The other day I was offered a shop that paid $100 but it was 80 miles round trip and I had to make two trips because it required that I purchase an item and then had to return it the next day so I would be traveling a total 0f 160 miles. Would you take the shop?

It depends on several factors, what kind of mileage I'm getting, as well as maintenance costs for my vehicle, can I get other shops along the way, etc. For the two round trips, the IRS allows you $89.60 for a deduction for your operating costs for your car. Even though I'm getting 33mpg on the highway, I don't think I would do that trip unless I could add another $70 minimum in shops to at least one of the days...and ideally something additional for the second day.

Unlesss you can make a productive route of shops on both trips, $15 per hour plus actual fuel costs plus any road/bridge tolls. You do the math based on how long it would take you to drive, given local road conditions, and how long it would take to perform the shop and enter the report.

My question, did you?

I would not take the shop as a standalone job. You would be committing yourself to furnish a car, buy gas, and put up front money for the purchase for $50.00 per day. So not worth it. On the other hand, if you can book additional shops in that direction each day, it might be worthwhile. So no. But maybe yes.

MDavisnowell Wrote:
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> I would not take the shop as a standalone job.
> You would be committing yourself to furnish a car,
> buy gas, and put up front money for the purchase
> for $50.00 per day. So not worth it. On the
> other hand, if you can book additional shops in
> that direction each day, it might be worthwhile.
> So no. But maybe yes.


Seems like you are going against your own
previously stated standards. They are making
100 dollars. Gas will cost around 20-25 max.
That will be 60-75 more in their pocket then they
would of had if they just stayed at home.

That was another member who thought any money was better than the nothing someone would make just sitting home watching TV or spending time with their loved ones. Come to think of it, I don't think that poster had any loved ones

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> That was another member who thought any money was
> better than the nothing someone would make just
> sitting home watching TV or spending time with
> their loved ones. Come to think of it, I don't
> think that poster had any loved ones


I can't details between different shops straight. You
expect me to remember who said what on
a forum?

Well yes, yes I do. As a mystery shopper you should remember every detail of everything you have seen and read for at least the last 10 years. After 10 years you are allowed to delete.

No, I don't think I'm going against my previously stated standards. If I had other shops along the way both days, I would take this shop. If I didn't, I would be working in another direction and I would be making more than $50 per day. I often pick up cheap shops and tuck them into a route, thereby ending up with more money than I would have had if I didn't pick them up BECAUSE I am going by there anyway. I do not purposely drive toward a money losing shop. This shop we are discussing is 160 miles total, cuts a big chunk out of two days, requires some three hours of driving, and requires money up front for a purchase to be returned. It makes sense on a route with other shops. It does not make sense standing alone.

I'd probably consider it if I didn't have anything else going those two days. According to my little calculator worksheet gas would cost me $17 and I'd be making $17 an hour after that.

And while as a stand alone it might not make sense, 80 miles could take just over an hour or well over two, it could be a good anchor to build an even more profitable route.

I thought about one that offered $100 - 65 miles RT. The stopper was the route was I-95 DC area. ugh!

LisaSTL Wrote:
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> And while as a stand alone it might not make
> sense, 80 miles could take just over an hour or
> well over two, it could be a good anchor to build
> an even more profitable route.


It could also take you 30 minutes if you have a
de facto police escort like I did one time in PA.
He was behind me and I moved over and he went
ahead so I went behind him and followed all the way
for the next 100 miles til he got off. Everyone moved
out of his way and I was right behind him the whole
time : )

I do that all the time, techman01. And you never know if the officer may get a good call with lots of photo ops.

To the OP ~ What about staying overnight in the town/city of the shop? Is that an option? You drive there for the purchase portion of the shop, pick up other shops in the area, enjoy a night in a hotel or take a hotel shop, do the return portion the following day, pick up more shops in that area and eventually drive home. You won't have to worry about rotation restrictions because it will be a whole new shopping ground for you.

I am doing exactly that next week. I picked up a bonused route of 10 shops all in the same small city. Since I will be driving through the Florida Everglades, there is not much opportunity to pick up shops along the way. For some reason, alligators and snakes don't see the need for mystery shoppers except as the occasional meal.

Shop2LiveinFL Wrote:
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> I do that all the time, techman01. And you never
> know if the officer may get a good call with lots
> of photo ops.
>
> To the OP ~ What about staying overnight in the
> town/city of the shop? Is that an option? You
> drive there for the purchase portion of the shop,
> pick up other shops in the area, enjoy a night in
> a hotel or take a hotel shop, do the return
> portion the following day, pick up more shops in
> that area and eventually drive home. You won't
> have to worry about rotation restrictions because
> it will be a whole new shopping ground for you.
>
> I am doing exactly that next week. I picked up a
> bonused route of 10 shops all in the same small
> city. Since I will be driving through the Florida
> Everglades, there is not much opportunity to pick
> up shops along the way. For some reason,
> alligators and snakes don't see the need for
> mystery shoppers except as the occasional meal.


I did shops in Oakmychobee recently. That city is
in the middle of nowhere with stupid low speed
limits to get to it for no reason since its nothing
but farm land and more farm land with no civilization in sight.

Arent they still paying you if you catch that one type
of snake? You could stop and catch 10 of them on
the way and make some money doing so.

I frequently take a similar trip for about the same exact distance. With what it costs in gas and time I must make $100 or more. But since you would be doing the trip twice I would need $200 in shops. $2-$3 a mile is what most independent truckers want.

No, I would not travel 160 miles for $100. I calculate 160 miles as $80 in auto expense (at $.50 per mile). And the fact that you are killing two days makes it worse. Only way I would do it is if I could add more shops for both days.

techman01 Wrote:
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> I did shops in Oakmychobee recently. That city is
> in the middle of nowhere with stupid low speed
> limits to get to it for no reason since its
> nothing
> but farm land and more farm land with no
> civilization in sight.


Are you trying to say Okeechobee? There is an annual bike ride that goes around the entire (very large) lake. They call it "The Big O Ride." I think it approximately 115 miles and it lasts two days.


> Arent they still paying you if you catch that one type
> of snake? You could stop and catch 10 of them on
> the way and make some money doing so.

Due to the infestation of Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades, they have paid a bounty in past years. I'm not sure if they are still paying in 2014. But how do I show up for my scheduled shops after wrestling with pythons in the swampy waters?

Move on! I hate snakes more than Indiana Jones does.

As do I!

What wusses

jpgilham Wrote:
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> I'd probably consider it if I didn't have anything
> else going those two days. According to my little
> calculator worksheet gas would cost me $17 and I'd
> be making $17 an hour after that.


"Gas Buddy" is your friend

I always feared that I had snakes under my bed. In fact I feared that anything nefarious might be under the bed. Over the years I spent many Thousands of Dollars on phyciactric visits in hopes of curing this phobia. Then a bartender cured me for$15.00...the price of two drinks. While enjoying the beverages I told the bartender of this fear. He said, "Why don't you cut the legs off of your bed?" Problem solved!

2012 IRS rates is 55.5 cents per mile driven for business purposes.

80 x 2 = 160 x 55.5 = $88.80 So you are being paid $11.20 for the time at the shop, your time in the car, and writing the report.

Are you down for that?

Why are you quoting rates from 2012?

"Beginning on Jan. 1, 2014, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:
56 cents per mile for business miles driven
23.5 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations"

cpburt Wrote:
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> I always feared that I had snakes under my bed.
> In fact I feared that anything nefarious might be
> under the bed. Over the years I spent many
> Thousands of Dollars on phyciactric visits in
> hopes of curing this phobia. Then a bartender
> cured me for$15.00...the price of two drinks.
> While enjoying the beverages I told the bartender
> of this fear. He said, "Why don't you cut the
> legs off of your bed?" Problem solved!

And make it easier for the rattlesnakes to slither up onto the bed?!?!

I took a shop similar to that for $70 (100 miles away, purchase and return) but I built routes around both segments. I've done an overnighter 170 miles away for $150 and built routes for both days.

the IRS rate includes expenses you would incur even if your car stayed in the garage, such as insurance and depreciation. I figure my operating costs to be 40 cents a mile (high mpg car). So if I can clear that, it's a matter of how many shops I can pack into the route. I'm less demanding if I need to go there for personal reasons anyway. You need to do your own figuring based on your own miles per gallon and what your tires cost to replace and other consumables. I don't count oil changes or car washes because I get those for free mystery shopping.

All the loved ones who live with me have fur. I mystery shop so I can feed them. My human loved ones are 100 miles away and I mystery shop near them when I go to visit to help pay for the gas to get to them. I'd rather be working and netting even $5 or $10 an hour than sitting at home watching TV (with a dog in my lap) saying, "I'm worth more than that" and doing nothing, which doesn't buy any dog food at all.

And we had alligators under the bed when I was growing up. I used to scare my little sister with that, and then I started imagining there really were alligators under the bed to the point that *I* was afraid to get out of bed too. Snakes don't bother me; we had some for pets.

My time with family and friends is worth a great deal more that $5 an hour.