Watch videos, play games and earn
Swagbucks
Swagbucks* is a fun survey site that pays you for completing short online tasks in virtual cash - you can then exchange this for real money, Paypal credits or gift cards to spend at Amazon, M&S and more. The site's huge in America, and here in the UK many MSE forumites are dedicated users.
Usually you get only a few points for registering, but newbies who register via this MSE Blagged Swagbucks* link will get bonus points worth £10 if they earn £5 (849 SB - we reckon about four hours' 'work') within 30 days of signing up. So that's a total of £15.
Tasks include filling in polls, watching videos and searching using its page instead of Google. Advertisers pay Swagbucks to publicise their wares or do market research, and the site passes a cut to you. The more dedicated you are, the more you earn, though every task pays a different amount.
For motivation, join other points-chasers in the forum's popular Swagbucks Challenge 2017 thread. One committed 'swagger' from the forum, cally6008, says:
Swagbucks is one of several online earning sites I use, but it's one of my favourites. I know for a fact that you can earn £25 a month using the site, because I do so nearly every month.
- cally6008
How do I get my free £10?
See a full list of ways to earn Swagbucks
Quick summary
Who's it good for? People who want to grab quick cash for fun tasks
Typical earnings: £25/month
Payment method: Cash or Amazon voucher
Amount you need to earn before it pays: £3ish (depends on reward)
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Swagbucks forum thread
Online survey sites
Earn up to £800/year to give your opinion
Willing to give views on Justin Bieber, washing-up liquid or politics? If so, it's possible to earn £100s a year, without any special skill or talent.
It's all about stashing cash by filling in online surveys. For a full rundown of 25 of the top free sites see the Online Survey Sites guide.
Get paid to Google
Qmee
It's possible to get paid hard cash just for searching the web with Qmee*. It just involves downloading an add-on that sits on your internet browser. You then search online as you normally would on Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Bing and Tesco.
Qmee will show extra results or adverts alongside normal search results (see picture). Some firms pay Qmee to appear in these ads, and Qmee gives you a cut of the cash. If the Qmee result interests you, click it and you'll earn a few pence, usually 7-15p (though searches can pay up to £1 each).
Forumite The_Jakal says:
I've been using Qmee for three weeks and I'm on £14 now.
- The_Jakal
Quick summary
Who's it good for? Folks with the patience to click ads for a few pence a go
Typical earnings: £5/month
Payment method: Cash via PayPal
How much you need to earn before it pays: No minimum
Have you tried it? Share your experience in the Qmee forum thread
Quick questions
What exactly do I have to do?
Can I boost earnings by repeating searches?
What does Qmee do with my data?
Why does Qmee sometimes pay for clicks to MoneySavingExpert.com?
Earn hard cash for fun tasks
Gift Hunter Club
Online earning site Gift Hunter Club doles out points for watching videos, doing polls, entering competitions and completing other easy tasks.
You can convert these into cash through PayPal, Amazon vouchers and more. Just sign up and check the 'earn points' section. It shows the tasks available and what they pay.
MoneySavers reckon the site's fun, payment is quick and they earn a decent amount each week. Forumite mizzame says:
I made £10 in PayPal cash very easily last week, £8 the week before. Mainly from videos and easy tasks. My best earning site at the moment!
- mizzame
Aim to redeem your points on rewards giving better value
A £10 Amazon gift card costs 1,690 points. But 10 US dollars in cash (£8ish) via PayPal is 1,000 points, which can be better value, depending on the exchange rate. While Gift Hunter Club lists cash payments in US dollars, PayPal converts the cash into pounds.
Quick summary
Who's it good for? Those already using Swagbucks who want to join a similar site
Typical earnings: £7/week
Payment method: PayPal, Amazon vouchers and more
How much you need to earn before it pays: £1.60ish
Have you tried it? Share your experiences on the Gift Hunter Club forum thread
