What's your goal

[pointer]

It may not be attainable but my goal is to make $75.00 from surveys each month. I do realize that there are delays in payment but this is what I want to average. Is this attainable? If so, how are you accomplishing this? What is your best cash survey for the amount of time you put into it. My best so far is Opinion Outpost. My least favorite, but I make some money here, is Survey Spot. Alot of surveys for nothing except an entry into a contest and many of the surveys take longer than the time stated. I think a discussion of these issues would help us all. All posts are appreciated.

[tryingtobehopeful]

I wish I could make $75 from surveys per month. I have heard a few theories about surveys in the 3-4 months I have been doing them. I know that the hyped up ads about making hundreds of dollars each month usually come from scam companies. The legitimate companies state that you will not get rich from surveys, but can make extra money. $75 does not sound like an unrealistic goal. However, the number of legitimate companies you join, as well as which ones you qualify for make all the difference in the world. I am frequently disqualified mid-survey for not making enough money, not owning an expensive house, not having a job, etc. That is kind of ironic, because we are taking surveys because we NEED the money, and the people the survey companies are looking to target are the high income earners. I know it's not fair, but it seems to be that way. So far, I have only qualified for surveys that offer sweepstakes entries from both Greenfield and Survey Spot. I have read on blogs that if you keep taking their surveys anyway, you will eventually start qualifying for the paid surveys, but I do not know if this is true. I also know that because they need a cross-section of the population, your race quota may already be filled. It is frustrating, but keep with it. You may get lucky.

[jellyfish]

I don't make goals for this type of thing. It's too unpredictable and why set myself up for disappointment?

I'm just glad when I can redeem points & cash out. I'm a member of both survey sites you said as well as Pinecone, Lightspeed, HotSpex, etc. None of them are huge moneymakers by any means but a few bucks here & there helps.

[pointer]

Thanks for the replys. Hope there are more people out there who will kindly reply to this link. Hopefully we can all make a few more dollars with the information. I guess I am a goal driven person so I guess I just set $70.00 as a goal. hope I can reach it.

[Angelbi]

I don't really have any goals except to make a bit extra money. I'm with a few companies but not made much money (only been doing this a few weeks though).

[LizzieAnn]

Hi, this goal is certainly attainable, but you have to be patient and hard working and work your way up to various cashouts over a period of time, having been at this for a good few years now I can tell you that I do average about £75 per month, not $75!!! I am in GB. I think we get some really interesting opportunities here but I must say I think in USA you get some much better ones!! For example I had a survey the other day which paid £50!!!! So far I have not received this, but I had to do lots of work for that one I can tell you!

My earnings to date since 1/01/08 are £427.70 which I am delighted with. I mostly try for cash but my husband loves to spend vouchers online so he is a happy bunny too!! I get stuff for the kids with vouchers too which they love...something nice in the post always helps. Try to vary the amount of companies you sign up with and always keep on top of your surveys, doing them at least once a day if you can. If you are regular and consistent, they will start to appear in your inbox much more often and if you are willing, you will be asked much more often too. Do not be put off if you are screened out alot at first, that happens, but it soon changes provided you regularly sign into your online accounts about once every two months and update your profiles. This shows the company that you are still interested and you are keen to work for them doing surveys. Do not lie EVER if you can possibly help it, as truth is always stranger than fiction!!!

good luck and let us know how you get on!

LizzieAnn

[pointer]

Lizzie Ann---great post---I figure that's about $850.00 us dollars. Fantastic! One question, when asked if you have taken any other surveys on this subject and you say yes. How does that seem to affect your being accepeted into surveys? Or do you fudge on that one thing only? Hope these are not too personal questions as I want to learn.

[mariners]

My goal is to live off doing surveys, even though its almost impossible.

[pointer]

mariners - good luck - what's your high month? Thanks

[teachell]

Folks,

My goal is to make $200/month in this business. I'm trying to treat it as a business, spending at least an hour a day filling out surveys, telling people that I fill out online surveys, keeping a record of what I've been doing for my points, dollars, etc., as well as keeping a record of what kind of topic the survey questions are on.

I have incentive points for $6.80 so far but I just started August 5.

I also write a blog about the online survey business. That is fun for me. I'm in graduate school, working on a degree in Instructional Design (creating materials for companies and businesses) so taking these surveys has a dual purpose-I not only get a teeny bit of money but I also analyze how annoying or pleasurable the experience was and think of how I would re-do the survey layout and make it easier to use.

I think this board is great and I have learned so much from people who are taking surveys.

Ever learning,

teachell

[LizzieAnn]

Pointer - thanks - you are too kind

I used to think that very question mattered, and it made a difference if you had taken surveys before, but it doesnt seem to, except if you have taken a survey before ON THE SPECIFIC SUBJECT THEIR SURVEY IS ABOUT!! So if you get an OTX for example (which are usually film related) and you say you have taken a film related survey in the last three months, you usually get screened out. I think this would be considered a demographic question, which when I first started doing surveys I never came across (about 5-6 years ago) because there werent that many people back then doing surveys on a regular basis [correct me if I am wrong, guys!]. This question seems to have crept in now because it is becoming widely accepted that lots more people do them on a regular basis and are members of more than one panel. It also seems that there is the question of how many panels you are a member of when you sign up with a new panel....its actually a question in your personal profile in for example Valued Opinions questionnaire when you sign up. I don't think it impacts on how many invitations you get, really, it is just important that if a company like Mars comes along and says to Valued Opinions right, we want a survey done on how many people eat mars bars and we want answers from people who aren't members of lots of survey panels.....get my drift? The customer is always right!

I really don't think you could live off doing surveys, there really aren't that many regular earnings to be had in the sense that your cashing-in amounts are all so different and your payment methods also. So, if you go for all cash ones for example, like one-poll, you have to wait until you make £40 before you can cash in, but at an average of 10p per survey and only 5-10 available per week, you can do the math, it will take an age!!! However, if you are prepared to be open, honest and flexible, and do things a little out of the ordinary, like be prepared to take extra text/SMS or telephone surveys as well as focus groups, you will find that as you go along you will build up your profile with a certain company and discover that you will be asked to do more, and more often, because they will know they can get honest and regular answers from you.

I hope this helps you. Anyone who knows me will tell you I talk alot....that equates to pretty long posts....do let me know if I am boring anyone!! Its my pet subject but I dont often talk about it offline!

LizzieAnn