A couple of weeks ago I published an article explaining the easiest ways to supplement your family income. One of the easiest ways to earn a little extra cash or rewards is to take part in sponsored surveys. These sites enable us to voice our opinions and assist marketing departments to develop products and services which are of more interest to us, while at the same time earning a few extra pounds or reaping the benefits of rewards.

I've been actively completing sponsored surveys for about 6 weeks now and have earned a fair bit in cash and vouchers for my time. Sponsored surveys are ideal for busy mums and dads as these usually take only 15-20 minutes to complete (some even less), enabling us to participate when we have a few minutes spare.

In today's post, I'll share my five favourite sites for sponsored surveys which I feel offer the best rewards for our time and actively allow us to contribute our opinions on products and services of interest to parents with children.

1. Toluna

By far my favourite (and most active) sponsored survey site is Toluna. I receive at least 3-4 emails notifying me of new surveys every day of the week, and have earned enough to cash in a £10 Amazon voucher less than a month after joining!

Toluna offers a rewards based system, and emails members fitting the criteria required for surveys when new opportunities are available. Surveys generally earn between 900 and 5000 points for successful completion, depending on the length it takes to complete.

Points earned can then be exchanged for vouchers redeemable at Amazon, Halfords, HMV, Love2Shop and many more reward partners besides. To give you an idea of the points required to earn vouchers, I earned a total of 60,000 points (in just over a month) which I exchanged for a £10 Amazon voucher.

To help earn extra points, Toluna offers a number of benefits for it's members. Quick surveys can earn between 15 and 120 points each, and take literally seconds to complete (there are hundreds to choose from too!). These Quick Surveys are available on the Toluna Website once you have successfully logged in. Furthermore, each personal interest survey you complete earns 300 points with an extra bonus of 2000 points when you complete them all.

Learn more about Toluna and sign up

2. Ciao Surveys

Ciao has recently improved the survey system (which is now separate from the general Ciao reviews site). Offering monetary rewards, Ciao will email eligible members about new surveys when they are available.

Each survey earns between 10p and £3, depending on the survey type and estimated length of completion. It could be possible to earn in excess of £20 a month with Ciao (though I confess to having earned only £11 last month). Payment is made via PayPal, and you can request to cash out at any time.

Learn more about Ciao Surveys or sign up

3. Pinecone

Pinecone is held in high regard as one of the most rewarding and influential sites offering sponsored surveys. Unfortunately it is also the most difficult to register with. Periodically, Pinecone opens to new survey applicants and allows members to post banners which link to the sign-up page for a certain length of time, restricting an influx of applicants to only a few targeted new members.

Surveys are very interesting and usually last about 20-30 minutes each. In return, you can be rewarded with "Luncheon Vouchers" to the total of £2-3 for each survey completed, which can be redeemed at loads of leading restaurants, fast-food outlets and takeaways.

If you are interested in joining Pinecone, the best method is to Google Pinecone to see which sites are offering current banners for new applicants (this was how I was able to sign up). It may take a day or two for your membership to be approved, after which you will receive confirmation and emails linking to new surveys suitable for your profile when available.

Learn more about Pinecone Research

4. PanelBase

This is another highly rewarding site though I personally receive news of new surveys less often than with other membership sites.

Many of the surveys offered by PanelBase are hihly interactive, including video and audio based research. The average reward for surveys is about £1.25, and most last under 20 minutes.

Panelbase seem much more concerned with security than other survey sites I have used, ensuring we feel more secure when completing surveys where sensitive information may be revealed (and even while logging in!). For me, this is a key aspect of my enjoyment when completing surveys, and I do highly recommend this site for those hoping to earn rewards from consumer research opportunities.

Learn more about Panelbase or sign up

5. Valued Opinions

I personally receive about 5-7 emails informing of new surveys each week from Valued Opinions who rewards for successful completion of market research surveys which can be redeemed for vouchers with Valued Opinions' reward partners (including Tesco, HMV, Marks and Spencer and more). Most surveys offer between 25p and £2 for each survey completed, though it seems to take a while for rewards to be credited to our accounts.

Valued Opinions again offer interesting surveys using different types of media (some of which are flash-based surveys offering a different perspective on the regular "choose your opinion" style). These surveys seem less "in-demand", so don't worry if you are unable to check your emails each day - you're still likely to be able to complete a survey before the allotted number of members have completed the opportunity.

Find out more about Valued Opinions and sign up

Tips for earning rewards from Market Research Surveys

If you hope to earn some significant rewards from participating in market research surveys, here are some quick tips:

• Try to check your email at least once a day for news of new surveys. Some surveys are time sensitive or require only a limited number of participants. If you don't get in early, you may miss out.
• Don't be put off if you receive the message that you do not qualify for the survey after a number of questions. Researchers usually require responses from a particular range of people, based on age, gender, location and such. Most survey sites offer a different reward (such as entry into a prize draw) for those who do not qualify.
• Try to keep note of which surveys you completed to ensure you receive your rewards. Some sites only reward members when surveys are completed (up to 3-4 weeks). If you feel your rewards have not been received, you'll need to provide details of what you have completed in order to claim these rewards back.
• Be honest! It is important to offer your honest opinion and be truthful about your personal status. Even if you think you may not meet the criteria required to successfully complete a survey, your opinions will be useless if they are false. What's more, the details you offer in surveys may be matched against those in your membership profile.

Participating in market research surveys is unlikely to help pay the bills, but in registering with these sites you can easily earn significant rewards each month to treat you or your family in exchange for your time each day and contribute your opinion regarding products and services which matter to you!

Image credit: wrestlingentropy