Paid Focus Groups

I have previously mentioned getting paid to take surveys and getting paid to mystery shop but did you know you can get paid to be a part of a focus group? There are many companies willing to pay individuals to be a part of focus groups which study everything from consumer products to health care. As always, you may encounter third parties wanting to charge you for a listing of these companies but you can find all of these companies on your own. I have found 2 sites though which list these companies free of charge.

Check out Volition and Paid Focus Groups and register at companies near you. They will contact you when there is a group they want you to participate in.

I have participated in 2 different groups so far. Both were fun and enlightening. We met at a location and they gave us snacks and drinks and then we gathered around a table and discussed the topics at hand. I got paid $100 for 2 hours of my time with the first one and $70 for 2 hours the second one. And, they pay in cash at the end of your time. I can't wait for the next one.

Paid Surveys

I don't know about you but with the cost of living these days I'm finding it hard to meet everyday needs much less spend money on the fun stuff. I was on the Internet one day looking for ways to make money but still be able to stay at home with my kids. My search took me to Dr. Laura's website where she has articles and ideas for ways to make money at home. One click led to another and I found a website that you can pay a fee to and have access to all of the companies out there who either pay you cash or reward you points redeemable for merchandise. This website and others like it are the middlemen. They have done all of the work listing the survey companies so you don't have to do the search yourself. You can find all of the paid survey sites on your own but it takes time to find the legitimate ones. Beware of sites that promise you will make thousands of dollars because frankly, you can't. Getting paid to take surveys is not a way to make a good income but it can provide you with extra income. After reading all of the information at the middleman website I decided to give it a try, they had a 60 day money back guarantee if I didn't like it. I figured it was worth my time to pay the money instead of search for the sites. I did make back my initial investment within the first month so I'm going to let them keep my initial investment. This site also provided me with a list of all of the Mystery Shopping companies out there too.
If you want to give paid surveys a try, here are some tips to help you out.

• Decide if you want to use a middleman to help you find the site. I used Survey Scout
  Check out the survey police to see a list of the best and worst survey sites and read what others have to say about them. I found another site later that actually has everything listed for free. Check out Volition.
  
• Set up a separate email account to direct all survey related traffic to. Beware, signing up at the wrong sites will create a lot, I mean a lot of spam. These sites have listings for special offers and a lot of questions like, would you be interested in....... If you come across these survey sites and want to participate in their surveys but don't want the spam then click "no" to every offer.
  
• Some survey sites pay you to participate in free trial offers for products and services and then take a survey about the product/service. These can pay well but beware that many of the services are free only for a limited time. Keep track of the name of the product/service, when you sign up, when you need to cancel by before getting charged, and how to cancel.
  Of the sites that pay cash, make sure to get payment in the form of a check or PayPal payment. Never give out your bank number for direct deposit.
  
• Some sights have a minimum amount you need to achieve before you can cash out. Know what these minimums are.
  
• Be aware that it can take up to 8 weeks to receive your payment once you "cash out."
  

If you have some time while the kiddos are napping or while you watch TV you might want to consider this as a way to make some "fun money".

Mystery Shopping

I have had many people ask me lately about mystery shopping since I am a mystery shopper.
Despite what the name sounds like, mystery shoppers do not where a trench coat and sunglasses to hide their appearance. A mystery shopper is someone who gets paid to go to a particular store, restaurant, or other location and be a customer. It's all about evaluating customer service as well as the cleanliness of the location. As with paid surveys you will find middlemen wanting to charge you a fee to have access to the companies who hire mystery shoppers. There is no need to pay this fee because you can find the companies on your own just by searching for them and in a lot of cases, the sites that charge a fee are scams.

If you are interested in becoming a mystery shopper I would start by going to the Mystery Shopping Providers Association website. There is a listing of legitimate companies as well as training. Some companies ask if you are MSPA certified. You do not have to be certified to be a mystery shopper but in some cases you will be chosen first or be paid more if you are certified. Volition is also a good place to see a free listing of mystery shopping companies.

So here are some basic facts you should know.

• You cannot make a living mystery shopping. You can however, make some extra cash and be reimbursed for purchases.
  


• Some shops require you to purchase something. If this is the case, you will either be reimbursed for the purchase or you will be required to return the item to evaluate the return process.
  


• When you purchase items, always use a credit card. This will ensure that you can get your money back in a timely manner when you have to make a return.
  


• Most of the companies will pay/reimburse you via a check or a PayPal account. Some require direct deposit only. I would avoid the direct deposit ones unless you have a completely separate account not tied in with your personal account.
  


• For most companies the payments/reimbursements are made at the end of the following month of your completed shop. For example, if you complete a shop on Sept 15 you won't get paid for it until the end of October. This is to give both companies involved time to verify your shop.
  


• Most require you to have a digital camera to take pictures of your receipts or specific things at the location.
  


• A scanner is definitely helpful for scanning in receipts but isn't always required.
  


• You are notified of shops that are available via email. Some you can self assign and others you apply for and they let you know if you have been assigned.
  


• Read all of the information about the company and how the shop is to be performed. Incomplete shops or shops that are incorrect you will not be paid for.
  


• If you live on a tight budget, mystery shopping could be an excellent way to get the "shopping bug" out of your system or to just go out and have a free dinner. Shops include, restaurants, entertainment, retail, banking, apartments, and hotels.

I've been shopping for over a year and love doing the entertainment and dining shops. They usually equate to a free date night for my husband and me. If you have any more questions please feel free to ask. I can't however divulge which locations I shop or which companies I am signed up with. If you want to know the legitimacy of a mystery shop company I highly recommend going to Volition and reading the Mystery Shoppers Forum. At the forum you can read about other shoppers experiences with different companies. I usually go here to read about a company before I sign up. I want to make sure they pay in a timely manner. Happy shopping.

House Fires Started by Candles

All you need to do is a google search for house fires started by candles and you will see what a serious problem this is. In 2002, 18,000 fires were started from candles.
Candles can also burn children and pets who get to close to the flame or wax.
There has been an increase in candle use because they are used for more then just candle lit dinners now. Who can resist having something that will make your home smell like you've been baking all day or that you just walked into a garden?

There is a company that has created a product that eliminates the use of candles but provides the same benefit of decorating with candles and providing great fragrances with out a flame.

The company is called Scentsy and they have created a wick less candle. They use a food-grade petroleum based wax that has a low melt point and can hold a lot of scent. It works by placing the wax in a Scentsy Warmer which uses a 25 watt light bulb to which melts the wax and releases the fragrance. There is no sooty mess, or wick which eliminates the fire hazards associated with candles. The wax does not get hotter than a typical paraffin wax dip so little fingers will not get burned.

In addition to no flame I also like the fact that they have over 80 Scentsy fragrances and over 50 warmers to meet any decorative need. If I want to change the scent I just need to pour the melted wax back into the container it came in, wipe out the warmer with a paper towel, and then add the wax of the fragrance I want. The wax I had previously used can be used again and I don't have to mess with storing a bunch of bulky candles.

If this sounds like a product you would be interested in having or selling then you are in luck. I recently signed up to become an Independent Scentsy Consultant. You can purchase your wick less candles at my Scentsy website. While you are there, check out the business opportunity. I think you will love selling the product just as much as you love owning it. I know I do.