The Quest for a FREE Christmas!

MAY

Lazy month this month...I mean, really lazy.  I didn't even log onto Opinion Outpost - I didn't feel like answering surveys.  I figure after the great months I had in March and April that I was entitled to a little break.  It's not even that much work - or that much time.  But I was REALLY lazy!

Swagbucks $0

(Really - ZERO!  It's not that I don't have points - I have enough for 3 $5 gift cards - I just didn't cash them in yet)

Opinion Outpost $0

HCD Surveys $0.60

(Only because they were simple - all I had to do was vote for my favorite A.I.)

Pinecone Research $6.00

Amazon $1.38

Adsense $5.69

TOTAL:  $13.67

TOTAL FROM JANUARY through MAY - $535.64

Here's the rundown on how I make the extra cash (minus the bonus $$ I have made on things that come up occasionally).

Swagbucks - I LOVE MY SWAGBUCKS!  All you do is sign up and do your internet searches through them (like Google).  You will randomly earn "Swagbucks" for searching.  Sign up here!

Opinion Outpost - this is a survey site that offers you money for answering the surveys you qualify to take.  You can redeem your money for Amazon gift cards or they will send you a check in the mail!  You can sign up here!

HCD Surveys - this is another survey site I really like.  They don't offer as many surveys as Opinion Outpost, but I don't have to "qualify" after answering questions - once I start a survey I am always allowed to finish it and earn the money.  Sign up here!
Pinecone Research - this is another survey site that occasionally offers trials so that you can try things before they come out to the general public.  They send you a $3.00 check upon completion of a survey and they are very fast to pay!  Sign up here.

Amazon - Amazon pay me a small fee (and I do mean small) when you purchase something through Amazon that I suggest.  That is why I sometimes hate to put up Amazon stuff - I don't want you to think I'm suggesting it just so I make money.  I will only put them up when they offer great prices on things - and often it's on things I'm purchasing from them too!

Adsense - The ads that are on the side of my website are put there by Adsense.  They pay me a small fee based on the number of people coming to the website and a little more if someone likes an ad and clicks on it for more information.

APRIL

This month was great thanks to Shopping.com's review promotion!  I hope they will be doing another in the next few months! 

Shopping.com - $150 ($100 for mine, $50 for hubby's)

AdSense - $8.36

Amazon - $1.06

HCD Surveys - $1.50

Opinion Outpost - $9.20

PineCone Research - $6

Swagbucks - $10

Total for the Month:  $186.12!

New total thus far:  $521.97!! 

Remember you can find all the information on these money makers here - including how to join, what it's about and how easy it is!

MARCH

I wish I could figure out how to post my Excel table into here! Anyone who is more technologically savvy, please let me know how!

This was an excellent month thanks to Franklin Goose's promotion!  Here's what I was able to earn this month:

Swagbucks - $10 in Amazon giftcards (and I am so close to the next one!)
Opinion Outpost - $21.40
HCD Surveys - $1.90
Pinecone Research Surveys - $3
Adsense - $.68
Amazon - $.50
Franklin Goose $235

TOTAL: (drum roll please!)  $272.48!!!

This brings my total for the past 3 months to:  $335.85!  And the Shopping.com promotion hasn't been awarding money yet either!  Next month will be another great month!

FEBRUARY

I have joined a few more things in hopes of upping these totals every month. 

HCD Surveys is very similar to Opinion Outpost - they did the Superbowl survey I mentioned at the end of January.  They also do surveys about American Idol every time they are on.  Very easy to answer so far and do not take up much of my time.  I've also qualified for every survey - unlike on Opinion Outpost.  They reward points instead of dollar figures - 1,000 points is equal to $10 - every point is a penny.

Amazon "rewards" me if you click on a link to purchase something through the blog.  As you can see from the totals, it's not much.  I also will not put up things that I do not think are "thrifty" or are a good deal.

Adsense are those little ads you see on the right column of my blog.  It's just another thing that "rewards" me everytime you click on an ad there.  Again - it's not much.  I could probably get more clicks if I put the ads between my blog posts, but I just find that annoying on other sites and won't do that to you.

My February totals are:

Swagbucks - $10 in Amazon giftcards

Opinion Outpost - $8.80 (slow month!)

HCD Surveys - $5.30

Amazon - $.59

Adsense - $.28

TOTAL:  $24.97

My total for January and February = $63.37

I also did the 100 reviews for Shopping.com so we'll see if those earn me $100 in April!

 JANUARY

So far I am only doing Swagbucks and Opinion Outpost (for info see the right hand side of the page and click "Making $$ Online").  This is an unofficial report since I started both of these about a week before this year started - so next month's numbers may be slightly lower without that extra week.

However, I am up to a total of:

Opinion Outpost -   $23.40
Swagbucks -           $15.00
(in Amazon giftcards)
TOTAL -                $38.40

Plus I have an additional 15 Swagbucks towards my next $5 Amazon card.  Not bad!  If I calculate those at 5 weeks and want to adjust them to 4 week earnings I am right over $30 - a dollar a day!  

At that rate, by Christmas I'll have roughly $370 by Christmas!!! 

Here is what I am doing so far in order to try to make some free cash for next Christmas:

Swagbucks - just use their search engine while you are online and you will randomly earn swagbucks for doing so.  They also release swag codes sometimes that will help you accumulate swagbucks.  Swagbucks can be redeemed for prizes in their Swag Store - 450 points is equal to a $5 Amazon gift card.
Other ways to earn swagbucks (besides searches):

• Every day they will put a new code out in the Special Offers section.  Just skip every offer they show you and at the end, you'll get a specialized code worth Swagbucks.
• Check the Swidget intermittently to see if they've released any special codes on it.  Click on "Swag Codes" and then "Check for Swag Codes".  I will try to alert you if I know one is out. The swidget will always be found on this post at the bottom of the page.
• Become a fan on Facebook.  There will sometimes be a code on there.
• Get referrals from friends.  Every referral will earn you more swagbucks.

Opinion Outpost - Sign up on Opinion Outpost and answer surveys to earn cash.  You will be alerted via email when a survey appears to match up with your profile.  Sometimes it does and sometimes you will be told that you are not a match.  You can request a check for your money or get an instant Amazon gift card.

HCD Surveys - Here is another survey opportunity.  This company does surveys less often that Opinion Outpost but I've qualified for every one!  They do surveys after every American Idol show as well. 

Pinecone Research - This survey company doesn't send out many surveys.  I've only gotten 1 so far and I joined a month ago.  They will also offer trials of things that haven't been released to the public yet.  They will send you a $3 check for every survey you answer.