Online surveys and mystery shopping get a bad rap. Many people think that they are just scams but there are really some great (and legitimate) companies out there that will pay you for your time and effort. And to prove it, here’s what I earned from online surveys and mystery shopping last month, among other endeavors. I completed these mystery shops and surveys in the previous month (or earlier) and received the payment this month. Some of these mystery shops required me to pay something out of pocket to purchase a good or service (which I get to keep) but I was reimbursed for my purchase and was usually paid an additional fee.

December 2012
Inbox Dollars– $27.41
Rite Aid Rebate- $3.00
Mypoints– $10 BP Gas Card
Social Spark- $13.00
Google AdSense- $.44
Shugoll Research Focus Group- $200.00
MarketForce– $85.16
Coyle Hospitality– $40.84
Corporate Research International– $8.69
Sinclair Customer Metrics– $17.55

Total Earned: $406.09

Whoohoo!! I earned a lot (for me) in December which means I was really busy in November with mystery shops. The big income difference was a focus group that I got to particpate in and they gave me $200 for my time. I love focus groups!

What did I do with this money?

It went mostly into savings to complete our emergency fund. One of our biggest financial problems is not saving (and then using credit card as our savings account, ugh) so my husband and I are starting Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and we used this money to finish Baby Step 1 which is funding our $1000 emergency fund. My husband isn’t quite as on board as I would hope but I think that we can work together to get our finances in shape. It’s hard to work together when you live in separate places but luckily we communicate about money a lot and try to be open and honest with eachother.

What did you earn last month? What shape are your finances in?