Getting Set Up

Before you even start to join sites and start making money, it’s really sensible to get yourself a little bit organised.  Different sites will want to pay you in different ways, so before you begin, I’d advise you set up three things.

  • A Bank Account
  • A Paypal Account
  • An envelope for your vouchers

By setting up a bank account, you will have a sensible place to put the money that you make so it doesn’t just get eaten up by the regular bills.  It’s a good way of doing it so you can keep it seperate and there’s nothing to stop you transfering money from here to your main account after all.  Having a bank account set up means that if a site wants to send you payment by cheque, or by BACS transfer, you have somewhere to put the money.  You can also link it to your paypal account so that you can transfer money in both directions easily.

Setting up a paypal account is definitely a good idea.  Many of the sites I use pay out by paypal, and it’s such an easy system to use.  Another reason a paypal account is very useful is that not all the sites you can join pay in the same currency.  If you are from the UK and the payment is in American $’s for example, it’s much easier to have it paid into paypal where you can accept $’s without any charges, and then use their exchange rate to convert them to £’s.  Ok, technically the exchange rate isn’t very good, BUT, generally speaking, doing it this way is still cheaper than trying to pay a cheque for $’s into a £ based bank account.

A folder or envelope for your gift vouchers isn’t essential, but I’ve always found it a good idea.  It means I have somewhere central to keep them all, and it will easily fit in my bag if I want to take it with me when I go shopping.  It also means I can leave it at home just as easily so that I can save them all up without being tempted to spend them when I happen to pass the shop that one of them can be spent in.

I also think that it’s a good idea to start with a goal.  It can be that you want x amount of spending money for a holiday you’ve booked, something specific that you want to buy like a new carpet or television, or perhaps that you want to pay for Christmas with this money you make so that you don’t go overdrawn at all, or well pretty much anything you choose really.  Whatever it is, having a goal gives you something to aim at and it also gives a really fab feeling when you achieve your aim.  The first time I paid for Christmas with money I’d made from the internet (well money and to be honest at that point mostly gift vouchers), I felt fantastic. 

So, now you’re all set up and organised, you can go and look through the other pages and items on this site and learn about how to make money to fill your voucher envelope, paypal account and bank account.

Good luck!