Ways to Make Money Online

Where to Find Online Freelance Writing Jobs

There are many ways to make money out there in the freelance writing world. I've already provided an example of what not to do, so let's discuss what you should do! The first place to check out is Craigslist. That's actually where I've found a couple of good writing jobs. There's also a place there to advertise your writing services.

Another site to check out is Online Writing Jobs. Here, you get hundreds of writing jobs, all organized by category. I've had my best luck at this site. I like how they've restructured it (it used to be just a simple message board), because it allows you to find the newest jobs easily.

So, those two sites are the best ones I've found, but there are a few others that writers like to use, namely Elance, and Guru.com. However, these two sites go against my personal perferences, as you have to bid for project as well as pay membership fees.

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Paid Surveys: What to Avoid, and What to Seek: Part 2

As I mentioned on Monday, there are only 2 survey companies that I actually use. One is for points to earn towards gift certificates, and the other is for actual money.

E-Poll: I like this site mostly because the surveys really are quite enjoyable. They are always about things like movie trailers, or trailers for television shows. I remember seeing a trailer for "Breaking Bad" a few months before promos began airing for it on television. You're rewarded in points (don't worry, they add up quickly) that you can redeem for gift certificates to restaturants, movie theatres, iTunes, and more.
Your2Cents: Really, I can't say enough great things about this site. I only started a little while ago, and am almost ready to get my second check! Many survey companies make it hard for members to qualify for their surveys, but that very rarely happens with this company.

So, there you have it, my two favorite survey companies. If there are some companies that you've used and like, please let me know about them so I can try them out and discuss them here sometime!

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Paid Surveys: What to Avoid, and What to Seek: Part 1

This week, I'll be discussing paid survey sites. If you have Gmail, you've probably seen at least a few of those Adwords ads on the side talking about how you can make something like $75.00 an hour taking paid surveys. Wrong! Talk about false advertising.

Of course, this ends up being profitable advertising, because people who aren't familiar with internet marketing will immediately at least click on the advertisement link to find out more. I used to be one of those people.

Instead of getting a list of survey companies for free, advertisement usually want people to spend money to get the list in the first place. NEVER pay money to find out about survey companies! That's a scam, and a simple Google search will reveal plenty of survey sites looking for members. These sites should be free to register for. After all, it's ridiculous to pay money to take surveys in an attempt to make money.

Survey companies are crafty too. Many of them won't reward you in actual money, but rather in entries to money prizes. Don't waste your time by signing up for these. Others will reward you with a dollar or so for taking a survey that's a half-hour long. You don't find out that's how much you've gotten until the survey has already been taken. Then, these same companies might have a payment threshold of $30.00! The same goes for surveys in which you earn points towards gift certificates or money. You might get 5 points for a survey, and need 1,000 points to redeem a gift card. Ridiculous.

Something else you should be aware of is, as with all e-mail endeavors, spam. Some of the less-reputable companies will put your e-mail address on a mailing list, or capture your e-mail address by making you subscribe to at least one mailing list in order to become a member. If you are still intent on signing up for as many paid survey companies as possible, always make a separate e-mail account for just that purpose.

There are hundreds of survey sites out there, so which ones work? Well, I've tried dozens of them, and I have to say that I currently only use two paid survey companies. As for what these two companies are? Don't worry, you'll find out on Friday :)

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Paid to Read E-Mails: What Works, What Doesn't : Part 2

On Monday, I gave an introduction to PTR companies, as well as information on how to organize all of the information that each PTR site you register for will give you. Yes, there are indeed dozens of PTR companies, but the problem is that many of them are pretty much worthless. Unfortunately, many of the PTR companies are started by individuals who really have no idea how to run a website. They're in it for the money that companies might pay to advertise on their site, and could care less if you make money.

You can notice these sites right away. They're usually filled with atrocious spelling errors, and offer anywhere from a measly .005 cents to one cent per e-mail you read. With payout thresholds usually being $10.00 or higher, it really is a waste of your time to sign up with most of the PTR companies.

The truth of the matter is that you won't become rich from any PTR company. However, you can earn a nice little extra amount of money from the following sites:

Send Earnings: Send Earnings is a good site for not only paid e-mails, but also for taking surveys and completing additional offers. I tend to shy away from the offers, as many of them require a credit card, but the surveys are interesting, and you get a decent amount of daily e-mails.

Inbox Dollars: Inbox Dollars is similar to Send Earnings, but I like it even more because there are more survey opportunities and you get many paid e-mails per day. There's also the opportunity to complete offers, of which you can choose from those that are paid, and those that are free.

Snap Dollars: I must say, I have a particular fondness for Snap Dollars. I actually did a couple of their free trials and ended up keeping my Netflix account, all of which earned me some extra money. The PTR program here isn't as good as the ones I've already mentioned, but this is a great site for earning money through completed free offers, some of which don't require a credit card!

Deals 'n Cash: Deals n' Cash doesn't actually provide many paid e-mails, but the e-mails that do come along are at least 5 cents, which is among the highest PTR e-mails you'll find. If you do choose to join this site, be sure to check your PTR e-mails regularly, as they expire.

Hits4Pay: Hits4Pay is the best PTR site on the internet today. I get lots of daily PTR e-mails from them, and I have a nice little account income accumulating as a result.

There you have it, the top 5 PTR companies. Aside from Deals n' Cash, which needs to be checked regularly, I check the e-mail account associated with these PTR companies about once a month, maybe twice. Make sure you check them at least that much, otherwise, as in the case of Snap Dollars, they will make your account inactive and you might end up losing any accumulated money. Also, the paid e-mails from Send Earnings and Inbox Dollars usually expire after a month of not having been read. Happy reading!

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Paid to Read E-Mails: What Works, What Doesn't : Part 1

A year ago I, like many people I'm sure, saw a bunch of advertisements for Paid to Read (PTR) e-mail companies, and signed up for many of them. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the trend, advertisements/promotions from various companies are e-mailed to you, you click on the link, and earn anywhere from 2-5 cents for each one. Most of the advertisements require you to stay in a specific page for about 30 seconds at a time. Others are just a matter of clicking on a link.

Well, I saw dollar signs, and literally signed up for dozens of these PTR sites. Luckily, I was smart enough to make a Gmail account for just this purpose. Before you go any further, you absolutely must make a separate e-mail account. While Gmail is the best, there are lots of other places where you can get a free e-mail account.

Why is setting up a separate e-mail account so important? Because the more companies you sign up for, the more e-mails you'll get, and this can literally be in the hundreds each week. The PTR sites that aren't all that reputable will also probably sell your e-mail address to other companies, which will result in lots of spam too.

So, you've got your e-mail address all set, now you have to prepare yourself for lots, and lots (and lots) of filling in registration forms. Make it easier on yourself by using the same password and username for everything. Also, I would suggest using the RoboForm software (there's a free trial version!) which will automatically fill those forms for you, thus saving you lots of time. Whatever you do, never pay money to find out the websites of various PTR companies – a simply Google search will provide you with more than enough free resources.

Another thing I would suggest is allocating your time wisely. If you're determined to sign up for as many PTR companies as possible, spend no more than 2 hours a day for a week gathering everything together. In your Gmail account, make a folder that says something to the effects of "PTR Sites" and store each and every confirmation e-mail you get from the companies once you've signed up. These e-mails will contain your login information, as well as the links to member areas. Also, make sure that you start a folder under the Favorites section of your browser, (this could also be "PTR Sites" or something to that effect) and bookmark the login pages of each PTR site you sign up for.

Okay, I've given you advice on how to find and organize everything. Now, what if I told you that there are only five PTR sites that are worth registering for? It's true! I signed up for dozens of those PTR sites, and on Friday I'll tell you what to avoid, and what to bookmark.

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