The Lousypoet

When you have kids with special needs, it’s hard for both parents to have carreers that take them out of the home. That’s why it’s been so important for us to find Ways of making money at home.

There are quite a few blogs out there that can provide some really great advice and guidance. I found Lisa’s blog and she’s got lots of different means of creating income streams and traffic for websites. What I also liked about her blog was that it’s also her personal blogging space, which helped make it feel a little more personal. All too often, blogs with advice on making money at home can seem cold or too much like a gimmick filled sales pitch. Finding a blog where there are some good pieces of advice but you can also read about how Lisa’s cats gave birth to kittens just makes it all so much more real. Check this one out!

I won’t lie to you, sometimes when I post a link to a blog here, it’s because the link was suggested to me by a link exchange program. In return for my recommendation, I too receive a link to my site. I will put this into context though by telling you that I do not just mindlessly recommend every blog that is presented to me. I visit every single one; spend some time and read the entries. If there’s nothing I enjoy or think is of any worth, I refuse the link request. In the end, that might mean less reciprocal links for me, but it at least means I retain a level of integrity.

The site I’m directing you to today is NOT one of those sites. I found this while doing a Google search for making money with blogs. Reading some of the lengthy articles on this site gave me a reason to pause and evaluate what I’m doing here with the Lousy Poet. And not only that, it gave me some insight into myself and some of my motivations. This is a great site, with some very insightful content on blogging, making money with blogs, but even more than that, personal development.

The site is by Steve Pavlina and I have to say his writing is powerful, accessible and interesting. I know after reading just a few things on his site, that I’m going to be returning again and again. In the mean time, you can check out his articles on Making money with your blog and How to build a high traffic website. I don’t think either will disappoint.

So in the spirit of being open and transparent, I’m going to do a series of articles on the various ways I’m using my blog to make some money.

I’m no internet marketing guru. I am not an expert in the field of Page rank manipulation. I’m like you, new, fresh, struggling to try and improve my way of life. I’m trying new things, stumbling and fumbling about in the darkness looking for the magic idol to make all things lock into place. Since I’m not trying to sell you anything, I don’t feel like I need to misrepresent myself. In fact, maybe it’s about time someone showed what happens from the ground up. I’ll write these articles, maybe get some response from the community that will allow the knowledge base to grow, and maybe I’ll manage to have some fun along the way.

So, though it’s not directly related to the blog itself, my first article today is about paid surveys. These were the first things that I tried doing to make some extra money because they were a) Free, b) Not overly time consuming and c) Seemed to be fairly reputable. So how much money have I made in the last 6 months? Maybe $15. The simple fact is that you DO NOT MAKE MONEY DOING SURVEYS. There are lots of sites that tell you for a small $30 plus fee you will gain access to a whack of survey sites that will pay you in excess of $500 a month! But what these sites don’t tell you is that first, you will not qualify for every survey that is sent to you. Secondly, the money claims depend on the fact that these survey sites run monthly, quarterly and sometimes yearly draws for prizes anywhere from $25 – $5000. If you’re lucky enough to win one of these, then I suppose the surveys were worth your time. But when you consider how much competition you have, you probably have a better chance of being hit by a bus than winning one of these draws.

However, not all is lost. Many surveys now offer points for your participation. These points can then be redeemed for gift certificates from a number of different retailers. So, if you like the idea of earning free Amazon.com gift cards etc, these can be a simple way to do it. Plus, most of these survey sites will give you at least some minimal points whether you were approved to participate in the survey or not.

In the end, I have to say that I think paying someone $30 or more just to be directed to a bunch of survey sites is a SCAM! I’m going to list the survey sites I participate in below. Like I said, on occasion they might offer monetary rewards, but for the most part they are points based survey rewards. If you’re a member of a survey site that pays real money, feel free to point me in the direction and I’ll give it a try, but right now, surveys are not the way to make money online.

Next time, I’m going to discuss what has proven to deliver actual monetary rewards, Paid for Blogging sites.

SURVEY LINKS

Canada Talks Now

Your 2 Cents

Global Test Market

American Consumer Opinion

Survey Lion

Survey Savvy

While the following aren’t strictly Survey Sites, they do offer actions you can take online to earn some extra money like reading emails, playing games or filling in offers.

Inbox Dollars

Snap Dollars

Email Pays U

Let’s face it, we could all use a few extra bucks, right? Whether it’s to feed your blogging habit by paying for your domain and hosting, or it’s to buy a little something for yourself off of Ebay, the simple fact is that a little extra is always a good thing.

But trying to find bloggers that are really open about how they go about making money online is more than a little difficult. All too often the promise of revealing secrets and tips degrades into just another affiliate program that you need to spend a fortune in advertising to get people to visit your site and to click on your affiliate links; let alone actually getting them to buy something!

A blog I found that has some good advice for working online is Something Useful. The blogger over there is very open about the fact that he is trying to make some money using his blog, and he feels quite strongly about being open about how he’s doing it. I can really appreciate that kind of honesty. If only others who were successful freely shared their information.

Hey

One more incentive site to mention to you.

I have enjoyed being a member of the SurveySavvy.com community and thought you might find it fun as well.

As a member, you can make a difference by participating in online surveys, focus groups, as well as other interactive studies.

SurveySavvy is unique from other online panels because of its patented referral program that gives you incentives for every survey your referrals complete and additional incentives for every survey their referrals complete. This represents growth to your account balance regardless of whether or not you actually complete any surveys!

To sign up, click on the following link: https://www.surveysavvy.com/ss/ss_index.php?id=3605316&k=83ad399942c2baf01b801a22e3912981&action=join&lid=en-us

If that doesn’t work, copy and paste the link into your browser.

Take Care,
Rob
========================================================

About SurveySavvy.com

Since its inception in 1999, the SurveySavvy online community has grown to include business professionals and consumers in more than 195 countries around the globe. Its unique patented referral program (Patent #7194448 & Patent No. 6446044) offers its members one of the industry’s most innovative ways to maximize incentives while helping to enrich and grow the community.

Hey Everyone,

I am a member of the Ipsos i-Say Panel, and I think you would also enjoy being a member. Ipsos not only asks for your opinions on a wide variety of topics but also offers the chance to win cash and prizes for participating in their online surveys.

It’s simple! Just click on the URL below to join. The registration process will only take about 10 minutes, and once you complete the survey you will automatically be entered to win $5,000!

Simply click on the address below to be linked directly to the survey site.

Join Now – https://register.i-say.com/research/links/20007/index.php?AID=1030454861

If your e-mail provider does not support hypertext links, please select the survey address above, then copy and paste it into your browser’s URL Window.

For more information about the Ipsos i-Say Panel, please visit www.i-say.ca.

Have your say by becoming a member of the Ipsos i-Say Online Panel too!

Good luck in the draw!

More about the Ipsos i-Say Panel

Ipsos is one of the largest survey-based research companies in the world, and among the most trusted research brands in North America. Ipsos conducts over six million surveys each year in over 100 countries. We conduct studies for leading companies around the globe in telecommunications, computer software and hardware, health care, retail, agriculture, financial services, and other industries. As a member of the Ipsos i-Say Online Panel, you have the opportunity to influence political, social, and consumer decision-makers with your thoughts and opinions.

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to let you know about a great new
Internet program called E-Mail Pays U! They pay you
for simply reading email! To make it even better they
will give you $10 just to join up. E-Mail Pays U will
even pay you when your friends and family read e-mail!

I know you’d like to earn some easy extra cash!
It doesn’t get any easier than this.
signing up for Free and earn a quick $10!!

Click Here To Check It Out!

Join today and earn a Free $10! E-mail Pays U
is totally free, privacy-protected and the money is real!

Best of luck,
Rob

I swear, it is damn near impossible to find a way to make money on the internet without having to cough up cash before you can even sample the goods.

Honestly, do you have to pay for a sit like Monster.ca or any other types of websites that post your resume to find an “outside world job?” No.

I’m sorry, but when a website says that it wants to help Stay-at-Home-Moms or those who are making substandard wages a way to make real money and then turns around and demands cash for access to that info, it just screams scam!! And if it isn’t a scam, then to me the person who created the website isn’t half as altruistic as they seem. Honestly, why can’t someone just have a website that is free and has access to stay-at-home money opportunities that are legit.

I work shift work, and we have 2 young boys that need constant care (especially seeing as how they both are autistic). It is virtually impossible for my wife to find a job that can work around my shifts. About the only way for this family to get some extra income (which we desperately need) is for her to find a way to make money from home. But as I’m finding, you have to have money to make money. There are no “free” ways of finding work from home jobs. Even the idea that she could make money by making and selling artwork sounds great, but where do you get the money for the raw materials?

So if anyone out there has a way to make money from home (legit ways ofcourse) let me know, I’m in the market.