Making Money Online

When I first started going online, I had no idea about all the ways to earn extra cash. When I found out how many different sites there were on the web, I was excited! It was like an added bonus for doing things that I like to do anyway. Of course I ran into scams, and sites that never pay, all the bad stuff as well as the good.

I first came across survey sites. There are many different survey sites on line. Some pay you cash for taking surveys, and some give you points. If they offer points, they usually convert the points to cash, or merchandise once you reach a certain amount. There are also survey sites that will put you into drawings. I usually don't waste my time with those. I stick to the survey sites that actually pay you some way or another, for my opinion and my time. There are a lot of legitimate survey sites out there. Never pay to become a member. If they are legitimate, they are free to join.

The second type of site I came across are what people call get paid to, or GPT sites. There are many, many of these sites. This is where you have to be careful. These types of sites seem to be popping up everywhere. Some of the sites end up not paying you. First let me explain how a GPT site works...these sites have 'offers', which sometimes are free things, once in awhile a survey, or sometimes even sign ups for other GPT, or survey sites. They also have free trials, (which you have to cancel before the trial is up, or you will be charged money). If you do join a GPT site, make sure they are legitimate. It is sometimes hard to know, because a lot of these sites offer referrals, and sometimes people will say anything to get a referral if the site is paying, so be careful! I have joined a few, and the offers I complete were never 'verified by the company'. So I spent my time, and never got compensated. Some of the GPT sites also have a very large minimum to cash out. Most are twenty to thirty dollars, some are fifty, and some are even a hundred dollars. I try to stick to the one's that have the lower cash out options because after all, this is just for extra money, not something to make a living off of, and sometimes it takes a long time to get up to a hundred dollars. Especially after you have signed up for all the offers...new offers can sometime be slow to come!

The next type of site I found are the sites that pay you to write. There are a few of these sites out there, and if you like to write, then go for it. If you are just doing these types of site for money, you probably won't do that well. There are some writing sites out there that offer free lance writing jobs for magazines as well. These types of writing jobs pay more, but it is hard to get your article chosen most of the time because of the amount of people submitting content.

The forth type of site I found, are the 'social networking sites' that pay you to participate. There are more and more of these sites popping up, but most I find, are not worth the effort, if you do not enjoy the site. I ended up joining a lot of these types of sites, but only found one enjoyable, and I have been an active participant on that site for two years now. I average about fifty dollars a month there, but I enjoy it so much, that the money is no longer why I am there. I have made a lot of great friends, and get to read and see a lot of great content! This is by far my favorite way to make money on line, while socializing!

There are also sites that give you a percent of cash back when you shop, some of the GPT sites also have stores that you can shop through, and they will give you a percent back as well. If you shop online, this is a great way to get a little something back. Once again, you won't get rich, but every little but will help.

Then there are the sites that pay you to click on ads. These sites usually only pay between one and three cents per click. Some offer a very small sign up bonus, and some also will pay you to refer people. These are known as Pay To Click, or PTC sites. These sites p[y the least of all the paying sites out there, and it does take a very long time to make any money on these. The good thing about these sites though, are that some of them allow you to advertise your website, in exchange for clicking on ads. So, if you have a website to advertise, you may want to think about getting involved with a PTC site, it's cheap advertising for you!

The last type of site that I have come across that pay, are sites that pay you to do reviews. Reviews of either merchandise you have bought, or vacations you have gone on, or even websites you have used. Some of these sites pay better then others, and you just have to find which ones you like, and which pay the best. I like these sites, because it not only makes you a little cash, but it helps people to know a real persons experience with different products. They are also wonderful if you are thinking about purchasing something because you can see how other people reviewed and rated the products.

I have found many sites online that pay you for various things. I have been scammed a few times, but all in all, I make a little extra cash every year, and it really does help me out. If you are retired, or a stay at home mom, this extra cash can really help you out. I work part time, and then I also do all these websites, and it helps me to pay for all the little extras that I need.