That's a good idea,
in our opinion...
Flick through this
website and you might notice that we get sent a shed load of awesome
gadgets to test. Usually the companies that make these products send
them to us, so we don't – thankfully – have to buy them all
ourselves. If we did have to buy them, this website would only be
filled with reviews in which we test actual pits that we've dug in
the ground with our bare hands. Because we're poor and they're free.
However, if you long to buy some great new tech, but are low on
funds, there are other ways to earn some goodies. All you need is an
opinion.
You might find this
difficult to believe, but big companies really need to know what you
think about stuff. Like, seriously... they are mad keen to know what
goes on inside that gorgeous brain of yours. They want to know this
so they can shape their next product or service to better suit what
you actually want, in the hopes that you might buy it in the future
and so they can make big bucks and retire to a tropical island. Or
something. That all makes sense, right?
That is where market research websites step in. You might've already signed up to one,
but the principle is pretty simple: you answer questions on an array
of subjects, and for each survey you fill out you earn points. After
earning a set amount of points, you get paid; be it in actual money
or in vouchers to spend in stores. And it is those stores that really
caught our eye.
What we needed was a
survey site with a quick and simple interface and that paid a pretty
decent amount of points per survey. After checking out a few we
settled on Valued Opinions. The site was easy to sign up for and, as well as
Amazon, also pays out in gift cards for the likes of John Lewis, M&S,
Boots, Sainsbury's, and another good gadget store – Argos. They
also do Topshop, Wallis, and Dorothy Perkins, but we're fine for
knickers and bras, thanks!
A lot of the things we
review are available from Amazon, as is pretty much everything else
on earth. If there was a way of generating points in our free time to
go towards Amazon gift vouchers, any tech-savvy individual should
jump at it, to help them afford some cool new gadgets. And it is
possible... trust us, we've tried.
We wanted to find a way
of gradually earning points, almost like a savings pot that we could
add to whenever we had some free time with our phones or laptops, to
quickly fill out surveys and build up those points. With a lump of
points acquired, we could convert them to an Amazon gift card and
have a splurge on something new, either to review on the site or just
for the hell of it. Because buying stuff is awesome.
And so, whenever we had
time, we logged on, clicked on a survey, and ticked some boxes. It is
as simple as that, and some surveys pay up to £5 worth of points in
one go. If you dedicate your time to it, and slowly build up your
points, after a while you'll have decent chunk to withdraw as a
voucher – perhaps £100 worth to give your shopping eyes some
choice. After that, blow the voucher on whatever you want (we're
always going to push for a drone or two), then start again building
up those points. You're investing your time in it after all, so you
deserve to get paid.
The site is also mobile
friendly, too, so filling out a few surveys while on the bus, train
or tube is very doable. Might as well use the boring commute into the
office for something good. You're never going to finish that final
level on Angry Birds, anyway.
As a way to invest your
time in getting new stuff (while also working a job and paying the
bills) filling out surveys is a pretty easy gig. Think of it as a part-time
hobby you can do at night, while watching something fun on TV in the
background, and click-click-clicking away on your laptop or phone.
With so many fun (yet expensive) gadgets on the market right now,
it’s a great way to stay on track and get the stuff you need... or
just really want.
