Search Results for: blog mystery shopping paying to shop

The Frugal Blog Week in Review: Jan. 27 to Feb. 2

Hello there! It is a quiet Saturday evening on the day before the Superbowl. my husband is getting the last kid to bed, I’m listening to my new Nora Jones music, and I am seriously thinking of taking a nice hot bath. Before that, though, I wanted to bring you the week in review for the Frugal Living Blog. I know you read every blog faithfully, so I’ll just assume you want to reread them all again. Saturday, January 27 Save on Paper: Take Advantage of Junk Mail In an earlier blog, Save on Paper: The Three Best Ways, I … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: The Tax-Man Cometh!

Disclaimer: Julie is not a tax professional. As a matter of fact, she did so poorly in Accounting that it didn’t even count toward her college degree. Please check with your tax professional about your finance. This blog is for informational purposes only. I’m doing my taxes using TurboTax and crying in my… well, green tea, but you get the point. Mystery shopping can be good money. But you’re an independent contractor. That means that you pay your own taxes. Generally, when you’re an employee, a company is matching what you’re putting into Social Security and Medicare taxes. That terrible … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: The Ten-Foot Pole List

Pay has steadily declined in mystery shopping. The good shops are still out there. But so are the bad ones! Some companies apparently don’t have a clue about what it takes to do a shop. Or they do, but shoppers are selling themselves short so they continue to underbid and underpay. In an effort to help you dodge these shops (especially when you’re first starting), here’s my personal “Top Ten Wouldn’t Touch it with a Ten-Foot Pole” list. Please note that if you do accept one of these shops, you need to complete it no matter how much it isn’t … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: What to Expect on an Amusement Park Shop

Amusement parks are one of the lowest paying shops when you consider them on an hourly basis. Often, you’ll be paying to shop them. That said, they’re also probably the most fun! Yes, you’re working. Yes, you’re making observations. But you’re not doing that every minute of the time you’re there. We have visited over a dozen different amusement parks, zoos, aquariums, sporting events, and other amusement venues as mystery shops. It’s a chance to do things we would normally have difficulty fitting into our budget. Every company and every client is different, but here are some basics that are … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: Becoming Certified: Is it Worth It?

Kori recently wrote a blog about belonging to professional associations. Part of the job of some of those associations is to set a standard for the professionals in it. These exist in mystery shopping as well. The two biggest are Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) certification, and certification and membership in the National Center for Professional Mystery Shoppers & Merchandisers (NCPMS). NCPMS is a shoppers’ organization, in contrast to MSPA, which is the shopping companies’ association. They offer a lot of virtual training and online certification. For $128, they’ll give you training that can reasonably be completed in a month, … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: Picking Up the Orphans

Another way to make good money mystery shopping is by picking up the orphans. Orphans? Yep. Those are the shops at the end of the month that nobody has done. There are typically two reasons for this. Either someone was going to do it and they dropped it for one reason or another (such as an emergency, or because they’re a flake), or the shop is in an undesirable or remote location. The first is better for you, but it’s more often the second in my area. You’ll see the listed price for the job start to climb as it … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: Paying to Shop

The first rule of mystery shopping is Don’t Pay to Shop. But is that rule ever bent? I’ll pass on the fondue restaurant that reimburses you only about half your evening. “But you’re getting a great deal!” No thanks, I’d rather go to Restaurant.com, pay for a coupon, and enjoy the meal without worrying about a report. Paying part of a hotel stay doesn’t make any sense to me either. Using Priceline.com and BiddingForTravel.com together to get the best price will often net you the same price a certain mystery company charges you to stay there. And, again, you can … Continue reading →

The Best Mystery Shopping Companies

So, you’ve read the Mystery Shopping Introduction and How to Get Started segments. You’ve signed up with the two recommended starters, read the materials, and successfully completed a number of shops. Congratulations! Now you’re ready to expand your business base by signing up with more companies. Everyone has their favorites, for various reasons, but these are companies that I personally would recommend. Fast-paying. Often in mystery shopping, you have to wait 45-60 days to be paid. For some people, that’s not an option, especially if you have laid out money up front. With these three companies, I have experienced unusually … Continue reading →

Mystery Shopping: Make Millions of Dollars!

We’ve all seen the ads – “Make $80 an hour,” “Furnish your house for free!” or “Never pay for meals again.” Of course, they’re usually accompanied by a hefty fee for information. Information that’s often out of date and always available elsewhere free. Don’t fall for it. The number one rule in mystery shopping is Never Pay To Shop. Mystery shopping is a legitimate business, measuring customer service and letting companies know where they’re doing well and which areas need improvement. The pay is pretty much commensurate with the skill level. In plain English, you’re not going to get rich … Continue reading →

Eat Out for Free

Eating out can be very expensive, which is why I always talk about making meals at home to save money. There are some ways that you can eat out and enjoy your meal for free! Not too many people know about most of these secrets, but I’ll share them with you today. Try them out and post about your experiences. Trial Runs A great way to eat a great meal out for free is to keep your eyes open for new restaurants that are getting ready to open. Ask the manager of the restaurant when the kitchen will be doing … Continue reading →