hustle

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. 

Earn Gift Cards with Surveys on MyPoints.com!

Abby H.

Last week was a no-work week for me, which is why you saw a lot more posts from me. At my 9-5 job, when we are closed, we don’t work, which means….. I don’t get paid.

Except for the holiday and the day after (it’s a floating holiday), that means I had 3 unpaid days off last week. What’s a girl to do, besides clean out the closets, steam clean the couch, take the kids to the zoo, and visit the eye doctor?

SURVEYS!

I spent my time between loads of laundry/meal prep/dishes and at 6 am every day (the cat doesn’t understand days off) doing surveys to earn a little extra money for the holidays. And Groceries.

I completed most of the surveys on MyPoints.com, which, in addition to offering a large number of surveys, also helps you save and earn money shopping online.

Here are some of the surveys available as of Monday night that I qualify for. 

 

For reference, 1600 points are equal to a $10 gift card. I usually get gift cards to stores where I can buy groceries, or I get gift cards that I can give as gifts.

I also completed surveys on Verasight, where I cashed out $10.00, and Paid ViewPoint, where I cashed out $15.00. I completed a few other misc. surveys I had in my email, including 4 software reviews on G2. Those pay $10 each. I was able to cash out about $90.00 in gift cards from My Points.

I didn’t get paid for any of the following, but I might later down the road if I get picked for a PRC research study. I post about those about once a week, or when they send me emails. They have a lot of various research studies available for people all across the US. Here are some I posted last week.

Earn Cash with PaidViewPoint!

Abby H.

I did it again!

I just cashed out from Paid Viewpoint so I figured it was a great time to share it with you again.

I’ve been a member for 9 years, and I do a couple of surveys each week. Each Survey you are sent, you are pre-qualified for. That means that you won’t spend 20 minutes doing a survey only to be told, “Sorry, we don’t need you!” and you don’t get paid. Paid ViewPoint surveys vary in bounty/amount earned, starting at .10 and working up to $5.00.

What I like is that Paid Viewpoint tells you how long each survey will take and how much it pays, no surprises.

Once you sign up, you will receive an email when they have surveys for you, but I check my Paid ViewPoint account a few times a week to see if there are any available, just in case I miss emails from them.
Obviously, I won’t be quitting my day job because of these surveys, but a little extra money never hurts.

Earn Cash with PaidViewPoint!

Abby H.

I just cashed out from Paid Viewpoint so I figured it was a great time to share it with you again.

I’ve been a member for 9 years, and I do a couple of surveys each week. Each Survey you are sent, you are pre-qualified for. That means that you won’t spend 20 minutes doing a survey only to be told, “Sorry, we don’t need you!” and you don’t get paid. Paid ViewPoint surveys vary in bounty/amount earned, starting at .10 and working up to $5.00.

What I like is that Paid Viewpoint tells you how long each survey will take and how much it pays, no surprises.

Once you sign up, you will receive an email when they have surveys for you, but I check my Paid ViewPoint account a few times a week to see if there are any available, just in case I miss emails from them.

I cashed out $10.86 this afternoon. Not tons of money, but, that’s only a months worth of surveys.

Disclosure: I may earn a commission or reward if you click on the links above. Please see my Disclosure page here for more info.

Earn Money This Summer with Surveys!

Abby H.

Even though I’m working summer school this year, pay day is net 30, meaning I won’t receive most of my summer pay until the end of August.  I need a little extra cash to take the kids on fun adventures, and snacks cost money! I try to spend 30 minutes a day doing surveys, usually early in the morning after the cat has demanded her breakfast, before the kids have woken up.  Here are some of my favorite survey companies:

PaidViewPoint– They only send you surveys that you qualify for, so there is no wasted time. Payout is only $15.00, so I make a payout about once a month. It’s not tons of work, and every little bit helps!

Pinecone Research: Get Paid $1-3 per survey!– My favorite survey company. $1-3 per survey you complete and they only send you surveys that you are already pre-qualified for!

I’ve been a member of Swagbucks for years, and it’s an easy way to earn free gift cards and cash.

Members join for free and will have access to all of our earning verticals, including, but not limited to, watching videos, shopping for cash back, taking surveys, and redeeming special offers.

Swagbucks is the web’s leading rewards platform, dedicated to providing FREE gift cards to its 12+ million members.

Choose from top retailers like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, PayPal, and tons more.

Join Inbox Dollars free and get paid to take surveys, shop online, try name-brand products, and play games online.

You do online activities: Take Surveys, Watching Videos, Shopping, and More.

You earn real CASH!

Take Surveys and earn cash, sweepstakes and prizes for your participation from SurveyClub.com.
Earn cash for participating in online surveys, private panels, focus groups, clinical trials, in-home usage tests, online bulletin boards, taste tests, and mystery shopping studies.

SurveyClub gives companies the unique opportunity to access its panelists by posting studies directly on its website.

Receive cash back from Kashkick when you read emails, complete surveys, take quizzes, refer your friend, and subscribe to special promotions.

Earnings are deposited into your Paypal account!

 

And I post market research and focus group invitations from PRC and AO Opinions at least once a week, so keep your eyes peeled for those opportunities as well.

Fall 2024 Making Money/Side Hustle Round Up!

Abby H.1 Comment

I’ve posted about this before, but I wanted to make an updated post with the most popular and lucrative ways I make money outside of a 9-5 schedule job.

First up, and my favorite way to earn cash: Surveys. For me, these fall into two categories: Research Studies and App Surveys.

  • Research studies are generally conducted by companies like Taylor Research, PRC, Q-Insights, or AO Opinions.  They are either performed at the research study facility (Taylor Research is in Mission Valley), or online via a Zoom meeting on an old-fashioned Bulletin Board System. In person, it can range from 30 minutes to 8 hours and payments range from $25 all the way up to $1000. Online studies are usually between 45 minutes-3 hours and pay $50-$700. Most pay via check or a gift card. If you are doing a research study survey for a brand, they sometimes offer you a gift card for their brand website. I generally don’t accept those studies/surveys. I try to post about opportunities each company has as they email them out.  I try to do 1-2 studies a month. This helps me save up for family fun during the summer. 
  • App Surveys are conducted via apps specifically for surveys. My two favorites are PaidViewPoint and Pinecone Research.  They both have a website if you don’t want to download their apps. There are other survey companies as well, I have a list of some here. I’ve used most of those to varying degrees of success, but PVP and PR are my favs, their surveys are short, and reaching the minimum to cash out with both is simple and doesn’t take long.  I usually take the Paypal or Venmo cash option for both.

Another site for Research Studies is Digsite. I don’t remember how I discovered DigSite (I think it was a targeted Facebook Ad). I have done surveys and research studies with them for about a year, and they generally pay between $25 and $200. over the past two weeks, I have done two research studies with them, it’s about 5 to 10 minutes each day for three or four days. They ask your opinions about a specific topic, sometimes you have to take a picture, or do a little bit of homework, but, overall it’s fun. Dig site pays in Amazon gift cards. They email you when they have studies that fit your demographic.

If you like to do hustles that take you outside the house,  try Field Agent!– I make money by incorporating Field Agent jobs into my already-needed errands. Quick, easy money. Audits, secret shops, and trying new products are just a few ways you can earn money with Field Agent.  They have Costco missions frequently- take pics of displays, review sample folks. The $3, $5, and $7 tasks add up quickly! Field Agent pays out via Bank Transfer. 

If you want to get into secret shopping, Amusement Advantage has a lot of opportunities in the Southern California area. You have to be a good writer, have good attention to detail, and take decent photos (from your phone). Most of their shops/adventures are very specific and detailed. You can learn more about it here.

isecretshop.com is another secret shopping website that has a variety of opportunities. Before I had kids I used to do TONS of secret shops on weekends and after work. You have to be a good writer, have good attention to detail, and take decent photos (from your phone). Most of their shops/adventures are very specific and detailed.

The next three are SUPER PASSIVE, meaning you aren’t going to get rich doing these, but they are easy to do and require minimum effort.

This passive side hustle I enjoy and that I’ve been doing for 11 years. Turn your Junk Mail into Cash! I’ve been doing this for YEARS, and I love it. You can learn all about Small Business Knowledge Center here.

Evidation: This is a super passive hustle, but it’s super fun- all you need is a smart watch or a fitness tracker.  Here is the article I wrote with all the information about how it works.

I also do simple tasks with Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. I transfer the earnings to my Amazon.com account. You sign up and do tasks for small amounts of money, but the money adds up fast.  The tasks are quick and simple (transcription, surveys, flagging inappropriate photos).   If you want cold hard cash instead of Amazon.com credit there is an option to have money transferred to a bank account.  Mechanical Turk does ask for your SSN when you sign up- you will receive a 1099- MISC at the end of the year, regardless of which option you select.

This next category isn’t a “hustle” per se, but they are all great ways to get cashback or save on groceries and other shopping trips. I use a lot of cash-back/rebate apps. You can see my complete list here. 

My friend Amy uses a local company Genalyte to earn money. They offer you a “courtesy” for blood and plasma. They are in the Sorrento Valley area. You can learn more on their Facebook page.  I personally have never done it- I have very tiny veins and have a hard time doing a blood draw at the doctor’s office.

So there you have it. No Uber, Lyft, Instacart. No MLMs or crazy pyramid schemes. Nothing untested or clickbait-worthy. Want the truth behind those clickbait articles: “5 CrAzY WaYs To MaKe MoNeY?!!“ Check out my post here.

 

Earn Money This Summer with Surveys

Abby H.

It’s not all beach trips and hot girl summer here. This mama needs to earn a little cash on the side to afford all the fro yo my kids want.

One of my favorite ways to earn cash is to do surveys, here are a few of the survey companies that I use and earn with regularly.

Join Inbox Dollars free and get paid to take surveys, shop online, try name-brand products, and play games online.

You do online activities: Take Surveys, Watching Videos, Shopping, and More.

You earn real CASH!

Receive cash back from Kashkick when you read emails, complete surveys, take quizzes, refer your friend, and subscribe to special promotions.

Earnings are deposited into your Paypal account!

 

The Survey Junkie community shares feedback with brands in exchange for rewards such as cash, gift cards, and more.

    • Complete three or more surveys a day, earn as much as $100 monthly.
    • Complete four or more surveys a day, earn as much as $130 monthly.

Sharing your opinions can earn you real rewards you can use anywhere! The Survey Roundtable rewards program grows every day, all depending on what our members most want to earn.

To make the most of your opinions, you’ll first take a Personality Survey. It’s how they target  surveys to your needs and interests

Here’s what virtual debit cards ($10 and up) are currently available: Amazon.com, Banana Republic, Barnes and Noble, GAP Brands, Regal Theaters and more.

Take Surveys and earn cash, sweepstakes and prizes for your participation from SurveyClub.com.
Earn cash for participating in online surveys, private panels, focus groups, clinical trials, in-home usage tests, online bulletin boards, taste tests, and mystery shopping studies.

SurveyClub gives companies the unique opportunity to access its panelists by posting studies directly on its website.

Earning Money with Surveys!

Abby H.

I’m not working this summer (other than sharing deals and fun summer crafts with y’all), so I’m trying my best to save some cash to take the kids on adventures.

One of my favorite ways to earn cash is to do surveys, here are a few of the survey companies that I use and earn with regularly.

Join Inbox Dollars free and get paid to take surveys, shop online, try name-brand products, and play games online.

You do online activities: Take Surveys, Watching Videos, Shopping, and More.

You earn real CASH!

Receive cash back from Kashkick when you read emails, complete surveys, take quizzes, refer your friend, and subscribe to special promotions.

Earnings are deposited into your Paypal account!

 

The Survey Junkie community shares feedback with brands in exchange for rewards such as cash, gift cards, and more.

    • Complete three or more surveys a day, earn as much as $100 monthly.
    • Complete four or more surveys a day, earn as much as $130 monthly.

Sharing your opinions can earn you real rewards you can use anywhere! The Survey Roundtable rewards program grows every day, all depending on what our members most want to earn.

To make the most of your opinions, you’ll first take a Personality Survey. It’s how they target  surveys to your needs and interests

Here’s what virtual debit cards ($10 and up) are currently available: Amazon.com, Banana Republic, Barnes and Noble, GAP Brands, Regal Theaters and more.

Take Surveys and earn cash, sweepstakes and prizes for your participation from SurveyClub.com.
Earn cash for participating in online surveys, private panels, focus groups, clinical trials, in-home usage tests, online bulletin boards, taste tests, and mystery shopping studies.

SurveyClub gives companies the unique opportunity to access its panelists by posting studies directly on its website.

 

April is Financial Literacy Month

Abby H.

Financial literacy is near and dear to my heart. I’ve spent much of my adult life working hard to save money, pay bills on time, and live within my means. It is a lot of effort and work, but, it’s made my life less stressful.

In 2020, I wrote a three-part series about making a practical budget that a family can adhere to and how to get some extra help if you need it. This was written during the pandemic, so there is a lot of information and resources, especially for those feeling the financial panic that many felt during the height of the pandemic.

If you already have a budget or feel that your spending is out of control and you aren’t to the point yet where you feel that you need a budget, I did a series of posts in late 2019 about how to reign in the out-of-control spending.

 A big part of financial literacy is tracking where you stand financially. With identity theft happening to 22% of Americans (per a 2022 Bureau of Justice Statistics study), knowing what’s on your credit is important.  Obtaining your free annual credit report is easy.  Free Annual Credit Report is the site that I use.

Once you receive it, go over and verify all of the open accounts are yours. Contact the credit bureaus immediately if there are any incorrect names, addresses, or accounts.

If you are saving for your future, or your kid’s future, here are two great savings opportunities:

Savings bonds- Savings Bonds: The gift that keeps on giving!

529’s/ Educational Savings Accounts- September Is College Savings Month!

Have Some Free Time This Summer? Earn Money with Surveys!

Abby H.

If you are like me, you’ve got a little free time this summer. Sitting on the pool deck while the kids swim, sitting at their martial arts classes weekly, and those quiet early mornings when the cat wakes you up for food but everyone else is asleep. I think the last one may just be me.

Regardless, there are tons of way to make a little extra money this summer. Enough for an extra trip to Starbucks, or a browse through the dollar spot at Target, or maybe more, depending on how much time and energy you wish to invest.

Here are a few of my favorite survey companies:

Inbox Dollars- Join for free and get paid to take surveys, shop online, try name brand products, and play games online.

 

 

 

Receive cash back from Kashkick when you read emails, complete surveys, take quizzes, referring your friend, and subscribing to special promotions. It’s super simple!

 

 

 

LifePoints is one of my favorites. It’s so easy! Join one of the largest influencer communities in the world. We’ve rewarded over $20 million to our members in the last year alone.

Share your opinions on numerous products and popular brands. Complete surveys and get paid for it!

Earn points that can be redeemed for rewards of your choice. Join today and get 10 LifePoints to kick off your earnings!

I’ve been using MyPoints since 2011, and I’ve earned a lot of cashback just by doing my normal online shopping, completing surveys, and using their magic receipts cash back program- all through MyPoints.

If you are looking for some more ways to make some extra money, check out my side hustle post here. And if you want to earn cashback and save money on your shopping, check out my complete list of smartphone apps here.