set your rate low, which is something you definitely have to do to get advertisers to look at you on SponsoredTweets.  When I first started, my rate was $1 a tweet.  Not very many nibbles then, butI also had way less followers.  A friend suggested I lower my rate to entice offers, which did come.  However, my rate is still well below $1 and thus it is taking a long time to build up my account.  Offers also don't come every day, though they do now have a list of CPCs that you can opt to tweet if desired.  

By contrast, MyLikes has just a $2 payout threshold.  If your account balance is greater than $2 on Friday, you receive a payment for whatever is in your account.  This week I had a total of $5 and change and received PayPal late Friday night.  I don't have to set a rate at MyLikes - it is CPC.  If the Like is worth .22 per click, that's what I get.  Of course, they do verify that these are legitimate clicks before crediting your account and thus there may be a slight delay (if you happen to be frantically checking the click stats on your HootSuite stats page.)

So based on payment, I give high marks to MyLikes.  Provided you meet the payout threshold, you get your $2+ if it is in your account every Friday.

Will I be spamming my followers?

No.  These messages are clearly marked as sponsored or ads.  This means that your followers can choose to click or not.  SponsoredTweet's opps, that is those that you receive offers for at your set rate, are fairly legitimate.  The CPC's will require a little bit of research on your part to ensure whether they are spam or not.  I've seen some that are misleading and those are the ones that I pass over.  You can, however, tweet multiple opportunities out (paid and CPCs) so it is best to spread them out so you aren't Twitter bombing your status with ads.

With MyLikes, I am choosy about the Likes I choose to tweet.  If I don't like the look of the company and think it is spammy, I don't tweet it.   You can also post your Likes to your Facebook wall, but this isn't something I do since my Facebook is private and not related to my blog here.  In addition, you can only tweet out one MyLikes opp per day.  If you see two opps you are interested in, choose wisely because you get only one tweet sent from their site per day.

Will you spam your friends?  Only if you make a concerted effort to do so.

Want to join either of these monetizing sites? 

Below are referral links.  Be aware that I would receive credit for referring you.  With regard to MyLikes, they do have a contest going right now and I would earn an entry to win an iPad (plus I would also receive $4 per qualified referral who takes and tweets at least one MyLikes opp.) Granted, I have no delusions of grandeur here - other sites have far more marketing power to entice their readers to join.  SponsoredTweets does offer me a referral bonus (10% of what a referral earns  - so if you tweeted out a tweet worth .55, I would earn a nickel while you would earn .55).  I currently have two referrals that have earned me a whole penny!  

SponsoredTweets referral link

 

MyLikes referral link

Is your college student having a hard time finding a job? Have them write content online.

Recently, I've seen a few posts at places that I frequent that talk about the difficulty college students are having finding a job over the summer.  To be sure, employers will be more likely to hire a person who needs to pay the mortgage and feed their kids over someone who can simply crash at home with their parents over the summer break.

One thing that college students without summer jobs should consider is writing content online.  Of course, you probably know that I write at Associated Content.  I am not getting rich, of course, but every little bit helps.  I also do not do this full-time, mainly because I have a lot on my plate with kids running around, dishes to run through the dishwasher, blogging here, church activities, etc.  If I could sit and focus on it as a full-time venture, I'd probably do all right.  At least at AC, you can ask for (and sometimes receive) an upfront payment, plus there's always the page view bonus structure which sweetens the pot. 

It shouldn't take more than a day or two of solid reading of the forums there (Writer's Workshop has excellent articles regarding writing online vs. writing print) and you should be off and running.  Posting for help (after you have done your reading) should yield advice that is invaluable to you to improve your writing and writing in such a way that your hard work will be found by public infoseekers.

Aside from AC, there are other places that college students can write.  This includes Bukisa (no upfront; page views only), Demand Studios, Break Studios, Textbroker, etc.  For help in finding paid gigs, I recommend checking out the forums at Accentuate Services.  There are legitimate writing opportunities out there aside from content writing sites.

One other thing that I would mention is that taking the time over the summer to get your feet wet writing content can help pad a college student's bank account later.  By developing a skill over the summer, a college student can write as often as they can during the school year to help pay for college expenses (and perhaps a pizza or two).  When you can't find a job, sometimes the best solution is to create a job for yourself.

Associated Content bought by Yahoo! in a deal announced yesterday (AC contributor weighs in)

Well, to say that my jaw hit the floor when I read about big AC/Yahoo! deal is an understatement.  As a contributor, I guess I didn't pay much attention to the business side.  Just give me my upfront (or not) and send the page view bonus payments on time... that was pretty much my attitude.

I've been a Contributor with AC for just over 3 years.  In that time period, I've gotten some nice upfront payments ($10 and above) and some as little as a buck.  I've even submitted content for no upfront if I felt that it would bring in the views, and thus pad my page view bonus monthly.

However, I'm very uneasy and judging from the comments in the numerous threads in the forum, I am not alone.  Particularly of concern is a news report that states that AC will close the site in 3Q 2010.  As you may know, that's really not that far off since we are half way through 2Q 2010.  The staff posting in the forum about the buyout was at first uplifting.  But that was before news reports - ominous ones - about closing the site began to get noticed by us Contributors.

What will become of AC?  I'm sure we'll be the last to know.  Unfortunately, AC has never really been great at communication (perhaps Yahoo could remedy that?) and we learned about the buy out along with the rest of the world.  No mention of exactly how we will be affected has been announced; there have been no real assurances.  I mean, the FAQ notice we were linked to in the forum is all peaches and cream.  Yet news reports are saying the site will close.  Who do we believe?

Of particular concern is our content.  Many contributors are now making extra efforts to keep digital copies of their content, particularly the non-exclusive content, so that they can perhaps put it up on another site in the future.  For the time being, I'm trying not to panic (too much).  The page view bonus system is of great concern since we earn residual income on past work.  If the site closes, it could mean our residual income stream dries up too.  

Win an iPad: Associated Content's April Showers Bring May Flowers Sweeps

Want to win an iPad? Who doesn't! I sure wouldn't mind winning an iPad and Associated Content has launched a new sweeps/referral program that allows Contributors such as myself a chance to win.

What is Associated Content?

It is an open publishing platform - anyone can publish. You don't have to be a "journalist" to publish content there. Write about what you know. Be sure to stop in the forums to get a feel for what Associated Content is all about, including pointers to help you produce the best, most searchable content. You can earn upfronts for content if they offer it and everything you publish on AC earns you page view bonus based on how many people read your content.

Are you an expert on something? Apply to their Featured Contributor program for higher paid assignments.

Why join Associated Content (other than to try to win an iPad, that is)?

Publishing content is a great way to help make ends meet. My own experience is that after 3 years of publishing on AC that I generally make about $50 a month based solely on page views - for older content. If I publish more, I earn more. So when life throws monkey wrenches into my plans to write, I am still earning income.

With money becoming tight for many, moms and dads can write about things they know and generate extra cash for life's extras (or, for some, life's necessities.)

Ok, you've convinced me! How do I sign up (and more importantly, how can I win that iPad?)

You earn 1 entry into the sweeps for every one that you refer that signs up for Associated Content. If you would like to use me as a referral to join, please use this referral link. For the entry to count, according to the rules posted on the Associated Content blog:

[The referral must] "(a) sign up through your personalized referral link on April 13 through May 31 and successfully confirm their Pay Pal account, and (b) publish at least one piece of content* by May 31st."

Each new contributor that joins between April 13 and the end of the contest will get one entry into the sweeps. You don't need to be referred in order to have that one entry.

Next, you write content and send your own referral link to your friends, family, post on blog, Facebook, MySpace - you get the idea. The more people who sign up for Associated Content under you means more entries into the sweeps to win the iPad.

It pays (literally) to help anyone you refer to succeed at AC. For everyone you refer by your referral link who publishes on the site and reaches Clout 5 by August 31 you will receive a $10 referral bonus.

Need help?

Ask and ye shall receive! If you need help publishing at AC, let me know. I've been publishing there for 3 years and have many tips and tricks. I'm currently Clout 10 - as high as you can go clout-wise - and am inching my way to 1 Million views.

For the rules for this contest, click here.

My referral link

Ways to monetize your Twitter Account.

There are ways to monetize almost everything in the cyber world... including your Twitter account. Here are two ways to monetize your Twitter:

1. My Likes


My likes pays you based on clicks you receive. As a new sign up, my earnings per click is fairly low, but I am hoping it adds up over time. There's also a low cash out threshold, which is very nice. Check out My Likes by clicking the image above.

2. Sponsored Tweets

Sponsored Tweets works the same, only you choose categories you want your tweets to come out from. For me, it is the family category, but if you tweet about technology, then tech may be a good fit for you. The minimum tweet opportunity is $1 and I can't say I get a ton of opportunities, but when they do come, they usually are a good match for me. The payout threshold is higher - $50 - so it will take time to build up enough to cash out. Those with a lot of followers tend to do better. You must have at least 100 followers to be eligible and your twitter account has to be a few months old at least to join.

Link to Join Sponsored Tweets

There are other Twitter monetizers, but these are just the ones that I have used. There is also Be a Magpie, but I didn't join based on this head-to-head review of Sponsored Tweets vs. Be a Magpie, written by Nina Rotz.

Do you use another company to monetize your tweets? If you do, please share.



The above post includes referral links. If you have any questions, please let me know. I appreciate any and all referrals. If you sign up, please send me a message @PinchingAbe on Twitter!

On Twitter? Sign up for Sponsored Tweets, earn cash for tweeting ads

Are you on Twitter? Do you want to monetize your tweets? If you do, you should check out Sponsored Tweets. I'm signed up and (whoo-hoo) I have a grand total of 2 bucks and change that I've earned. The cash out is $50 and they pay via PayPal. I'm not quite there yet, obviously, but using Sponsored Tweets to earn a little extra cash if you are an active tweeter could be one of the many irons you have in the fire that helps you generate some money.

My friend Nina over at Writerista has had better luck with Sponsored Tweets, but then again, she also has 10 times as many followers. She advised me to set a realistic price since I'm new, which I won't list here, but I will tell you it is less than $1 per tweet. Her sage advice to me was to set a price and if I don't get many (or any) nibbles to lower it until I begin to get offers.

Disclosure: The above link to Sponsored Tweets is a referral link. Pinching Abe would receive an entry into the "Mega Mac Challenge." Check it out when you register! Get your friends to join too.

American Consumer (ACOP) is looking for panelists

ACOP sent me this email recently. They are a totally legit survey company. I've never had a problem getting paid. I have received many product trials over the past few years as well. They are currently looking for women in the 18-49 demographic.

"As you might know, I am a member of an online opinion panel called American Consumer Opinion®. It is an online community where I get emailed invitations to participate in surveys. Sometimes they even mail out product samples to try out at home. For completing a screener my name gets entered into a sweepstakes for cash prizes, and for completing full surveys I receive real dollars, not just points!

I thought you might be interested in joining American Consumer Opinion® since they are looking for Women between the ages 18 and 49 who are interested in testing Personal Care Products It just takes a few minutes to register to become a member so you can start having your opinion heard too!

Your information will never be used for sales or advertising purposes, and your name will never be sold."

When you are ready to register:

http://www.acop.com/Default.aspx?L=1

Is YouData legitimate? You betcha! Earn PayPal for viewing ads

A while back, I posted about YouData and how you can earn PayPal from viewing ads either via their site or via a widget you can download to your desktop. Since I signed up in late April, I have received seven payments in total. Here is my honest take on YouData:

1) You aren't going to get rich. Ads generated for your perusal will be target to your demographic, so be sure to complete the MeFile profile. Don't expect to get mega bucks from watching ads, but every little bit helps!

2) They pay every Friday. Every Friday for the past several weeks, I have gotten paid. There is a small fee - pennies really - taken out for processing, but the bulk of what is earned is given to you. I have logged on Friday morning and even afternoon before the payout and gotten paid later on that day for ads viewed that day.

3) It only takes a few minutes. Really, no joke! I choose to go to the YouData site and view my ads and it takes just a few minutes to scan through the ads and visit the sites. Getting paid to look at the ads from YouData is not time intensive at all. Signing up is easy to do.

4) You will need to verify your identity. In order to sign up, you need to provide a cell phone number where you can receive a text message. YouData verifies your identity by sending you half of the registration code via email and the other half by text message. Neither my phone nor my email address has been spammed since sign up. They take privacy concerns very seriously and your phone number and email address will not be sold.

5) Payments. As I mentioned, I have received a total of 7 payments direct to my PayPal account. There is no minimum - you get paid every week for the ads you view. To date, I have received a total of $7.94. My first payment was my largest.

6) Sometimes there's just no ads that match. Be sure to keep your MeFile profile current. There have been weeks where I have had several ads to view and others where there weren't so many.

Any questions? I'd be happy to help if you have any. Also, if you haven't signed up and would like to use me as a referral, my blatant referral link appears below. For me, it takes literally just a few minutes a week. I view plenty of ads for free each week - it is nice to finally get paid to look at ads with YouData.

BLATANT REFERRAL LINK

YouData: get paid PayPal for watching targeted ads

Someone referred me to YouData, telling me that I would receive PayPal just for looking at advertising. I had my doubts, but I signed up for YouData anyway. Sure enough, once I filled out the Me Profile (key to do to receive ads - I missed it the first go through), and logged into the Adget, I was shown some ads. Once signed up, you log in to the site and Adget and see if there are any ads targeted to you. To make it easier, you can download the adbox to your desktop so you don't forget to check for ads, but I chose not to do that because my desktop is already cluttered enough.

The first time I logged in to view ads, I had quite a few and racked up nearly $4 in pending payment right away. I checked a few other times throughout the week and there weren't any available for me. Today, there was, so I clicked away. They pay PayPal on Fridays, so I waited to see if I would receive payment and I did!

Granted, it was minus a 9 cent PayPal fee, basically the cost of clicking on an ad, but it still came nonetheless. For your info, you don't need a business account to receive payment; mine was sent to an alias account that I have attached to my main account. The small fee, pennies really, was hardly missed in the grand scheme of things. I got a few dollars for little work. When you check your email, load a page, visit a website... you are bombarded by ads anyway. Why not be the boss of which ads you see? Why not be the one getting paid when you click?

I'm $4.25 richer this week because of YouData. I have read that ads wax and wane... sometimes there aren't any or very few. However, I am happy with my YouData experience thus far. It is just one more egg in my basket.

Are you interested in earning PayPal by choosing which ads you want to see? Please consider letting me refer you. Blatant referral link ;)

Last day for my exclusive swag code - sign up for Swag Bucks today!

Today is the last day for my exclusive Swag Code ICLIPCOUPONS. Remember, you must sign up under my referral to be able to enter the code above for two extra Swag Bucks (a total of 5 for signing up via my link.)

Please check out previous posts about Swag Bucks if you haven't already.

*** 4/19 update: Swag Code is expired! Thanks to all who signed up - I now have 6 more Swag Bucks' friends. Even if you missed the code, don't miss out on signing up for Swag Bucks. Signing up via my referral will net you 3 Swag Bucks to start off. Start earning those digital dollars today and you'll soon be on your way to great prizes! ***

Associated Content - fill in the gaps to help make ends meet

I know that I've hit on Associated Content before as a way to generate some extra income, but I thought I would bring it up again for my new subscribers and as a refresher for older subscribers who may have forgotten the post, but have not forgotten the pinch of the economy as they struggle to make ends meet.

I first started writing on Associated Content about a year and a half ago. What drew me to the site (other than a wise friend who begged me to join) was that I could write and earn money. I do not profess to be the smartest person in the world. I don't have a completed college degree. I am just a mom. A mom with an opinion on many things. What I like about Associated Content is that I can write a piece and they will publish it, provided it isn't garbage. They do have standards, but for the most part, if you can coherently string sentences together, you will do just fine.

How it works is you write a piece and submit it for upfront payment. The piece has to be exclusive to Associated Content and unpublished anywhere else... online or in print. Usually a week or so later, you will receive either an offer or a decline. You can accept it, or decline it. Associated Content pays via PayPal and pays several times per week. What is so nice about that set up is that so long as you keep a steady stream of content submitted, you should receive a steady stream of income. Many Content Producers (CPs) work full or part-time elsewhere. Associated Content is not their "job" per se, but it helps generate that extra bit of income. I remember reading of one CP who said she wrote so that she could afford those extras for her kids --- dance lessons, sports fees, etc.

I write to generate some extra income. It is not tax-free, folks. If you earn $600 in a year, you are going to get a 1099-MISC form in the mail (they will ask for your SSN once you hit around $500 in income) and 1099 not withstanding, it is income and should be claimed on your tax return. Last year, I earned about $500 and this year I am over $500 already. I earned that money through upfront payments and also Associated Content's page view bonus program. I am currently Clout 9, which means that I earn $1.75 per thousand views. It may not seem like much, but I have in the past few months gotten between 35-50K views per month, so that adds up quickly.

If you would like to give Associated Content a try, please consider using my DIRECT REFERRAL LINK to sign up. If you do sign up, I will gladly try to answer any questions that you may have or at least (hopefully) be able to point you in the right direction. Many questions can be answered by reading through the site's TOS, which link can be found on the bottom of Associated Content's home page. If you have any questions, please feel free to post here in the comment section.

Survey Panels.... times are tough! Buzzback surveys

I don't know about you, but those survey checks are a nice little surprise. Just the other day, I got one from Buzzback for $3. I don't think that I have listed Buzzback before in my reviews of legitimate survey companies, and if I have, please forgive me. If I haven't, well...

Buzzback is a reliable survey company. I receive a few survey invitations a month from them, and at least for me, none have paid less than $3. I like their surveys in general; they aren't repetitive and if you are going to disqualify, you will know it very soon before you have invested much time.

With Buzzback, you don't accrue survey earnings until you reach a payout. You earned that $3 and it comes within about 4 weeks or so. Buzzback is reliable in this respect.

A dear friend of mine has stepped up her survey taking to help earn a little extra cash. She's a busy woman with no time to waste on surveys that aren't going to pay out. I would not hesitate to recommend Buzzback to her in the least, as it is reliable, not time consuming and the compensation is quite fair compared to other survey panels. To join Buzzback, please click HERE.

Got a teen? Sign them up for Say Nation Teen Panel

Say Nation! recently launched its teen panel. The Say Nation! Teen Panel is open to teens aged 13-17 and offers rewards like iTunes, Claire's gift cards, Wal-Mart gift cards and cold, hard cash via PayPal just to name a few. The new Say Nation! teen panel is accepting panelists at this time and they are even offering a referral bonus to teens for referring their friends. Get a friend to sign up and complete a survey and your teen earns 250 points. Tossing their referral link on their MySpace page can net a ton of points, all redeemable for aforementioned rewards.

Want to have your teen sign up? Please visit the Say Nation! Teen Panel site here. Mom and dad, you can join Say Nation! adult panel. I have been a member of Say Nation! for a few months and have had good success with their surveys and am ready to redeem for some Amazon rewards!

The Say Nation! sign up page can be found here, and I do appreciate those who use my referral link when they join. My referral number is 7911551472 and if you use it when you sign up, we will both get 500 points. The place to enter the referral number is toward the bottom of the sign up page. It's a win-win situation for us both, so please consider using me as a referral if you want to join. If you would prefer to receive an invitation, I can do that too. Just use the contact me link above or reply here with your email address.

Work at Home forums - WAHM.com and workplacelikehome.com - find non-scam home-based jobs

For those who want a little extra money, I highly recommend perusing through these two forums:

WAHM.com

workplacelikehome.com

Both of these forums are fairly easy to navigate (albeit slow to load, even with my DSL) but I have found some great information there for myself and friends and family. They run like normal forums, where you can send PMs to other members and post general information or questions. I do note that both WAHM.com and workplacelikehome.com both have the information set up in folders (though some are closed - like ChaCha) and it makes it easy for readers to sift through the folders to find a work-at-home job that might fit their lifestyle or needs. It is through these forums that I found and researched my ChaCha gig, which I do a few days a week for a little extra cash.

You do not need to register to view the information; however, if you wish to post a question or comment or send a PM, you do need to register to do so.

When you have the time, take a look through these sites as I do feel that sites like WAHM.com and workplacelikehome.com are going to see more traffic as the economy tightens and people working jobs where they were barely getting by before the gas spike start to seek out a home-based job to avoid paying for gas altogether. For some, I can easily see a work-at-home job transition for lower earning moms (we all know we ladies make less than men in the work force.)

If anyone does stop by WAHM.com or workplacelikehome.com, please come back here and post a comment. I am curious if anyone else found the information useful to them or others. I found the information that I found there to be accurate and it was very easy to read the reviews of others to sift the wheat from the chaff.