If your household is like many these days, every dollar counts and there simply isn’t enough money to go around. So what’s an opinionated person to do? Don’t just sit there … think up!

Share your thoughts and get paid through focus groups and online surveys. Focus groups can pay anywhere from $10 to $500 for just a few hours of sharing your time and thoughts. Plus, they tend to be fun and interesting.

Before you start, note that the landscape is filled with less-than-reputable outfits looking to scam you rather than pay you.

When signing up for focus groups, NEVER give information to companies that:
•    Require that you give or enter e-mail addresses of friends, family, colleagues;
•    Require that you give personal information such as social security number;
•    Require you to provide credit card information;
•    Require you to pay a fee, purchase products or sign up for a limited time (and give credit card information) in order to participate in a focus group or survey.

If you have to pay or buy a product – RUN!

There are many reputable firms and sites that run focus groups. All require you to register and provide information such as age, gender, average household income, number of individuals in the house and other information that allows them to match you to potential studies.

Here are a few of the recommended sites that this author has personally participated in and received payment for:

Fieldwork: locations across the country with in-person focus groups
Plaza Research: locations across the country with in-person focus groups
Nichols Research: locations in Northern California with in-person focus groups
Resolution Research: online surveys, telephone surveys, in-person focus groups for consumer products, mock jury trials and more
Opinion Outpost: online surveys, you choose which ones to take, turn in points for cash.
Shlesinger Associates: locations across the country with in-person focus groups
Advanced Focus: locations across the country with in-person focus groups

You can also look at GreenBook to find focus group facilities nearest you.