I haven't bothered with surveys for years..
If I have 90mins spare one evenings I want to use that 90smins to earn the most that I can and getting paid pence to do a survey isn't going to do that
Why do surveys when you can do Mystery Shopping
Why do Mystery Shopping when you can do Smartphone task apps
Why do Smartphone task apps when you can do uTest
Why do UTest when you can do Web Search Evaluator Work
Why do Web Search Evaluator work when you can do Matched Betting
Why do Matched Betting when you can work on content to create a passive income from your blog(s)
etc..
I get what you are saying Jon, With me surveys were what I started with too, (sadly with Qmee and stuff like that), and realised very quickly I was wasting my time with that lark.
I do genuinely enjoy about 75% of the prolific studies though, and for me they are just a little bit more income in the savings account each month, and I'm usually on the clock anyway when I do them so I can tell myself I'm getting paid to be at work getting paid. It's more interesting than Facebook anyway
I do either mystery shopping or smartphone tasks only if I'm out and about, the ones on a Saturday that I still get seem to be decent still, but I only really do them about once a month now: Go buy this, eat it, take a picture, do a short review, get a fiver and whatever you bought reimbursed too (Usually a new ready meal from Tesco that I wouldn't have usually bought, but good to try something new sometimes)
I like doing the Casino ones in Brighton though, It's always a free night out with a meal for 2, a fiver to bet with and 2 drinks that I never touch. Although the staff there must think I'm either Brain Damaged or have cottoned on that I'm the "mystery shopper" because I keep asking the same questions each time. Still, an easy £10 and £50 expenses. (Done it 9 times now in 6 months, and I'm having to ask the SAME staff each time how to use the poker machines, and ordering the EXACT SAME THING too every time!) When that one comes up, AND it does, every 3 weeks!!! I always take it if we're not doing anything on a Friday night, go in early, (about 6pm, do that, then F off to the cineworld next door. Free meal, free parking, and it pays for one ticket (almost: It's £10.50 a ticket at the Brighton Cineworld
). Cheap date night, £11 for 2 tickets to the cinema and a meal for 2 and a bit of a laugh at the casino beforehand! (never won anything though)
Web Search Evaluator, way too boring for me. Gave up on it.
And matched betting? Haha, not gonna happen with me, don't have the foggiest about sport, (or betting) and don't have time to jump though all the hoops and learn how to not cock it up, because I probably would.
I have to write copy as part of my 9-5, so sod doing that when I get home too!
All I'm saying is prolific does fill a little gap for me, and as I've said in this thread before, I try not to do any that are a waste of time, and I only do them if I'm available.
Very good advice though Jon, I only stumbled on this site last year when I was trying to look into more money for least effort, and within a month I was doing ok, probably made enough this year for a holiday.
edit: meant the money I made last year, but my "earnings" last year on Prolific alone, have paid for a nice holiday to Croatia this year.