Keep Your Options Open!

Once you get started taking surveys lots of opportunities to sign up for other offers start pouring in. Weigh each offer and sign up for the ones you find most interesting. I recently started with AC Neilsen's Homescan, a consumer panel that tracks what you purchase, and have found it very interesting.

The program requires you to sign up and then your name is put on a waiting list under the "Reserve Status Waiting List".  Homescan then randomly selects households to join. Once you are accepted you will get a handheld scanner (and a lot of other information about the program)  that you use to scan the barcodes from products you buy for your family. It doesn't matter what you purchase since the whole purpose is to track everyday consumers preferences.

Homescan is truly an easy way to share your opinions in the marketplace. As part of the program you accumulate points to spend on a variety of products from a special catalog Homescan provides you. The products or rewards include small appliances, children's items, electronics, recreation products, kitchen items and travel items to name a few. 

The program starts you with a 1000 points and you get additional points on a graduated scale for weekly, monthly, and yearly transmissions. You can also get points for answering surveys and joining their online panel. (Mac users beware: the online panel is only for PC users)!