Rebating and Side Monies for 2011 Totals

Well to sum up my rebating efforts in 2011 were, to use a kind term, Half Assed!lol

In 2011 I received $433.22 in rebates.  This is way down from my previous year's total of $1160+. HERE is my post from last year on my 2010 Rebating Totals.

Keep in mind that I do NOT live in a NBPR state(that's No Beer Purchase Required)so I don't do those awesome alcoholic rebates that net you free or close-to-free food.  If I tried to do the NBPR rebates, I would be required to spend money on booze and appear to be an alcoholic.  The former would make me go insane and the latter would make me not care about being frugal, now would it?lolol

Even $433.22 is pathetic in Rebating circles.
In my defense, the rebating opportunities outside of NBPRs tightened up even more in 2011 from 2010.  Add in that Rite-Aid didn't have nearly as many good SCR opportunities last year.

And the primary reason I sucked at rebating last year?....I just didn't make much of an effort.

My side income did much better however.
* I netted $48 in Pinecone payments.  I didn't do all the surveys offered however.  Yes I was a slacker there too.

* After a rather slow start, I cashed in for $60 in checks with Toluna and I am halfway to another $20 check.  I need to give a thank you! shout out to SonyaAnn for turning me on(oh, don't go there!lol)to them.  While my demographic gets dumped out of most of the surveys, I kept persevering and actually got some cash monies....ka-ching! ;-)  I do find that on occasion surveys would freeze up and not be recorded as complete, thus I would go through all that effort for NOTHING(and I have let them know just How I Feel on that score.lol) and then other surveys are so damned looooong and booooring and if I think it's boring, well, it's a doozy! 8-)

* The big winner for me in 2011 income was Focus Forward, where I earned $880.  I did some surveys with them but their main thing is focus group work.  Some of it is short term and some can take weeks but you pick and choose what you want to do, once you qualify, that is.
If anyone wants to join their team please use my referral link HERE.  Thanks if you do!

* As for making money advertising on my blog.....I made nothing in 2011.  That's not quite right....I made something but not enough for anyone to cut me a check.  I should be seeing a check within the next 3 months or so unless everyone stops coming by here to say "Hey!" tomorrow.

All side income came to $988.  Too bad that's all reportable income and the $433.22 in rebates isn't.  The other way around works better for me.lol


* Gift cards came to $76.  That includes gift card rebates, gift cards sent to me for reviews/promotions/marketing purposes and gift cards I won in other people's giveaways.
In 2010 I received over $500 in free gift cards.  2011 wasn't a very good year for me but something is better than nothing, right?lol

* I received 45 Free Items, mostly in the form of Free Item Coupons that I redeemed, rather than actual free products mailed to me.  The previous year I received many more Free Items, mostly from companies jumping onto the Facebook promotion bandwagon.  Not as many or as lucrative Facebook offers in 2011.  I see 2012 being even more of a Freebie desert on Facebook(with the exception of a company launching a new product).

So did you do any rebating or survey/focus group work in 2011?
What are your totals looking like for the year?
How do you feel about continuing to rebate and/or do internet side work in 2012?

Leave a comment and let us know!

Sluggy

Say Hello to My Little Friend!

Let me introduce my new, close, personal friend........

He may be very one dimensional but we enjoy each other's company.lol
The downside is that Uncle Sam will want a cut of my new buddy here, come next April. 8-(

I brought Mr. Franklin home on Monday night.  He was my "thank you" for participating in a Focus Group/Mock Jury session held at a local hotel.  We also got some "parting gifts" as Monty Hall use to say but this was the incentive to get me to leave my house, drive 5 miles down the mountain and give my opinion on a case. 

The company I am registered with is turning out to be a good gig for me.  It took a year or so to get things rolling but this is the 3rd group event I've been selected for(2 have been online/1 in-person)since last Fall.  They also send emailed surveys but I seem to get dumped out of them before I get to the end so I only have $2 or so in my account for those so far.  It will be sometime before I can request a $20 check on that.lol
 
If you'd like to sign up with Focus Forward, I'd appreciate if you'd use my link HERE.
They are a nationwide LCC corporation.  Signing up is free and you will never be asked to pay for anything in order to participate in a group.  I highly recommend them.

Another company Hubs is involved with is Pinecone Research.  They send out online survey invites on average of 2-3 a month.  Each completed survey is worth $3 and you can have a paper check sent or request payment through a Paypal account.  Last year Hubs did 20 surveys so made $60.  Of course, Uncle Same also got a cut of that since it IS income.  You won't get rich participating but $60 is a utility bill or a week's worth of groceries, right?

Pinecone doesn't recruit or do referrals.  You have to wait until they have openings and go sign up.  They will advertise openings on various website via banners but there are no set sites or times so it's a matter of keeping your eyes open online and if you hear from some's blog or website that Pinecone Research is taking applications, you need to jump on it.
Hubs didn't get invited right away when he applied.  He had to wait until his demographic fit the profile they were recruiting from so if you don't get in right away, keep trying.

And there is good news on the TOLUNA front as well.  TOLUNA is an online survey company I signed up at the behest of my bloggy buddy SonyaAnn.  If these 2 survey's incentive points every come through from 2 Pending studies I did, I may just actually have enough points to request a $20 check...woohooo!

Sluggy