Christmas in July: Trade your Time for Cash

It's true that while most people would agree that the holidays are not about giving gifts the first thing we generally do is get ready to go shopping. So, let's get this out of the way:

What is the best way to get out-right cash?

If you can get signed up for Focus Groups this is great. These are low time commitment/ high cash reward earnings. For some great information on where to get signed up visit Moneysavingmethods and RealWomenRealMoneyWorkFromHome.


However, these are few and far between so don't put all your eggs in this basket. Another option are survey companies that also pay in cash. Lightspeed pays in Amazon e-certificates and in Paypal [Unfortunately, they are not recruiting right now so we'll keep our eyes open for more infomation].

HCD, which I just posted about, pays in cash. Survey Spot pays in cash but has very few cash paying surveys. Valued Opinions pays in cash. Mindfield Online Panels is another that I just posted about. Your2Cents, which has just become Toluna, is another I just cashed out with. Also, Focusline Surveys pays in cash and gives you the percentage likelihood that you'll be accepted for the survey. I haven't cashed out with them yet but only because I have a few bucks still pending distribution into my account.

But how much could this really be? Is it worth putting in the time? I just cashed out 6 months of Mindfield [$11 by PayPal], Lightspeed [$30 by Paypal], Valued Opinions [$20 Visa Card], $20 from Your2Cents and soon I'll have $29 to cash out with Focusline.

So, there's $110 that is ready for me and that doesn't include additional pending money that will be ready for me to cash out in a month or so. I am 'this' close to the cash out threshold with a few other companies and should add another $40-50 to my total.

Personally, I think this is a pretty good total for just using my random down time for surveys instead of vegging in front of the TV. And there's no doubt that this money will help as we begin to plan out our holiday shopping. So, if this is interesting to you check out the companies listed above. I can guarantee that they pay out. There are others that I can guarantee from working with them but I haven't yet reached the payout threshold. Other survey posts will be forthcoming, too. For me it's been useful. Your mileage may vary.


Decide what works for you and your needs but if you have excess time but can't necessarily work outside the home due to child/ elder care needs you might consider this as an option for some extra cash. That's what I've done and it has helped. It's definitely a Cool Idea!