A recent 'current affairs' programme recommended certain Websites where Australian residents may join a panel of volunteers who, by doing surveys or taking part in other on-line activities, can earn money for themselves or for charities.

Many surveys are targeted to specific groups, so you will increase your chances of being invited to do a paid survey if you answer the questions in your 'profile' or 'welcome survey' when you join.

• Australian Meal Panel: Do a monthly survey about food and food retailing and get paid $5 each time.
  
  
• Pure Profile: Each time you log in, click 'Nextbutton' to see what surveys and other offers are available. The more questions you answer in your Profile section, the more relevant are the offers you receive. After you earn a certain amount you can withdraw the money.
  
  
• Email Cash: Earn reward points for answering surveys, reading emails and Webpages, writing magazine articles, playing games, referring your friends, etc. When you accumulate enough points, redeem them for a cheque, donation to charity, gift vouchers, or bids in cashless online auctions.
  
  
• Certain other survey panels may suit you even better. If you would like details of some to which I belong, email me at (type this address into an email with a subject line 'survey_info_please').