Heading on Holiday – How to Make it Cheap

Take a Trip Sooner Than You Think!

It still feels like wintertime in a lot of Canada, and plenty of snowbirds are still making the annual pilgrimage down south. Travelling is great, but what if funds are tight? Even if you believe in social causes and want to help by going on a volunteer trip, donating your time can still cost money. In this article we’ll go through ways in which taking online surveys can help fund your escape to warmer pastures!

Earn Your Way to More Air Miles
Did you know that you can take online surveys in exchange for Air Miles? Ipsos, Legerweb and Web Perspectives all allow their members to redeem their points in exchange for Air Miles. Use your Miles towards your next flight, or exchange them for merchandise!

Eat on the Road for Cheap
It’s always nice to have a bunch of gift cards in your wallet for whenever an occasion arises to use one. Many survey panels offer gift cards to restaurants as a reward option which is especially handy while on the road. My Survey and Qbord both offer these.

Earn Vouchers to Your Favourite Hotels
Some survey companies will also let you cash out your earnings for vouchers to hotels. Look out for these vouchers from the next survey panel you’re a member of to save money on your next trip.

Cash is King!
If you’re disciplined, and can start a vacation fund that you won’t dip into for other “essentials”, you can use the cash earnings from surveys to deposit money into this account. Whether it’s via PayPal or by cheque, many survey panels pay by cash. A few are: Angus Reid, Ipsos, Your Insights, and Opinion Outpost. Here you can obtain a full listing of online survey companies in Canada who pay cash.

Charitable Donations
If raising enough money to go abroad to help the less fortunate build houses or schools seems unlikely, you can choose to donate your earnings to good causes instead. Many survey panels do this, and some will even send you a tax receipt! Panels who have big hearts include: Ipsos, LegerWeb, Web Perspectives and My Survey.

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Of course, there are other methods besides online surveys that can help you raise some much needed cash. Here are a few:

Odd Jobs in the Neighborhood
You can always ask your extended family members or neighbours whether they need any help with anything. Cleaning services, babysitting, house sitting, pet sitting – these are all things you can do to raise a bit more cash.

Have a Yard Sale
With spring just around the corner, it might be time to go through your drawers and pick out things you no longer need. Remember that with most things, the newer it is, the more value it has! So if you haven’t used something in a year or two, consider selling it to someone who can. Successful garage sales can typically raise between $100 – $300. Bonus: you can often get to know the neighbours this way.

Sell Valuable Items on Ebay
Similar to the point above, if something you have has value, it’s better to get rid of it while it’s still worth something. Although yard sales are great, you can often earn more money by listing things that are not too heavy, but are still worth at least $20, on Ebay. Although there’s more work involved in taking pictures, etc., if you’re not in a hurry, why not try it out?

In Conclusion
There are plenty of ways to get the ball rolling on a trip you’ve always wanted to take. Whether it’s through earning Air Miles, gift vouchers, or plain old cash, online surveys can help you achieve your goals. Pair this with doing some odd jobs and getting rid of clutter, and you could soon be on your way to your favourite destination!