Get Paid to Shop: Mystery Shopping Tips from a Pro

If you are looking for a solid money making opportunity, but were afraid to be scammed, then read this article. I am an insider, ready to debunk a few myths and provide some insight into the industry. Find out how you can make money as a mystery shopper.

Forget about those Internet ads promising you $100 an hour. Oh, please - get real. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true then it usually is a scam. Mystery Shopping is mostly hard work and the pay is anything but stellar. On the bright side, you can generally expect to see a nice part-time income rolling in every month. If you happen to be one of those highly organized, laptop carrying, workaholic overachievers, willing to work 24/7 you might even make a living at it.

Your income will vary from month to month. There are shoppers who make $300-$500 a day - a few times a month. Their secret? They manage to schedule a route of assignments for themselves, shopping for several different companies. They might start out at say 6:00AM and may not return home until say 11:00PM or later, then they will enter their on-line reports for each location. Exhausting and profitable, but not my cup of tea.

College students and single young moms who practically live on the 'gotta eat' type of burger shops. Their strategy to make money: Performing age compliance audits. They are paid to check if stores, bars and restaurants really do ask for your ID, before allowing you to purchase alcohol or cigarettes. You might even say MSing is a way to become a popular student by treating your friends to a free meal. I use the term free meal loosely here, since it is an assignment that has to be completed as instructed and be submitted on time.

A friend of mine prefers shopping only casual restaurants and grocery stores to support the family budget. She works full time and shops on the way home from work. She takes her husband out for a steak dinner or to a wing place at least once or twice a week. $200-$300 income, which would mean fees and reimbursement, often reimbursement only without a fee. It works for her and compliments her lifestyle.