by B. E. Shaw

Created on: February 13, 2010   Last Updated: February 14, 2010

December 2007 was my first month with ChaCha.  Initially it seemed like a novel idea, something I might want to toy around with until something better came along.  At the time I was almost ashamed to tell people I made .20 cents per answer.  However, as time went on and I realized that you could be paid instantly, just by clicking the "pay me now" button, I thought, hmmn, maybe there's something to this.  It's easy and you can take your laptop and work, or ChaCha, from anywhere there is a WiFi connection.  And that's what I do.  I take my laptop to Barnicles or Buffalo Wild Wings, order some food, watch some sports and ChaCha for a couple of hours during the day.  That's right, during the day, between 11am and 1pm.  In the 2 hour time frame I sometimes make enough to pay for my food.  Other times I might make $5 or $6 bucks.

But here's the real benefit to working as a Guide for ChaCha.  If you're a full-time Internet Marketer (as this author is) then you will find various ways to make money on the Internet.  Writing is one of them.  You write for Helium, you write for eHow, you write for Associated Content, and there are a plethora of other writing sites.  Answering a question on ChaCha actually brought me to this article, "Can you make money online with ChaCha?"  This has happened many times in the past where I would end up writing an article specifically because of a question that was asked on ChaCha.  Here’s another case in point, someone asked the question, What is BlogTV about?  I answered the question and then promptly wrote an article, "How to Broadcast Live TV Shows."  Therefore, as a full-time Internet Marketer, it's advantageous to use the live interaction of ChaCha not only to make a little money but it affords you the opportunity to branch out in several other areas.  Some of the answers that are provided lead directly to my website.  This means more hits, more clicks on contextual advertising, and ultimately, more money in my Paypal account.  Revenue that would not be available if it were not for an affiliation with ChaCha.

In leaner times, when my business on the Internet was really struggling, ChaCha put food on the table when I needed it most.  They did lower their payments, where Guides use to get .20 per answer, now it averages about .12 to .13 per answer.  However, it's a great way to make quick money in a pinch.  Here are my numbers:

2008 Earnings - $2,457.80
2009 Earnings - $1,228.44
2010 Earnings - $108.74

That's a total of $3794.98. That's not bad when you look at the myriad other residual doors that it has opened.  I've probably averaged about 10 hours per week on ChaCha for the past 2 plus years.  Many writers complain about this site, or that site, or the other site, when it comes to making money online, and then top it off with, “I’m a stay-at-home mom.”  Well, you’re a stay-at-home mom, which means you have a husband who plays a major role in paying the majority of the bills.  This author is a “stay-at-home” Dad and Mom.  100% of my income is earned off the Internet, and it’s one salary coming in, so I’m thankful for the opportunity that ChaCha provides.  Also keep in mind, you can quit these jobs at any time, no one places a gun to your head to make you work.  Moral of the story - be thankful for all your online opportunities, because that is where most of the jobs are headed as we get into the teeth of the 21st century and the Information Technological Age.

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