Thursday, September 10, 2009

Ways to make money

I'm working on a "savings" post that will be posted by the weekend (hopefully). But here are just some things that I've done to help bring in a little extra cash.

Research Panels - If you're able to get on a research panel those can be great money makers. Usually you travel to the study site and give your opinion on everything from green beans to strollers. Sometimes there are take-home studies that involve using the product for a specified amount of time and at the end of the study you are paid. I've been paid anywhere from $25 - $150 depending on the type of study. One that I've done several studies for is AIM - Assistance in Marketing. Go here to sign up. Once you join one panel you usually get placed on other lists as well.

Product Studies - There are two main ones that I do product reviews for. One is Proctor and Gamble. They do a lot of diaper and wipes studies and most of them pay well. There is a screener to be filled out and you can do that at the Discovery Center (located off of I-75) or you may be able to have them send you one if you call 945-0085 or 945-4454. Sometimes when I've gone to turn in a study they've had smell tests for fabric softener that takes about 10 minutes and pays $15!
The other one is a feminine care product study. This one is fairly regular at needing people. Just call 825-8027 to be put on their list. The last study I did was for 1 week using 12 different products and it paid $75.

Medical Studies- these are the best paying but can be the most involved. Cincinnati Children's Hospital lists their studies on bulletin boards with tearpads at each of their branch offices and sometimes at pediatricians offices.

The other way to get on their list is to write the following address and ask them for a screener to fill out so you can be entered into their database.
Atten: Mark Schuller
Office for Lcinical and Translational Research
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
3333 Burnet Ave MLC 7004
Cincinnati, OH 45229-9980

Or you can call Kristie at the Clinical Trials Office at 636-0098

These can be a simple as an X-ray of a body part to studies of new drugs. Sometimes they've just asked to observe my child playing and performing small tasks for an hour and they pay $50. Allan and Daniel both had x-rays of their backs and we were paid $15 each. Daniel is in a soy study right now where I keep a diet record for 3 days, he eats some soy each day for three days and then he gives a urine and stool sample on the third day and we do this every 6 months. It's $100 per visit. He's been doing this since he was 6 months old and next week is his last visit. The last visit involves a blood draw.

Several years ago I put Allan in a study that included blood draws and nasal washes (is was an investigational nasal vaccine) on 6 different occasions over a 3 month period. We were paid $700 if I remember correctly but I decided then that if there are too many blood draws or any other unpleasantness that I wouldn't do it. Sometimes it's just a one time deal which isn't so bad. Allan just donated 2 Tbs of blood, 20 hairs and a urine sample for a DNA study they are doing. They placed numbing gel on both arms and he never felt the needle and we walked out with $100 for the 1 hour visit. (They also give them really cool stickers and snacks!) Mainly you do these studies at the Gamble program which is right off Reading Road (about 7 minutes from us) or at the main hospitals. Sometimes the studies are for things that you would normally do anyhow except you get paid to do it. For example: they're investigating if the new method of producing the chickpox vaccine is as effective as the old. Stephen is participating in this study so in a month, when he would normally get his chicken pox and MMR shot I'll be taking him to the Gamble Program. They'll administer the shots and the following three days I have to monitor him for fever, fussiness, etc. Then I'll receive a total of three phone calls over the next three months where I report any sicknesses he's had. Once the study is over we'll have received $250 plus the free shots.

So that's some of what I do. There are adult studies also which I don't mind putting myself through. Many times its just donating blood. Right now they're doing a study on an medication used for cholera. You spend 10 days in the hospital (all expense paid vacation!) while the study is taking place and I think the compensation is $1500 - 2000. Philip has absolutely forbid that I sign up! (since people can die of cholera) But the 10 days of quiet really appeal to me!

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at mariannebrown@apbrown2.net and I'll try my best to answer them.

2 comments:

sarahmfry said...

I'm totally cracking up.....If I lived in Cincinnati, I'd be signing up for that 10 day vacation in a flash. Just kidding. Really enjoyed this post. This kind of opportunities is another reason I'm anxious to get back to Cincinnati. Great post! I'll be back with that book info and an email reply. (Feeding time....)

Unknown said...

I hear you gals... isn´t it terrible?! Sometimes, I dream of having dental work done or something just to get that uninterrupted sleep of anesthesia ;o) Now THAT´s sad!!!