If you're anything like me, you sometimes browse the Internet, looking for that perfect "make money from home!" site. And if you're like me, you have yet to find one that actually works.

Let's face it: those sites don't work. There is no such thing as making inordinate amounts of money in a matter of minutes, days, or weeks with very little effort.
However, I have found something better than those phony work from home sites. I have found a way to make easy money for free. Now, you're probably thinking, "Is she putting down one scam to promote another?" Nope! Because my method isn't unrealistic. You don't make hundreds of dollars per hour, and you have to be willing to put serious time towards this (time, not effort).

So what is it?

Online survey sites! But not just any survey site - only the free ones. I'm going to give you a list of survey sites that I have personally been using for several months, with great results. I'll list the pros & cons, and of course, some tips & tricks. Sound good? Well, of course it does.

And don't worry - I'll also list proof that these survey sites work. You can see exactly how much money I've made in a certain amount of time, with no exaggerations.

First: the sites

This is going to be simple. I list the sites, what I like about them, what I hate, and you don't have to worry about if I'm getting paid to promote them (because unfortunately, I'm not). I'll also tell you how much I've made in how many months - because otherwise, why would you believe me?

MyView
This is one of my most visited survey sites. You get paid through PayPal and they send you surveys nearly every day.
Pros: PayPal is so much quicker than being paid through checks. They give you tons of surveys, and even if you don't qualify, you get entered into sweepstakes.
Cons: It takes awhile for your cash rewards to be approved. Also, you have to wait until your balance is at $25 before you can request a PayPal transfer.
My first survey with MyView was taken June 23, 2008. Since then, I've accumulated $40, although $4 of that is still pending.

Your2Cents
Each survey you complete gives you a certain number of points, and the points are translated into cash (3,000 points = 1 dollar). After you receive at least 30,000 points ($10), you can request a check.
Pros: It doesn't take long to accumulate $10 worth of points, which means quicker payouts.
Cons: Have I mentioned that checks take forever to get sent to your address? And I wouldn't mind receiving a few more surveys per week. Other than that, this site is great.
My first survey was taken September 3, 2008, and I've taken thirty-one surveys total. So far I've received $23.

SurveySpot
Another cash survey site. This one is a little different, because you can request your checks in $5 increments. It might also be my favorite site.
Pros: Tons of surveys, which means more chances to make money. Also, if you're impatient (like me) it's nice to be able to request those smaller checks.
Cons: Not every survey you receive is for cash. In fact, most aren't. They're for sweepstakes and also this ridiculous "instant reward" game that you always "win," but winning means nothing. Basically, you get extra entries into the sweepstake that you'll probably never win. Although the website claims that there are chances to win extra prizes, so I play along.
I have no idea when I joined this site, but my first check was cashed on December 3, 2008. I've made a total of $62. Yes, that's right, $62 in just over three months. Part of this is because I was lucky enough to find a $20 survey - most of the surveys give you $1-$3 at a time.

SendEarnings/InboxDollars
Same site, different addresses. I signed up for both under two different email accounts. These sites pay you to read emails, but they also give you chances to shop for cash, play games for cash, take occasional surveys for cash, and complete offers for cash. But...these are my least favorite sites.
Pros: Cash shopping can be very helpful. You don't receive a ton of money back, but the websites are places where you'll actually want to shop, like Borders & eBay. Also, the cash offers are generally things like free trials, and the payment is quite good.
Cons: I've read 360 emails from InboxDollars. 360! Which adds up to...$7.20. Obviously they don't pay you much. The emails are quick, but it's annoying to know that if you're just going to read the emails without doing anything else listed on the website, you will not be making much money. Also, you have to make at least $30 to request a check. It's painful to wait that long. Finally, I do not recommend playing the cash games. It's basically betting on yourself to play against other players and win, and guess what? You probably won't win. And if you're easily drawn to gambling sites, it's imperative that you stay away from the games. I learned this the hard way. Oh, wait, one more thing - they take out money whenever they send you a check. So that $30 check? Is actually worth $27.
When did I join InboxDollars & SendEarnings? I'm not sure. I know I joined InboxDollars first, and I requested my first check on September 12, 2008. I've made a total of $53.12 on InboxDollars and $18.91 on SendEarnings.

GlobalTestMarket
This was the first survey site I ever joined. There was a time, however, when I quit using it. I'll get to that in a second. Meanwhile, what you need to know is, this site requires that you earn 1,000 points/$50 before requesting a payout.
Pros: Getting a check for that much money feels pretty sweet. Even if you don't qualify for a survey, they usually give you 5 points. They also have profile surveys for you to fill out, and those automatically give you points - there's no way you can be rejected.
Cons: Waiting for that check? Not so sweet. It takes forever to get all those points. And if they think you're rushing through their surveys, then you won't get any points. Unfortunately, I tend to read & respond to surveys rather quickly, so I have been unfairly rejected before.
I can't tell you when I joined, but I've accumulated 3,873 points - over $150. I have 836 points in my account right now, so I'm getting closer to my next $50 check. When I look at the progress I've made, it all seems worth it.

ZoomPanel
This is a points site - not cash. There's a catalog for you to browse, and it has books, DVDs, video games, electronics, and more.
Pros: Easy surveys, and even if you don't qualify, they give you a chance to make a quick 10 points with a mini profile. Also, I like the idea of saving up for items, rather than cash. This makes sure that I "buy" things without spending "money." Plus, some of their products are amazing.
Cons: I wish they sent me more surveys, and I had a problem with an item I got from their catalog. It didn't work, but so far, they're unwilling to give me a refund. Hopefully, this issue will be resolved soon.
My first survey was taken on August 17, 2008. I have since made 2,490 points, which is roughly $20.

OpinionOutpost
Another cash survey site that allows you to request checks in $5.00 increments. Plus, they have a cute Western theme.
Pros: Tiny checks = less wait. And after every survey, you have a chance to donate 10 cents to charity, try to win $50 instantly, or get an extra sweepstakes entry. I used to go for the instant win, but since that never worked out, I've started donating 10 cents to charity. It's a pretty good system.
Cons: I don't make as much money as I do on other survey sites, but I really enjoy this particular site.
I joined this site in June 2008 and so far I've made $26.30.

MySurvey
This site allows you the option of getting cash for your surveys, or rewards, or donating your money to charity. So far I'm opting for rewards - I have a very specific one in mind.
Pros: The options for cash versus rewards versus charity. It's very flexible. Also, the rewards are great. I'm a few points away from 2,000, and the reward I'm going to get is a $50 restaurant gift card & two movie tickets - the great thing is, if I opted for cash, I would only get $20. So that particular reward is a great bargain. Also, the rewards offered are great for teens and adults.
Cons: You can't just give to any charity, although I admit that doesn't apply to me so far. Anyway, they have a list of affiliates. Still, charity is charity, and their affiliates are definitely legitimate websites.
My first survey was completed on September 9, 2008. I've made 1915 points thus far, which is $20, more or less.

OpinionSquare
Another rewards site. They claim to offer cash for some surveys, but I have yet to see this happen.
Pros: I get tons of movie surveys through this site, which means I see movie trailers before most people. It's a lot of fun. There is also something called "Spin & Win," which is a little mini game that gets you extra points. Normally you get 50, which isn't much, but sometimes you get more (and it's a great feeling when you do). Finally, they have a ton of categories for you to choose your prizes from.
Cons: Way too many bugs in the site. Sometimes they won't let you log in, sometimes you can't get to your rewards page, etc. It can be quite aggravating. I emailed them at one point, because I wasn't certain if it was just me, and they said they were working on fixing it, but so far there has been little improvement.
I joined in October 2007, but for some reason I didn't actually take my second survey until July 29, 2008. I've made 4,200 points so far, which isn't very much - maybe $5 or $10.

Wow! That's a lot of survey sites!

And as you can see, while the payout from each site may not be that much, when you put them together, you're making a decent amount of money.

Hopefully, now you want to join them. Most of those sites you can just go to their website (like www.mysurvey.com) and sign up. If you're feeling kind, you'll put in my email address as a referral (jkps613@gmail.com), but I don't really expect you to [Note: my email address for OpinionSquare is jpeaslee@students.berry.edu, not the Gmail address. And please...don't spam me.].
However, MyView is invitation-only. But no fear! There's an easy way to get around this. Just go to this link: http://prequal.myview.com/prequal/w?pl=03ca11265&j=$jnum&e=$enum
I haven't actually tried this link, because I already have an account, so if it doesn't work, please let me know!

How do you get the most out of your participation?

This is probably evil, but -
YOU LIE.

That's right, you lie. But only if you have to.
For instance, each survey begins with a quick demographic profile - age, gender, income, and job sector. You have to be at least 18 to take these surveys. If you're not...well, you could try, but I would just wait. Your gender doesn't normally matter, but they'll let you know beforehand if they're looking for males or females. Your income also doesn't matter. Your job, however, does.
And these surveys don't just ask about your job. They ask about your entire household. So if they present to you a list of jobs and innocently ask if anyone in your household is employed in such a field, JUST SAY NO. If you say yes, you're automatically disqualified.
There is an exception to this rule - on GlobalTestMarket they give you a large list of jobs, and I can always say that people in my household work at restaurants and in construction without fear of getting disqualified.

If you're feeling lazy, or if you're in the middle of an insanely long survey, I wouldn't blame you if you started answering questions without actually reading them first. I do it sometimes. Just beware of trick questions - sometimes they'll say things like, "To make sure you're still with us, please select the number eight." Basically, it's best to actually read the survey questions if at all possible.

If they ask whether you've seen a movie in the past week - say yes. If they ask whether you've completed a movie survey in the past week - say no.

Finally, don't get too behind on your surveys. It's best to take them each day. Otherwise you'll lose out on certain opportunities (these surveys don't stay open forever!) and you'll grow increasingly frustrated with the time you're spending in front of your computer.

Well, that's all...

And I sincerely hope it helps. Join as many survey sites as you feel comfortable - I recommend starting with SurveySpot - and soon you'll be receiving nice little checks and prizes.