In tough economic times like these, the idea of getting money for doing absolutely nothing new or different is definitely an appealing one. In fact, it seems downright genius - and perhaps has a whiff of the scam about it. After all, is it really possible to earn a few extra pounds by just doing things as you were already?
Well, it is. You're not going to make your fortune, and compared to your salary these methods will seem like a pittance, however, if you just want a few quid extra for those little life luxuries, then why not try a paid-to-search program?
The concept is simple: register for an account, use the search engine provided and get paid every few months just for searching. You don't have to buy anything, you don't have to click on anything and it's free to sign up - all you have to do is search exactly as you usually would, just with a different search engine.
You may be thinking that the idea seems neat, but you're quite happy with the current search engine you use, and are worrying you may sacrifice accuracy of results just for a few pennies. Not so. The two main Paid-To-Search companies available to UK users are actually linked to current search engines: 'Scour' shows results from Google and MSN, while 'My Homepage Friends' shows results from Yahoo. Which one you choose depends on which method of operation you prefer.
My Homepage Friends
MHF (www.myhpf.co.uk) is linked with Yahoo. It pays 2p for every recorded search and for every person you refer who registers an account, you get 10% of their earnings (they still get 100% though, yours is extra).
MHF is my own choice of Paid-To-Search because the searches are rewarded with money and not points, which I just find easier to keep track of. While 2p per search is nothing, you'd be surprised how quickly it builds up. I registered for an account, bookmarked my personal search engine as my homepage and carried on as normal. Over a month of using, I'd built up £15. I had high quality results and always found what I needed without a problem.
As a writer, it's inevitable that I'll build up more money than the average user due to the amount of research I need to do. I've found that the 'normal' user tends to earn around £4 per month from MHF, which may sound like not a lot, but you've done nothing different to earn it. When you reach £20 you can request payment.
There are downsides to MHP. It doesn't record all searches as payable, particularly those it deems to be duplicate. However, I think this is understandable, as the system could easily be abused. It has registered over 50 searches for me in one day, so as long as each search is different enough, it will count.
It is quite strict on what counts as a 'search'. If you type in 'Amazon.co.uk' it won't count it, as you're obviously aware of the web address and are just trying to get paid for using MHF, which isn't the point of it. You can get around this by searching for - 'online bookstore' - Amazon will come up and you'll have bypassed the checks and get paid for your search. Also, it is best to try and leave ten minutes between each search, or it may not be recorded.
MHF are very, very slow at paying out, but there is proof of payment all over the internet from a variety of different sources. I'm more than happy to continue using MHF - it isn't costing me anything, I'm getting the same results I always would and I'm building up a bit of pocket money.
Scour.com
Unlike MHF, Scour awards members points. For each search, you get one point. If you then vote on the usefulness of the results, you can two points. If you also leave a comment about how useful the search results were, you are awarded three points - each search is thus potentially worth four points, and you need 6,500 points to reach $25. There is a higher referral rate with Scour - 25% of each referral's earnings - and points can be redeemed for Visa gift cards.
For various reasons, I don't use Scour. I prefer MHF as they pay in money (PayPal, bank transfer etc) rather than gift cards, and I find points rewards somewhat annoying. However, it is a reputable company and will appeal to some. Try Scour if you're attached to Google, as unlike MHF (which uses Yahoo), you do still see Google results with Scour.
All in all, Paid to Search is a small, easy way of earning a bit of extra cash. As long as you resist abusing the system; this will result in the cancellation of your account and you will receive none of the money you've earned so far. Search as normal - or if you do increase your search frequency, keep it reasonable - and Paid-to-Search can be a nice little extra for doing absolutely nothing.
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