Pinecone Research is a great survey company and they are open again and looking for new people!! 

I've done several different survey companies but this is one I stick with because, even though it only pays $3 per survey, it pays it directly to my PayPal account with a day or two. Also, if there is an email in your account you know that the survey applies to you so it's not a waste of your time. These are things I appreciate. I've also gotten some neat products to test.

There is some fine print, just like other survey companies - you can only have one person per address signed up with Pinecone or it negates everyone at that address. So, don't try to cheat the system. Really.

It's been some time since I've had time to work on surveys. It took a long time to get set after school started and then there was NaNoWriMo. Now, I'm working on the surveys again and I'm beginning to reap some of the fruits of my time.

Most recently I just received a $20 iTunes card from MyOpinionNow. Last week I got a $5 check from Opinion Outpost and I've almost accumulated enough surveys to cash out another $5. Also, I've just put in a request for a payout from Mindfield Online for $18 to my PayPal account. And while I was updating this post I decided to check out Survey Savvy and found I had enough to get a $5 check.

Sure, it's not a lot from one place right now but it'll all add up in bits and pieces and it'll certainly pay for a night at The Byrd and that's a pretty Cool Idea.

I don't get a lot of invites from Survey Savvy and I qualify for even fewer of them but they usually pay at least $2-4 each and don't take very long so it's worth signing up. These surveys pay by check at your request. Definitely a Cool Idea!

Are you fascinated by American Idol? Or maybe you just tune in everyone once in a while? Either way, have you ever officially voted? I know I haven't.

HCDSurveys is following up on the official network voting to find out what the public actually thinks of the 'official' choices. Everyone who is part of their survey system gets a chance to vote and every vote gets you 50 points. So, in effect, you are getting paid to vote for American Idol. Not bad really.

If you aren't part of HCDSurveys, don't worry. There's still time. Hop on over and sign up and you can still make a difference while accruing points in your account and that is definitely a Cool Idea!

I started doing surveys a year and a half ago when my oldest daughter was 3 and my youngest was 1 1/2. I found myself with lots of random bits of time that probably all added up to a full-time job - too much time to do nothing with. I enjoyed being home with my girls but I also needed to add income to our family as my husband's job was downsized.

I ran across a post on Deal Seeking Mom about surveys and signed up for a few and over the next few months I signed up for several more. As my children have grown and as I've found a rhythm in doing the surveys I created a system for myself.

I do the surveys when the girls are having their free play time and after they go to bed/ or nap. If they are watching a video then that's when I log in and get some surveys done because goodness knows I don't need to be totally focused on the 2,000th viewing of The Little Mermaid. If we are having constructive play, I put the computer aside and play with them but there are times we all need a break and that's when I check and see what surveys are available.

This system is working well for me. I cashout $30-50/ month or so. It took some time to get enough surveys going to get this kind of payout and I know I could do more, but at this point I don't have the time. It's a choice and a balance - to make money out of our 'down' time is a phenomenally Cool Idea!

I got a bit of a bday present from a couple of my surveys, too. I had payouts from Toluna and MySurvey for a total of $30. Gotta love when survey cash arrives in the mail, even when it's just a little bit at a time.

I had a lot of surveys to do over the winter break and I got to cashout at Lightspeed, Focusonline, and Opinion Outpost for a total of $40. I also had a survey payout directly to me in the form of a $10 Target gift card. I also cashed out another survey that paid in points for a $10 Target gift card.

And I'm *this close* to being able to cash out at Survey Head. I'm just waiting for some pending surveys to hit my account and then I'll be able to move that amount to my PayPal account. That's one thing I like about Lightspeed, Focusline, and Survey Head. They all have the option to redeem your award in cash through PayPal. Opinion Outpost as a cash option still but if you want to redeem at a lower amount you can get an Amazon e-certificate. Personally, Opinion Outpost usually works so well for me that I redeem at the $5 level with the Amazon e-gift card and it's not like I don't buy books, right;)

So there's the latest on my survey work. I hope it's working out well for you. For me it continues to help fill in around the cracks of my income and it's definitely a Cool Idea!

I just hit the payout threshold with Inbox Dollars and requested my first check. It's taken me a little while but I don't click on all the emails that they send me. But if you are diligent I don't think it would take long to hit the cashout amount. Personally, if you're already in your email inbox and just sitting in front of the TV you might as well be making some cash for yourself. Right? Sounds like a Cool Idea to me, too!

Opinion Outpost now pays out at 50 points - or $5 - if you choose an Amazon.com gift card as your reward. So, no waiting around until you hit $20 anymore and then waiting for a check. And since most of Opinion Outposts surveys are at least $1 this shouldn't take too long to tally up.

So, just in case you're in need of some more gift cards for your holiday shopping make sure to do your Opinion Outpost surveys as soon as they come into your email box. If you aren't signed up with them. It's easy to join. Just head on over and fill out your profiles to get started. It's definitely a Cool Idea!

Oh, My! Right now I have a bunch of products that I'm in the process of testing and I gotta tell you it's almost confusing. In fact, when I saw the box on the porch today, I thought, "Oh no. What do we have to eat now!"

But really it's all good. Some of it I'll get to share with you. Like the produce from Glade that is scenting my living room. Some of it is not for sharing. In fact, most of it is not for sharing. Make that 5 products right now that are not for sharing! But I'm careful to keep it all straight so I can record the right information for the correct company.

So, how did all these products arrive at my house? From filling out surveys for the most part. The only exception is the Glade product which is from BzzAgent. Surveys not only pay you money but they are often seeking people to test products. In the past I've tested baby wipes, disposable training pants, toilet paper, shampoo - to name a few items.

If product testing is interesting to you, then definitely check out BzzAgent and see if it's for you. Also, keep an eye on the surveys that you fill out and see if one of them is hinting at a product test. You never know what you might be getting for free to test in the privacy of your own home! And as far as I'm concerned as long as it's not fish it's definitely a Cool Idea!

I promise you'll make more than two cents with Survey Head, though! In fact, when you get invitations from Survey Head you'll find out the percentage likelihood that the survey is a good fit for you. Pretty good, huh. The cash out threshold is $25 and can be done in Amazon gift cards, cash or donations to charity. Again, Pretty neat. Signing up to do surveys through Survey Head is definitely a Cool Idea!!

Opinion Outpost is another great survey company with whom to sign up. Not only do they send great surveys but the points accrue quickly and the interface is great at letting you know just where you stand in your earnings and rewards. Also, they pay in cash or Amazon cards. Cash payouts are by check so you have to wait 4-6weeks but at this time of the year I can wait for that. It'll feel like a treat when my money arrives.

So, if you aren't signed up with Opinion Outpost go ahead and give it a try. Sometimes the points to reward structure can be hard to decifer but since it's 200 points = $20 it's just basic math really and definitely a Cool Idea to have some extra cash coming in as the holidays approach!

I just cashed out some more survey money. This time from Mindfield Surveys. I know I've mentioned them before but one nice thing is that their cash out amout is $5 and they pay in check or PayPal. I didn't have a lot in my account but it was enough to make my PayPal account happy.

I get a good number of survey invitations from Mindfield, too, and each one gives me the dollar amount and time commitment of the survey. I haven't completed a lot of surveys lately but I have one pending for $7! Not bad for 15 mins of work!!

So, if you haven't signed up with Mindfield yet, don't wait because I guarantee if you do you'll have a nice little bit ready for yourself by the holidays and that will definitely be a Cool Idea!

I'm looking back at surveys that I've cashed out money from recently so that I can pass along this good information again and here's one that I've mentioned, I think, but it's worth mentioning again. Valued Opinions, gives invitations that have great information. They will always tell you how much money the survey is for and a good idea of how much time the survey will take. I've had surveys for as little as $1 and as much as $5 and sometimes the $5 don't take much longer. Really. It just depends on how much the company was willing to pay.

I also click on these invites as quickly as I see them because they can fill up quickly because this company pays in cash if you want. I usually request my reward in the form of a prepaid VISA card! There are other options which you can see on their website when you join but I like having the actual cash and since you know how much money your surveys are when you take them you'll be able to see how your rewards are accruing.

So, if you aren't signed up with Valued Opinions go ahead and get started. It is definitely a Cool Idea because cash is never a bad choice!

Say Nation is another survey group and this one allows you to pick your own point goal! Personally, I love using my survey points for buying books since that's my guilty pleasure so I set my goals for book gift certificates and it lets me know how close I am to that pay out at any given time. Cool, huh?!?!

Another cool thing about Say Nation is that you get 25 points for every survey even if you don't qualify. So I always follow through on an invitation from Say Nation because I know I'll get at least some points whereas some companies are an all or nothing set up and I have to decide how much time to put into each survey.

Also, PayPal is now an option with Say Nation so you can actually get cash from this survey group, too. Sounds like an all around cool survey company, doesn't it? Yep, definitely a Cool Idea as far as I'm concerned.

I'm not sure I've mentioned Gongos before but they are a wonderful survey company to sign up with. Don't let the funny name get in the way because this will be a great opportunity for you. They won't send you a ton of surveys probably but you'll see a greater amount of payout vs. your time input than you will for other sites.

I've also had the opportunity to do 2 full product tests for them and both of these came with additional payouts. Gongos pays in Amazon gift cards and they pay often. They also have a forums area for their members to chat about most anything you'd want to and you get points for your chatting, too. Yep, it's a win win.

So hop on over and sign up because I figure in a couple of months you'll already have at least $5-$10 in Amazon gift cards from Gongos and by then you'll be in prime Holiday thinking mode - right?



And before I close for the day, I thought I'd check to make sure everyone had a chance to sign up with Lightspeed Panel Surveys. They have some fun panels, some quick match surveys, and always tell you how long the surveys will take. I just cashed out my points for another $20 into my PayPal account. Hop on over and sign up for these great panels. Making money while giving companies your opinion is definitely a Cool Idea!

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This is another great survey company and they don't open their applications up very often so SIGN UP before this offer goes away if you are interested!! I'll tell you that I'll be adding them to my stable of survey companies because I've heard great things about them and I could use some more extra cash now that school is getting ready to start!

Remember when I tallied up my survey time and money last month and I reported that I found that Lightspeed was paying in Paypal now but wasn't accepting new applications... well, here you go. Here's a super cool chance to sign up with a survey company that pays in real money.

I'll tell you some other cool things about them. Each invitaton you get from them includes the point value of the survey and how much time it should take you to complete the survey. I've also had surveys from Lightspeed that were screeners for product testing opportunities so really I got a two-fer on those surveys.

I can't think of anything more to say about Lightspeed except that it was one of the first panels signed up with and I've enjoyed these. I don't alway qualify for each survey but you never will. It is great that they pay in cash now so run your little fingers over and sign up while they are accepting new people!! This is an incredibly Cool Idea!!

What does a typical week of surveys look like around here? I wish I could tell you. I should probably keep better track. I know that Jen has a tracking system. Me, I just wing it most of the time

But in the interest of really learning how much time and attention I was giving to the surveys I kept track for the past 2 weeks of the surveys that I have done. I've missed few. I know that, but here's a good idea of how many invitations I accepted. I say accepted because there were sooooo many invitations in the past couple of weeks that I just could not do them all. Also, I prioritize and do the ones that I know will pay the most. Maybe that's a discusson for another post.

Here's the listing:


SayNation: 5 invites/ 2 surveys


Lightspeed: 7 invites/ 4 surveys

Surveys.com: 1 invite/ 1 survey

Opinion Outpost: 4 invites/ 2 surveys

FocusPointe: 2 invites/ 2 screeners

SurveySpot: 4 invites/ 0 surveys [I only do surveys for $$ here]

Focus Forward: 1 screener invite/ 0 surveys

ValuedOpinions: 5 invites: 3 surveys [$9]

NPDOR: 2 invites/ 2 surveys

Mindfield: 6 invites/ 3 surveys [$3]

Focusline: 9 invites/ 0 surveys

Surveyhead:10 invites/ 2 surveys [$6]

Mysurvey.com: 2 invites/ 2 surveys [20pts]

Toluna: 4 invites/ 3 surveys [$3]

AmericanConsumerOpinion: 1 screener

SurveySavvy: 2 invites/ 0 surveys

ConsumerVillage: 1 invite/ 1 survey [$15 payout for project completion]

HarrisPoll: 1 invite/ 1 survey [50pts]

OpinionPlace: 3 invites/ 0 surveys

BrandInstitute: 1 screener


This was a very busy couple of weeks in my email-box. This time commitment brought in $21 in my accounts accruing and $15 in Amazon certificates [already in hand]. Some of these were lengthy surveys an some weren't. I haven't been good about tracking that yet but what I have begun to learn is that there is incredible overlap in the invitations. This is why you will get a lot of the declines!

What the time vs. money worth it? Right now I have time but I don't have money so I have to say it was worth it because it still allows me to be at home with the kids while they are small. But that's a decision everyone has to make for themselves no matter what they are doing. Whether you work outside the home or don't work at for money at all. Is it worth it to you right now? If yes, then you are good. If not, then you need to look at making some changes. Small changes maybe, but changes.



So, there you go. In the interest of accountability and as I try to make some money as a stay at home parent, I'm going to try to do a better job of tracking the invites/ participation/ points vs. cash earned/ time expenditure. Stay tuned for upcoming posts as I revisit this Cool Idea!

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!