UNITED STATES—Who out there doesn’t like free money? I know I do, how about you? I think most Americans are alike; it seems the quicker that you get money the faster it disappears. When you factor in your monthly expenses between rent/mortgage, lights, gas, water, car payments, cell phone, cable, internet, groceries and anything else, there is very little leftover for you to spend on yourself. So how is one to earn some extra cash? You can get a side gig like so many others that I know. Rather it’s doing a hobby that you’re good at that you can charge people for or a second job that is solely utilized as your free spending money.

I’ve found my niche and to be honest it’s something I love. I participate in surveys during the week. For those asking what company I’m referring to, don’t because not anyone can join, you have to be invited to join. No it’s not some sort or cult, but it’s exclusive to its members. At first I was skeptical about the surveys, because I thought it would be too time consuming, but I’ve come to realize that if I spend 1-2 hours a day completing surveys, I can earn enough currency (you are paid a currency for each survey you complete) to redeem for ton of items.

Once you’ve reached a certain amount of currency, you can exchange it for gift cards, mileage points and other great perks that you can use and various retailers and companies across the country. I mean I can easily earn $70-$150 per week in currency for redemption, but it’s all about having time to complete the surveys for me, which I love. Why? I get free money to spend at some of my favorite retailers.

I will be honest I did a ton of Christmas shopping last year from the free money I earned. Not to mention the past month, I’ve gotten more clothing than I can count, and guess what, I barely spent $10 of my own money after redeeming my gift cards. I’m able to purchase items for the house, groceries, earn frequent flier miles for trips, toiletries, cleaning products, dine out at my favorite restaurants, electronics, clothing; the list goes on and on.

I told a family member I was going to tally up the total amount of gift cards that I have redeemed in the past year so I can have an idea of how much free money I’ve earned. I know it’s at least $500-$1000 if not more. I don’t plan to stop, as this is a great opportunity to have some extra money in my pocket when my wallet is constrained because of bills or a delay in my paycheck (this is a completely another topic that we can discuss at a later date America).

Here is the key, if you have free money to use, use it wisely. Don’t spend to just spend, try to make that money stretch, so all the other income that you earn can be used for a rainy day or other things that you need or want.

Written By Kelsey Thomas