3 Ways To Earn Cash Just By Giving Your Opinion

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Imagine sitting at home, your feet up, the laptop open and you are making money just for expressing your opinion.

"I can do it in my pajamas when my hair's crazy," says Beth DeVivo of West Pittsburg. "I can do it the only time I have - before my kids wake up and after they go to sleep - and you can't get a job at those times.

So, the busy mother of two has been going online to access CashBack Research and answer online surveys to earn money.

"You get strictly cash,' DeVivo said. "They pay you a nickel for logging in, a quarter for taking this 'what's your interest survey,' $5 for taking a 20 minute survey; and if you qualify for additional surveys, they'll add another dollar. At least that way I can see and judge if it's worth my time."

Many online survey sites will pay in points that must be cashed in for prizes, and some will sell your email address to spammers. So, if you are searching for a survey site, make sure you read the fine print.

DeVivo says some of the surveys can be completed in a few minutes, and others can take up to an hour.

The more time spent answering questions the more money you will make. You won't get rich, but you could easily earn your monthly gas money.

"I'm making money for stuff I am doing anyway," says Kirk, who spends his free time as a Field Agent for TrendSource.com. (Just click on Field Agent in the menu bar.)

As a Field Agent, Kirk goes online before he heads to the grocery store to see if his grocer is asking for some secret shopping.

"Sometimes they'll send you to Giant Eagle," says Kirk. "And while you are there, you are going to buy $4 worth of stuff so we have a receipt to prove you were there; and you're going to walk around for about an hour and you're going to write the prices of 50 items."

Kirk then heads home, logs on and enters the prices, scans the receipt, and gets electronically reimbursed and paid for his time.

"Depending on the assignment, sometimes they are $4, sometimes they are $10, sometimes they are 15, 20 depending on the time and where they are sending you," Kirk said. "Sometimes, when they can't find someone to do it, they send out an emergency alert and they will throw in a few more bucks, and you could make $20 to $30 to grocery shop for an hour."

Kirk had some initial reservations about having to use his own money for purchases but says, "they always pay you and they are quick about it."

While you can do the surveys and secret shopping to your heart's content, the opportunities to offer your opinion in a focus group are more limited. Minutes to dollars, they pay the most.

Amy Dubin, the Executive Vice President of Campos, Inc. says on "an average study you can get anywhere from $50 to $120 depending on the amount of time you are asked to come in."

But even if you make it through the extensive screening process, Dubin says it's not the type of compensation you should count on.

"This is absolutely, not a part time job," she says. "It is compensation for your opinions once or twice a year."

So, if you are looking to make a part-time job out of selling your opinions, reaching out to multiple opportunities is going to be your best bet.

Advertisers and companies are constantly seeking feedback, so the opportunities are endless. How much you make is entirely up to how much time you are willing to invest.

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