Updated Feb 22, 2012 @ 07:07 PM
Sometimes things on Facebook make me laugh. A neighbor posted that she received a voicemail for a Bob Smith from a lady, who was extremely apologetic that it has taken so long in responding to his interest in becoming an Avon Representative. Having two creative boys, she asked her 12 year old son if he knew anything about the Avon message for Bob Smith. With a little hesitation, he admitted that Bob Smith was the name he was using to fill out surveys and the more he filled out the more points he got. Not only did it give me a good laugh, I also thought it would be a suitable topic for Gadget Girl Tips.
That’s brings us to today’s topic on earning money online through surveys and reading junk mail. You won’t get rich but this project may help build the Christmas fund. I’ve been doing online surveys off and on for three years and it supports my e-book addiction.
Online survey companies like My Points, Big Spot, and InBox Dollars will send you emails that you can earn points for reading the emails. Once you earn enough points you can redeem points for them gift cards for places such as Amazon, Starbucks, etc. Some companies will even pay you money, with the time length and type of survey determining the value of a completed survey.
Here some tips.
1. Set up a junk email account. Use a Yahoo, Hotmail, or Gmail email services, one you don’t already use. I recommend using these email accounts as they all have their own apps for accessing your mail on your smartphone. Plus, they are pretty easy to delete if you decide you don’t want to participate anymore. You will also want to access this mail through a webmail (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail are all webmail). Remember this is junk mail, so you don’t want to take chances with a virus. Once you have the email set up, go ahead and access the email app and sign in.
2. Limit yourself to one-two sites. Sign up for the survey companies using the email you created in step one. To get started just sign up for one or two websites. Once you start participating with one company, other companies will invite you to receive their emails.
3. Download RoboForm and install. You will want to put a fake name, street, city, state and phone number on your form unless, you don’t mind getting voicemails for Bob Smith. RoboForm is automatic form filler. Why waste your time typing all the information on every form you submit?
4. Be patient when waiting for emails. It will take a couple of days to receive your first email but they will increase to 2-3 a day once you start to participate.
You may be asking “But I don’t have time to check Facebook, how am I going to find the time?”
Great question!
As I wait in lines at Wal-Mart, the Post Office, or waiting for a meeting to start I click and read my “junk” mail. Yes, I use that wasted time to make money. I leave the surveys for when I get home and have RoboForm do the work for me when filling out the online forms.
Not interested in looking at junk mail? Take a look at Swagbucks, a search engine that rewards you for searching! This has actually become a contest among my family members and who is leading in Swagbucks. If you were wonder, my Dad has been in the lead for quite a while now. Just replace your current search engine with Swagbucks, search like normal, and earn Swagbucks that can be redeemed for gift cards. One year, I paid for most of my Christmas budgets utilizing gift cards redeemed from the Swagbucks I earned while doing everyday searches.
Good Luck!
