influencer

How I’m Earning Extra Money in 2026 (& You Can Too)

Abby H.Leave a comment

As prices continue to increase and wages stay the same, some of you, like me, need to find a few ways to make a little extra money.

I’m not talking hundreds of dollars a week, I’d like to make an extra $20-$30 a week without having to DoorDash, drive for a ride share, or be an Instacart shopper. Any of those would take me away from my kids and cause me to spend money on childcare. I’ll be doing some side hustles from the comfort of my couch (or desk in my bedroom).

My plan for 2026 consists of using the following methods. I’ve posted links for as many sources as I have. Some of these links may be affiliate/referral links that may give me additional points or a few dollars as a reward. These points/rewards help me pay for my website hosting fees and occasionally a cup of coffee.

Surveys: If you’ve read my blog for any amount of time, you know I love me a good survey.

MyPoints: Do 4-5 short surveys per day. I’ve been doing it since Thanksgiving break, and I’m able to earn the equivalent of a $5 gift card in about 40 minutes. Sometimes I earn more points, but 4-5 surveys in one sitting while I watch an episode of something on TV is pretty decent.

Paid View Point: They email me a few times a day to remind me I have new surveys to complete. My plan for 2026 is to do the surveys as I am notified via email. The cash-out threshold is $10, and that’s pretty easy to get to.

Pinecone Research: I’ve been using them for as long as I can remember, probably close to 10 years. I receive notifications via email every couple of days, take a few surveys, earn some points, and cash out about $10 every month or so. It’s quick, and it’s pretty easy. You can save up your points to purchase stuff from their digital catalog, or you can have them send you funds viaPayPal or Venmo.

PRC, Advanced Opinions, Focus Group Connection, and Ascendency Research are all companies that run market research, research studies, and group bulletin boards for brands and companies. I apply for as many as I can that I think I would be a good fit for and that fit in my schedule. And I try to post many of these opportunities on my blog when I feel they would be of interest to my readers. My goal for 2026 is to do at least one of these per month, as long as it pays over $150.

Verasight: Verasight is a company that works with all sorts of people and companies. A lot of the time, it’s people who are doing surveys as part of their PhD or master’s research. The surveys are quick, often less than 10 minutes, and they pay about a dollar each. Cash out is $10, and I am able to cash out about once a month. For 2026, I am going to continue to do surveys with them, and my goal is to make a payout every two weeks.

Beyond surveys, another way that I make money passively is through the Small Business Knowledge Center. I have been a part of them for I think about 10 years at this point, and I send them my junk mail and my junk email, and occasionally do missions for them. It’s a pretty easy way to get rid of your junk mail and earn a $20 gift card about every two or three months. When we refinanced last, it led to a large increase in junk mail, and I was able to do a couple of special projects for SBKC, and I was able to earn an extra $40.

This is one of the most passive ways I make extra money. In 2025, I made $120 from SBKC, which is the most I have ever made. We just got tons of junk mail, and my inbox was slammed with spam.

Another way that I will be earning a little bit extra in 2026 is by taking advantage of companies that are looking for micro influencers. These don’t tend to pay cash, but they offer free products in exchange for social media posts or reviews on social media. I can get free products that I might otherwise not be able to afford, but need or want. A couple that I use is Stack Influence, Ripple Street, Influenster, Tryazon, Home Tester Club, and Smiley360.

Getting free products saves me money, and posting a review or something on social media will take me less than an hour. I tend not to review products that are below $30 unless it’s something I really want or need, because my time is valuable. I don’t want to spend half an hour to 45 minutes making social media posts for a three-dollar bottle of juice.

And for 2026, I will be bringing back my monthly posts where I disclose how much I made each month. My reason for this is two-fold: Transparency for my readers, and to prove to myself that I can do it! I’ll be keeping a Google Sheet to track my earnings.

 

This post contains affiliate links. For more information about the use of affiliate links and partnerships, visit my disclosure page. 

Moms Meet Wow Summit 2022: It’s Virtual!

Abby H.

The Moms Meet WOW Summit is back for 2022 and it’s virtual again!

If you have followed me for a whole, you know I love Moms Meet. It’s an amazing way to try out products for moms, kids, and families. Every year, they hold a Wow Summit somewhere in the US. This year it’s virtual again AND FREE for Moms Meet members, so really… no reason not to attend, right??

The Wow Summit is three fun-filled and educational days focused on raising happy and healthy families.

Empowering moms to raise happy and healthy families

Experience everything our WOW Summit has to offer, right from the comfort of your own home. From attending educational workshops and hearing from compelling speakers, to networking with like-minded moms, you’ll walk away equipped with the knowledge you need to raise a happy and healthy family. You’ll also have access to our Virtual Exhibit Hall filled with the newest natural, organic, non-GMO, eco, educational, homeopathic, and allergy-free products on the market, plus so much more.

The best part—it’s totally free to attend if you are a member of Moms Meet! There’s even a unique Track just for bloggers and influencers.

There are two tracks, and there will be workshops and classes for every parent/caregiver!

Community Track

Join hundreds of moms, dads, grandparents, and caretakers committed to leading healthy lifestyles.

  • Discover better-for-you products and chat live with brands in the Virtual Exhibit Hall.
  • Hear from inspirational speakers and attend educational workshops.
  • Network with other moms and attend a Virtual Happy Hour.
  • Enter to win amazing prizes worth hundreds of dollars.
  • Receive a Digital Swag Bag filled with amazing discounts and coupons.

Blogger/Influencer Track

Whether you’re a new or experienced blogger or influencer you’ll walk away feeling inspired and full of ideas to take your platforms to the next level.

  • Attend workshops tailored towards bloggers, influencers, and content creators.
  • Network during exclusive events and meet other mom bloggers and influencers.
  • Meet one-on-one with brands offering sponsored campaign opportunities.
  • Plus, gain access to all the Community Track sessions and Virtual Exhibit Hall, enter to win prizes, and so much more.

I’ve been introduced to so many brands, products, and bloggers/influencers since I became a member of Moms Meet. I encourage you to check out the Wow Summit.

 

Making Money as a Blogger or Influencer

Abby H.

**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you click on links or make purchases. However, I only post about stuff that I like and use for my family.

As part of my New Years Resolution, I have joined a lot more blogger/influencer groups online to expand the number of blogs I read and also try to increase my engagement (that’s people reading and interacting with my blog and social media accounts). One question I see over and over is from new bloggers, and more and more, new influencers (those who microblog or vlog on Instagram or TikTok but don’t have a written blog like this one): HOW DO I MAKE MONEY??

That’s a valid and important question. I wanted to share some of the ways I make money or get free products. For those of you who aren’t bloggers, vloggers, or influencers this may be an interesting read to see how bloggers actually make money.

I don’t make a ton of money blogging, but it’s enough to pay for any promotions or contests I run, buy crafts supplies for the events I host (in pre-covid times), and my website hosting fees. I don’t blog to make tons of money, I blog to share my journey through parenthood and my frugal skills with others. That being said, it is nice to make a little extra money sometimes.

Most of these links are referral links, so I will either receive a bounty/commission if you sign up through my links.

Affiliate Networks:

  • ShopHer– Formerly MySavings. They have campaigns (pay per click, sign up) that change frequently, in addition to printable coupons and free sample offers.  Sometimes they have sponsored posts available too. Minimum pay out $50.
  • Shareasale– They partner with hundreds (maybe thousands) of companies and brands. Search for a company, apply, and once approved, start posting their deals and you’ll earn a percentage of what you sell.  I post deals from Mabel’s Labels, Craftsy, and Cents of Style. Minimum pay out $50.
  • Massive Sway- A completely different type of network. Massive Sway works with brands and PR companies to bring you campaigns to share on your blog and across social media platforms. Each campaign has it’s own set of posting rules and pay out amount. You apply for campaigns that interest you. Each campaign has either a set price or they let you pitch what you feel the campaign is worth to you.

PR Companies: I work with a handful of local (So Cal/West Coast) Public Relation groups to help local businesses, media ventures, movie premieres spread the word. I also review or share products. It’s a lot like Massive Sway above. Sometimes with PR companies it’s in-kind work, so free movie tickets and concessions, swag, or items to review and some to use as a giveaway.

Amazon: When you are writing about products that you use or like, you can link to the items on Amazon and when people click the link and buy the item, you receive a commission. Sometimes there are also bonus programs where you will receive a flat “bounty” (aka commission) if someone signs up for Prime- It’s usually $5.00

Tomoson: This is a company that works with brands to find influencers to share products (sometimes services too). Mostly social media sharing, but also blogging opportunities. Sometimes you can get free stuff, sometimes it’s discounted (and we’ll talk about this in a minute), sometimes you’ll get paid just to distribute content. BUT- Watch out, there are still companies and brands that want you to buy their product on Amazon with a coupon code and review the item (positively, of course) on Amazon. This is against Amazon’s TOS, and you can get your account wiped. That’s a nice way of saying the remove most or all of your reviews and revoke your ability to leave reviews on anything in the future. NOT WORTH IT!!

HeartBeat: This is a great one- It’s all on Instagram! I’ve done a few campaigns for them, and I have received free products in addition to payment. It’s quick work too. Anyone with an Instagram account can join! They tend to be more focused on influencers in the 18-30 age range.

If you are looking for just free stuff in exchange for social media shout-outs, check out this post on Word of Mouth Marketing. Word of Mouth Marketing is a perfect way to start out when you are dipping your toe in the Influencer world.

Instagram: If you have an Instagram account, no doubt companies have “slid” into your DM’s offering you a discount (usually 10-30%) for one of their products in exchange for free promotion/mentions on your Instagram account. Personally, unless it’s something that I need or have had my eye on for a while a 10-30% discount isn’t enough of a deal to persuade me.

Discounts vs. Free items (also called in-kind) vs. getting paid cash

A lot of people getting started in the blogging world want to make a go of it as their full time job, and I think that is awesome. It’s a lot of work.

If that is you then it is my opinion that you should go to as many gigs that pay cash as possible. Cash pays your bills, keeps your light on, a roof over your head, puts food in your belly.

A 20% discount on a pair of $200 earrings from some company that pitched you on Instagram through your DM’s does not.

I like partnering with brands that can help me stretch my budget. I love talking about cooking and food on the blog and my socials. I’ll work with food companies any day of the week if they can meet what I need. I need to make X amount of money, or receive X amount in their product to compensate. That helps me stretch my grocery budget, gives me content, and helps spread the word about their awesome nummy noms (whatever they sell).

Maybe food isn’t your thing. Maybe beauty products, or clothing. Whatever your niche is, know your price. Know your worth. In the beginning, when you first start out, don’t feel bad taking smaller contracts, smaller promotions. It’s all about getting established and finding your voice. That’s why I like ShopHer and ShareaSale. There are always things I can post or write about and earn money.

And don’t feel like you need to be posting monetized content 24/7. Most of what I post isn’t. It’s recipes, opportunities for my readers to make money, save money, tricks/tips.

If blogging/vlogging/infuencing isn’t going to be your sole source of income, or you just want to have fun and score free/discounted stuff- That’s cool too. Do what makes you happy!

Talk Back: If you have questions about blogging or making money, or if want to share a success, please leave a comment! I love helping and celebrating in the success of other Bloggers/vloggers/influencers!

 

 

 

Making Money Online with Social Media!

Abby H.

spilled-money.jpgI’m sure you’ve seen some of the Work at Home scams floating around the internet, in fact, I talk about a few of them in this post.

This post is all about making money (and/or scoring free cool stuff) via social media.

What’s your brand? Crunchy mom, Working mom, Millenial, Xennial, Stay at home mom, DINK, LGTBQA+, Latinx, Green living, a combination of the above, non of the above? Did you know that you are your own brand, and what you post about online is of interest to larger brands and PR companies.

These companies are looking for unique voices and viewpoints to promote their products and services. Sometimes it’s for free products, sometimes money, sometimes both! This is known as Micro-Influnced marketing. What is a Micro-Influencer? Mavrck says, “Micro-influencers are everyday consumers who have 500 – 5,000 highly engaged followers around relevant topics.” Most of you reading this fit this description and didn’t even know it.

That’s awesome, you are thinking, but how do I seek out opportunities?

Here are a few companies that I use:

Tomoson: This is a company that works with brands to find influencers to share products (sometimes services too). Mostly social media sharing, but also blogging opportunities. Sometimes you can get free stuff, sometimes it’s discounted, sometimes you’ll get paid just to distribute content, sometimes you’ll get paid. BUT- Watch out, there are still companies and brands that want you to buy their product on Amazon with a coupon code and review the item (positively, of course) on Amazon. This is against Amazon’s TOS, and you can get your account wiped. That’s a nice way of saying the remove most or all of your reviews, and revoke your ability to leave reviews on anything in the future. NOT WORTH IT!!

HeartBeat: This is a great one- It’s all on Instagram! I’ve done two campaigns so far, and I have received free product in addition to payment. It’s quick work too. Anyone with an Instagram account can join!

If you are looking for just free stuff in exchange for social media shout outs, check out this post on Word of Mouth Marketing. Word of Mouth Marketing is a perfect way to start out when you are dipping your toe in the Influencer world.

**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you click on links or make purchases. However, I only post about stuff that I like and use for my family.