Dear Rat Race Rebellion, Can I make any money taking online surveys? I've seen some offers that say I can make $50 per survey, and it only takes a few minutes. Are those legitimate? —Stephanie in White Plains, N.Y.

Dear Stephanie: Many surveys pay a few dollars, but $50 is quite high and raises red flags. Focus groups, on the other hand, can pay $50 or more if you match the demographic profile sought by the hirer.

For some thought-starters, see our bulleted list at http://bit.ly/YExfIZ. You can also check the discussions about surveys and related topics at work-at-home sites like WorkPlaceLikeHome.com and WAHM.com.

Dear Rat Race Rebellion, My wife just got an offer to work as a mystery shopper. They sent her a cashier's check for $2,000 to deposit in her checking account. Now all she has to do is go to Neiman Marcus and buy clothes and write a report. As long as she sends the employer $1,200 by Western Union, she can keep the clothes and the rest of the money.

She's definitely interested, but it sounds a little too easy. Is this a scam? —Joseph in Gary, Ind.

Dear Joseph, It's definitely a scam. This is the way it usually works: When your wife deposits the "cashier's check" (which may be a legitimate check stolen from the banking system) to her checking account, the bank will put the funds in her account. She'll spend money shopping, keep some and wire the rest to the "employer."

A few days later, the bank will notify your wife that the check is bogus. She will be liable for the funds that she has withdrawn from her account. The con artist will keep the funds she wired his way. Such funds are almost never recovered.

If your wife is interested in mystery shopping jobs, there are many legitimate offers to choose from. A good place to start is Market Force Information, which hires shoppers across the US. They're at http://www.marketforce.com. She can also check the job board at the website for the National Association for Retail Marketing Services at http://www.narms.com.

Dear Rat Race Rebellion, I've applied for at least 30 work-at-home jobs over the past two months, and I haven't had any success. A lot of times, the employer doesn't even respond to my application.

I'm getting very discouraged. What are your thoughts on this? Am I doing something wrong? —Chloe in Bismarck, N.D.

Dear Chloe, Experts say that it in this economy it takes on average five months to find a job. Depending on the type of home-based job you're looking for — and your resume and networking efforts, of course — the five-month average may run longer or shorter.

For example, if you have customer-service skills and want to apply them, you may find home-based work fairly quickly because there is a growing need for agents. On the other hand, if you're looking for data entry or similar basic office work, it may take you much longer, as there are few positions and the demand is high.

As far as employer replies are concerned, more and more companies are responding only to the job seekers they expect to hire. This can indeed be discouraging, but it's not a battle worth fighting. Just move on to the next opportunity, and try not to take it personally.

Christine Durst and Michael Haaren are leaders in the work-at-home movement and advocates of de-rat-raced living. Their latest book is "Work at Home Now," a guide to finding home-based jobs. They offer additional guidance on finding home-based work at www.RatRaceRebellion.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.