Help Your Pocket; Cheapen Your Shopping List

Everyone struggles for money at some point in their life, some more than others. The most obvious options to earn a bit more, such as taking extra shifts at your current job or a second job, are simply not an option for everyone.

The extra work option could be limited because of illness — not being well enough to work more hours, personal time limitations, or other responsibilities.

Another approach could be making the earnings you get go further — get more for your money.

This could be done by finding cheaper alternatives, looking for "2 for 1" or "buy one get one free" offers in local supermarkets, or saving up supermarket loyalty points for money off vouchers.

To make my money go further, I earn shopping vouchers answering surveys online for a few companies in my spare time.

I can then use the vouchers and gift cards for high street and online shopping instead of using my bank card, meaning I can keep the cash I have for other things.

The payment forms I normally choose for the surveys/product reviews are Paypal payments, Tesco Vouchers, and M&S gift cards — all of which I use for grocery shopping.

I will occasionally choose other vouchers on offer for Boots or Argos.

Many have the option of donating earnings to a charity.

Valued Opinions

Surveys are offered regularly from this site — I get sent two or three per day which I can access from my email set-up or by logging on to the Valued Opinions site itself.

They tend to be around 10 to 20 minutes per survey, if you are eligible to complete them and vary in earnings from 50p to £1.50/£2.00.The gift cards and e-vouchers range from £8 to £20 and include Tesco, M&S, Argos, Boots, Sainsburys, Cineworld, Costa, and John Lewis, among others.This site pays out very quickly — with printable e-vouchers and gift cards being emailed out within a couple of hours. I normally save my survey credits on this site for Tescos, Sainsburys, and M&S Vouchers from to use for grocery shopping, so that I need to use less actual cash.Have a look at the site, or sign up.

Global Test Market

This site tends to have a lot of surveys to do, but I only seem to be "eligible" for about half — very annoying!

I have also noticed on this site a tendency for them to allow the demographic questions at the end of the survey; meaning that you spend 15 minutes on a survey only to be told you are "ineligible" at 98% completion.

This means the businesses get all their questions answered, then kick you out so that you get nothing for giving them your time.

Beware — This is a sneaky way for the marketers to get the answers without paying out your survey credits as advertised.

On this site you can redeem on reaching the 2000 point minimum.Paypal payments can be made, or choose from e-vouchers and gift cards for iTunes, Toy 'R' Us, Amazon, Argos, Boots, Debenhams, Iceland, Cineworld, M&S, among others. On this site there is also the option to make a charity donation.

Payouts from this site are advertised as 5–10 working days — and I can truthfully say that, so far, they have always paid out my vouchers within this timescale.

I tend to get Paypal payments or M&S Vouchers from this site.Have a look around the site.

Slice the Pie

This is a review-writing site. Objects written about include homeware, clothing, shoes, music samples and TV adverts.

The pay-per-review is very stingy, anything from 3 cents to 13 cents per review and you need a minimum of $10 (about £7.70) to withdraw.Being american based, you need to remember to use american spellings when writing, and not make too many reviews similar in wording — I got given the same product several times to review for some reason, then told off for writing the same review — which made no sense — why would my opinion of a product change in the space of five minutes?It can be mind-numbingly boring after you have done about 15 or 20 minutes. Seriously, I thought my brain was going to melt and run out through my nose at one point doing the music reviews, however I was stuck for cash, and had no food in the house so had no option but to persevere.Payout is almost instant from these guys — confirmation of the withdrawal is fast and is normally received into my Paypal account within 48 hours.Have a wee look here.

So, it's not a job...but it all helps

Online Surveys CANNOT be considered an income by any stretch of the imagination. However, if done regularly using a few sites, it IS possible to make a few vouchers each month and a small Paypal amount to cut down the amount of cash needed for grocery shopping.It all adds up. Everyone needs a bit of help, right?