The problem is I am really beginning to enjoy this. Perhaps I am a failed writer, I don't know, but either way I hope you find the information here useful and readable. Let me know. If you like what you see, feel free to link to me from your own web site of blog, it helps get my google ranking up if nothing else ;-)
Today's subject is cash back. In my first blog I mentioned two cash back methods, 1) Joining Internet cash back sites 2) Taking out a cash back card. Lets start with the Internet.
Firstly, if you are wary about putting to much information about your self onto the Internet, this is not for you. Many would think you right to worry about giving out too many personal details. The fact is though that cash back sites are driven, primarily, by targeting you with advertising that meets your profile, so the more they know about you the more they can target you. As research for this blog I joined a few of the current sites and I have rated them below, however I was already an experienced cash backer!! (More later)
So, mostly these sites are trying to advertise to you, get you to buy other peoples products. They entice you to do this by many ways.
a) Offering you cash!
b) Offering you incentives
c) Prizes
The ways they target you are varied but the main ones seem to be
i) Asking your opinion getting you to complete a survey
ii) Entering you in prize draws if you look at adverts or offers
My previous experience was with Mutual Points cash back site, here you earn points by registering and buying through their site. You can also earn points by printing coupons, writing reviews and reading and responding to adverts. Over the course of about a year, without spending any money, I earned about £250. Primarily through using a couple of price comparison sites and responding to adverts that did not require any commitment other than my email.
On a scale of 1-10: 8 Easy money, if a bit long winded. You have to visit every day to click through to earn your points. Downside: You can be enticed to click on high points items, which lead you to offers that you don't really want.
A more recent site I joined was Opinion world. This promised me the world, but has frankly delivered just Lichtenstein. This is a survey site. Surveys I have done so far have earned me nothing, but have earned a couple of contributions to a charity I would not normally support ;-(
On a scale of 1-10 0, Nada, Zip, Nothing: In terms of making money this has been a waste of time.
Win4Now - typical win prizes site. Haven't won anything.
My Offers - you enter a number of "competitions" all of which seem to require you to enter you mobile number, as you enter you amass prizes which can be claimed, but each prize requires payment of £2.99 post and packing.
Here are some example prizes:
As a 3 star member you could claim a pack of photo paper, a Britannca DVD or a pilates DVD As a 4 star you can get lego racers, fun 2 learn pc game or FBI files DVD
As a 5 star member I could get 1 2gb Flash drive, or SD card, or a Pedometer with FM radio
I will update this blog with progress later in the year.
New: Just in I joined Valued Opinions today, this promises me the world as well....watch this space ;-)
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