Microtasks are sites that we personally have spent the most time trying to make some extra money for our family. They are definitely not the way to make a lot of money, but they are the most flexible and are the easiest to fit into a busy schedule.

If you are looking for a little extra income to get yourself over the hump each month, these are perfect sites to get you that little extra you are looking for.

Survey Sites

Survey sites (also known as "Get Paid To") sites are one of the most popular forms of microtasks. These sites are very easy to sign up for and you can start earning money instantly upon signing up.

You get paid every time you complete a survey. The pay is not a whole lot. Usually, a few cents to around $1 depending on the length of the survey. You probably won't make more than $5 an hour with these. But an hour a day gets you $150 a month, which is not an insignificant amount.

Many sites also offer opportunities to earn other than taking surveys, including playing games, watching videos, and even reading emails! Some also have apps as well for easy use on your mobile phone. So, you can complete surveys when you are waiting at the doctor's office or anywhere else you may be.

Here are some of the most popular sites:

• SwagBucks ($10 Bonus)
• InboxDollars ($5 Bonus)
• PrizeRebel
• SurveyJunkie
• BrandedSurveys

Clickworker

Clickworker is one of the most popular microtask sites to choose from. They have many tasks that range from web searches to video and image annotation, categorization, and even some mystery shopping tasks that pay a pretty good amount!

You will be able to make a little more with Clickworker than you would with any of the survey sites, especially if you sign up for their UHRS tasks. UHRS is an evaluation platform where you rapidly perform HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks) that usually take a few seconds each. The pay per task is much better than the normal tasks found on Clickworker alone. So, if you do join Clickworker, you will definitely want to take part in this program!

Overall, it is a great opportunity to earn a little bit of income doing some very simple tasks in your free time. It's free to sign up. So, you have nothing to lose!

Amazon MTurk

Amazon MTurk is a microtask site run directly by Amazon. Companies upload tasks into the system, and they are distributed to workers to complete. Tasks here include things like taking surveys, data annotation, and even transcription and translation.

When you first begin with MTurk, there won't be a whole lot of tasks that are available to you. As you do the tasks that are available to you, you will "rank up" and more tasks will become available as you earn a higher rank.

It is run by Amazon. So, you know that it is a legitimate platform. It is easy to sign up. And, if you push through to get to higher ranks, there seems to be a legitimate possibility of earning a good amount of income here.

Appen

Appen is one of the leading crowdsourcing platforms and offers a variety of microtask and other project-based options that provide a flexible work environment that is suitable for any parent.

Appen is a little harder to get started with. You can't start earning as soon as you sign up like the options above. When you sign up, you can choose projects to apply for and then you have to wait to get approved for these projects (which can sometimes take a pretty long time).

The perk to waiting here, however, is that the pay for these projects is significantly more than what you can make from the other microtask sites.

So, you may not be able to start earning right away. But this is another site that is free to sign up for and there is no harm in applying for any projects that sound good. It could be a good source of side income if/when you get accepted.

Telus International (Formerly Lionbridge)

Telus is another crowdsourcing platform similar to Appen. They are an artificial Intelligence company that uses their crowdsourced workers to help train artificial intelligence programs.

They provide options for microtasks that include data annotation, search rating, and even map and data analysis.

Telus seems to be a little easier to get accepted for and more responsive than Appen, but it may also take a little bit of time to get accepted to one of their programs. You must apply to Telus similar to other jobs by providing a resume and filling out their application.

Speaking from experience here, they have some good opportunities to make a few hundred dollars a month. Which has been a lifesaver some months for our family. I would highly recommend trying to apply if you need some extra income.

Fancy Hands

Fancy Hands is a website where people can go to submit requests that are then completed by virtual assistants (that is you). You can check out some common requests that they receive through their app.

As a virtual assistant for Fancy Hands, you set your schedule of times that you are able to work and complete tasks. Then, you are contacted when someone needs a task completed (You might need to talk on the phone for this). You do a little bit of research and report your findings.

Their application page says that tasks start out at $3-$7 per task and go up from there. Their pricing page also mentions that requests are usually up to 20 minutes of work. So, doing the math there comes out to $9-$21 per hour to start out with.

This seems like a great option to make some generous income on the side if you can make it work with your schedule.

Final Thoughts

Microtask sites have been one of the saving graces for our finances. They are not a way to make you rich, but they are a way to get you out of the red each month. They are the easiest source of income to fit into your busy schedule as a parent and there is no shame in trying them out.

Let us know if there are and microtask sites that you have found that aren't on our list. Or, let us know how these sites work out for you! Leave a comment below and share your thoughts and findings with us. As always, we hope that this has been helpful on your journey of being a Paycheck 2 Paycheck Parent.