Money For Savings

Extra money is always a blessing and most times not easy to come by specifically in a time when the economy is struggling. If you are looking to increase your earning potential or simply add a few extra dollars to your pocket for a vacation you are planning, the holidays, birthdays, etc. I have a few tips. You should already be saving money from your paycheck on a bi-weekly or monthly basis. These additional savings will give you the extra money you need for fun.

PayPal

Let’s find a place to store your savings. Before we you start saving one thing I suggest you do is open a PayPal account. Many online companies will want to pay you via check or PayPal. I personally find it the easiest and most secure way to receive my payment. I have been with PayPal since 2008 and have not had any issues. You can transfer your payments to your bank accounts. I store money in my PayPal account separate from my banking accounts as a way to stash away money. It is a great way to save money for Christmas shopping, vacations, or just savings. Once after you have decided how you would like to receive your payment it is time to start earning.

Start Earning Money Today 

If you are a busy person or are unable to leave your home chances are a second job is out of the question. I started searching for ways to earn extra money shortly after giving birth to my oldest. At the time I was a college student in my last semester and needed to focus on school and my daughter,  so I was a stay at home mom. However, I still wanted and needed my own money. There weren’t as many online survey companies as there are now, but I remember being approached in the mall by a company to do paid surveys. I figured why not, I could use some of my downtime between classes at school to complete the surveys and not miss out on time with my daughter. So here is the low down on surveys, why I love them and how you can get started.

Surveys: How to use Surveys to Supplement your Income

Surveys are quick, easy and many pay well. I have done phone surveys that take an hour and pay $150. I have done in-person interviews, online community panels, and test groups that pay upwards to $250 and more. You have to be committed, open, and view survey taking as a means of supplementing your income, not a hobby. I take a product reviewing and surveys as serious as I would a regular 9-5. I have committed to an online community panelist job that required me to take pictures in a grocery store during back to school time and journal my experience the payment would be $150 after 4 weeks. I was diligent about my assignment and stayed on task until completion. With that beginning said, I don’t take every assignment offered to me because everything isn’t a good fit. Once you start finding survey companies that match your lifestyle you will know which ones are right for you regardless of the amount of money offered. Below are a few companies with an opening for survey takers. Please view this list, but know there are more out there. Beware of scammers. Never pay anyone and never give your credit card information.

SWAGBUCKS

Any easy way to get started is through Swagbucks. With Swagbucks, you earn money and rewards to your favorite stores. Swagbucks.com is the leading destination for earning real rewards through online activities you already do every day. Swag Bucks can be redeemed easily for money or gift cards to your favorite stores. This is a reputable site and has been around for several years. Many people use it to earn money and gift cards for the holidays. It can be time-consuming, however, the payouts are well worth it.

Toluna

Toluna.com is an online panel community where you take surveys about different brands and give your opinions. Each survey can take between 15-20 minutes and earns you gift cards, and what Toluna calls gifties. Gifties is a virtual scratch game that allows you to exchange a small number of points for the chance to win a large selection of rewards and cash prizes.

BZZAGENT

BzzAgent.com is a great place to get new product to try. So this one doesn’t give you money, but I put here because you do get full-sized products review and give your opinion about. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but worth a try if you are looking to try new products.

Cash Back for Shopping

One way I enjoy saving money is by taking advantage of rebates, cash back programs, and coupons. There are several programs that refund you a percentage of what you spend. It is a great way to lock away savings for raining day.

Ebates 

Ebates is one of my favorite companies for giving the money back. Ebates pays you cash back every time you shop online and the provide you with the best coupons and deals. The key to shopping with Ebates is to make sure you log into the Ebates website and shop the stores from their site. They will show you how much you will receive back, during back to school, holidays, and special times the payback is much higher.  You can sign up here to get to start saving now.

IBOTTA

Ibotta helps you get cash back for shopping. You submit your receipts and verify your purchases and you receive money back. It is that easy. First, you will need to download the Ibotta app, available on iOS and Android. The app is required to submit a receipt. Before you go shopping, unlock cash rewards on great products by completing simple tasks, the task may be something simple as watching a short commercial.  Next it time to go shopping and buy the products you’ve unlocked at any of the approved stores.  Using your phone, scan your product bar-codes, then submit a photo of your receipt. Finally, you’ll have the cash deposited into your Ibotta account within 48 hours. To get your cash, just link your Ibotta account with either PayPal or Venom, or create a new PayPal or Venmo account within the App.

Plenti

Plenti gives you points on things you buy or use every day and turn them into savings. I get points for paying my AT&T bill and buying gas. I purchased several Christmas gift from Macy’s last year using my point balance and did not have to pay anything out of pocket. it is free to join and the point adds up so quickly you don’t notice.