this wasn't in the plan |but life is still pretty good

Five years ago, I embarked into the world of online surveys. I initially joined quite a few and have discovered a few new ones since then. I find them to be a great way to earn a little extra pocket change. There are so many different sites out there, below are the ones that I think are worth the effort, meaning I think that the time I put into them is fairly compensated. Your experience with these sites may vary since you most likely don't match the same demographics that I do!

My Survey* - This is one of the first ones that I joined and it's perhaps the only one that's survived since then! Each initial survey quick and always worth some points, then based on your answers, you may or may not qualify for a longer survey that will be worth more points. I've also had several chances to test out products using this site, mainly diapers and wipes.  You can redeem your points for cash, gift cards, and more.

Swagbucks* - Swagbucks doesn't involve surveys, it's built around searching the internet. This is something you do anyway, so it's an easy way to earn a little bit of extra pocket change. Each internet search (using their search engine) gives you the chance to win some swagbucks (SB). There are also other ways to earn SB, such as internet shopping or finding special codes hidden around the website, facebook page, blog, and twitter. There are a variety of prizes to redeem your SB with. I always opt for Amazon.com gift codes and usually have enough to redeem for one every 4-6 weeks.

HCD Research* - These surveys deal mainly with current events and political issues. One nice part of this survey site is that for each survey you qualify for and complete, you'll receive an email with the results of the survey. It's kind of fun to see what others think about the topic at hand. This site allows you to redeem your survey points for cash.

My Points - This is another non-survey site, though there are a few random survey opportunities. You earn points by reading emails and shopping online. I always earn my points through reading emails -which is actually clicking through to the site advertised in the email. Your points can be redeemed for a variety of gift cards.

Epoll - These are mainly entertainment related surveys. A time or two, I've received DVDs of pilot episodes of TV shows to watch and review.

Keynote Research Panel - I only receive these a few times a year, but they only take 30-45 minutes of my time, they're fun, and I earn a $10 Amazon gift certificate for each one. This panel is a little different, you will evaluate websites by attempting a variety of tasks.

Do you do any online surveys? What are your favorite sites?

*These are affiliate links, meaning if you click on them and then join the site, I do benefit from it.