It's easy!

Surfing for cash is a great way to have some fun, and it's more profitable than playing games or watching videos. You can get some cash for milk and bread, or maybe some gift cards to your favorite department store or eatery. There's nothing quite like opening the snail mailbox to find what I call "friendly mail!" This includes checks, freebies, coupons, and my personal fav, gift cards. And, getting deposits directly to your PayPal account, as many of these sites do, is almost instant gratification!

Before you get started, here are just a few things to consider:

• First, the object is to earn rewards, not buy a bunch of stuff you don't want or need. It's tempting to get carried away with some of the offers. But if you spend more than you're earning, well, you know how that is.
• Next, you don't want all the offers and stuff you are going to get coming to your main e-mail box. Set up a free account on Yahoo or Google or something and that way, you can manage your surfing for cash hobby a little better. You can make that account dump into your regular e-mail account if you want, but until you get familiar with what's what, you may have trouble telling the surveys and paid to clicks from a message from your Aunt Bertha.
• Don't beat a dead horse! If you aren't getting anywhere with one site, try another. Qualifying for surveys will depend on a number of things, your age, your sex, if you have kids, pets, a home, a car, like to shop, read the newspapers and magazines, and just plain timing. Once a survey fills up, that's it. No more people will be surveyed.
• Do give real information. These sites use the information you submit to help their customers make decisions about products. If you're not being honest, they won't have much success providing the kinds of products and services that people really do want.
• Contests - well, not many of us every win. But what the heck! As long as some site will pay you a dollar to enter a contest, why not? You can always spam any e-mails you get that you really don't want to receive anymore.
• If you do need to make a purchase, check your sites to see which offers the best incentive to shop through their link. I once bought a refrigerator from a chain retailer online, and not only got points with the retailer (which I turned into a toaster and a video game), but some 5000 points added to my account balance at the point site. I turned those into a meal at Red Lobster, a spending spree at TJ Maxx, a Visa card I used for groceries, and I forget what else. And I really did need the refrigerator! I felt very smug about that creative shopping manuever.

Well, that's it for now. You're probably a bit overwhelmed already. But check back because when I have time, I'm going to add more tips on ways to make a buck. Heck, they're going to give it to someone, why not you and me?