I’m a lucky stay-at-home mom. My awesome husband has a steady job that pays our mortgage and covers our groceries, bills, and other expenses.
But sometimes I like to earn a little side cash to contribute to our family funds.
Although I don’t think I can earn enough to support my family’s financial needs, I do have a few sources of extra income and gift cards that can help cushion the cost of fun things like gifts, clothes, books, and games.
Here’s a quick peek at my favorite online side hustles: User Testing, User Interviews, Intellizoom, Userlytics, and Digital Reflection Panel.
1. User Testing
User Testing matches testers (like you and me) with clients looking for feedback on products, prototypes, and web design. Simply answer a few questions about who you are, and you’ll quickly see whether you qualify for a testing opportunity.
Once you qualify for a test, you’ll follow some step-by-step instructions for recording and uploading your response. Once your response has been accepted, you get paid for your time.
User Testing is my go-to online side hustle. I spend about 20 minutes (more or less) a day checking available tests. Although I don’t qualify for everything, I do pick up a few tests on a regular basis. The tests are short, so they’re easy to fit within my unpredictable schedule. Longer live tests are available, but they are fewer and harder to come by.
Average Payment Per Test: $10 (Potentially $30, $60, and $120 for Live Interviews)
Average Amount I Personally Make Per Month: $50
How I Typically Get Paid: PayPal
2. User Interviews
User Interviews functions in much the same way as User Testing. With this site, you answer a few screening questions to match your profile up with a client who needs feedback on a product or site.
However, User Interviews varies in that many of the tests are much larger than at User Testing. Some interviews last upwards of 60 to 90 minutes. Others require you to participate in multi-day diary studies and focus groups. The bigger the study, the more you get paid.
Unlike User Testing, I don’t have to check User Interviews daily to qualify tests. Once I completed my profile, I signed up for their email service, and they send tests my way based on my profile information. It saves me a lot of time and effort.
I don’t always qualify for tests, even with the profile information, so it feels a bit hit and miss. However, when I do get a match with a test, it’s much bigger than those at User Testing, and the larger tests pay well for my time.
Average Amount Per Test: $60 (Anywhere from $20 to $400+ Depending on the Test Type)
Average Amount I Personally Make Per Month: $25
How I Typically Get Paid: Amazon Gift Cards
3. Intellizoom
Intellizoom follows the same pattern as User Testing. You answer a few screening questions, take a short test that lasts between 15 to 20 minutes, and upload your test.
Unlike User Testing and User Interviews, Intellizoom doesn’t have any live tests available (at least not that I’ve seen), nor does it have the option to complete larger, multi-day studies. While this means you can easily fit studies in a busy schedule, it also means that you don’t get paid as much per test.
I like that Intellizoom emails me with offers to potential tests. No need to check daily for what’s new. I don’t match often, but it does help fill in the gaps between tests from other sites.
Average Amount Per Test: $8 (Anywhere from $2 to $10)
Average Amount I Personally Make Per Month: $15
How I Typically Get Paid: PayPal
4. Userlytics
Userlytics is a unique mix between the other two websites. At Userlytics, you answers a few screening questions, and then you proceed with the test, which could involve card sorting or video recording.
Like User Testing, Userlytics typically offers shorter tests that only take a few minutes to complete. And Like User Interviews, Userlytics lets you create a profile and then they email you with potential matches.
Userlytics sends me quite a few emails, but I have a much harder time matching with clients compared with the other sites. It doesn’t take long to answer the screening questions, and the money is comparable to User Testing, so I don’t mind answering the tests that I do match with.
Average Amount Per Test: $10 (I’ve seen anywhere from $5 to $20, though the site lists as high as $90)
Average Amount Per Month: $6
How I Typically Get Paid: PayPal
5. Digital Reflection Panel
Digital Reflection Panel is a bit different from the other user-based websites. No need to do interviews. No need to answer screening questions. No need to participate in focus groups or diary studies.
Instead, Digital Reflection Panel is passive income.
Once you sign up, you receive a device that you plug into your router. It runs for you in the background every day and does its thing. About once a month, you do have to check in and make sure your device is up to date, but that’s it as far as effort on your end goes.
However, Digital Reflection Panel does have one small catch. You need to be comfortable with selling your data. The meter monitors your home Internet usage, and then it passes that data onto clients who pay for the data. It transmits the data anonymously, so you don’t have to worry about anything personal getting out there. But it is something to consider.
Digital Reflection Panel pays you on a monthly basis and provides bonuses for consistent use. Once you accumulate $50, you can cash out that balance via PayPal gift cards, Visa gift cards, or donations to charity.
Average Amount Per Monthly Update: $5 (Plus $5 for Using the Device Daily, and $20 Bonuses Every 3 Months)
Average Amount Per Month: $16
How I Typically Get Paid: PayPal
How Do You Earn Extra Income?
These are my go-to sites for making a little side income. Accumulatively, I’ve made over $1000 a year from these online side hustles, which I have to report on my taxes. It’s not enough to cover mortgage or groceries, but it does help us out from time to time when things are tight.
But I know there are lots of ways to make an extra buck online. Do you have a favorite way to earn money? If so, share it in the comments below!
