How do you convince yourself to NOT shop?

How do you convince yourself NOT to mystery shop on a certain day?

On every day off from my full time job since I started doing this in August, I spend time mystery shopping. This time, I told myself on my days off this week, Wednesday and Thursday (Thanksgiving) that I would absolutely not mystery shop. That has not worked, I couldn't help but see a nicely bonused shop available to me on Wednesday, so I signed up for it. Then of course, I added a fast food place right near it because of course, I will need lunch.

Then, Thanksgiving, I'm traveling about 50 miles with family. Of course, I couldn't help but check to see if their were any nicely bonused gas stations near the place I was going. There are two. I haven't added them yet, but I know... I will. Eventually.

Are there any cures or support groups for this addiction?

How do you really convince yourself not to shop?

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This is my full time job so it's pretty easy for me. I do 95% of my shops on routes. When I'm home I don't shop because I need the downtime badly. The only shops I do local are ones with big bonuses or ones I particularly WANT to do.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

I won't shop on Thanksgiving and that includes secret shopping. Give yourself a break and if the clerk has to work on Thanksgiving, at least make it a day they aren't being evaluated.

You could always not go to the MSC websites or open the emails. What you don't know about you can't apply for :-)

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt

@CeciliaM wrote:

I won't shop on Thanksgiving and that includes secret shopping. Give yourself a break and if the clerk has to work on Thanksgiving, at least make it a day they aren't being evaluated.

That's the only reason I haven't taken the Thanksgiving ones! So far..

I put a big X on my shop calendar to remind me not to schedule shops on those days. And when I see an email for a great shop on my days off I just sigh, delete and say there will be more next month. Taking off the rest of the week because of my hubby's vacation except for a pizza delivery shop on Thanksgiving Eve!

I find it easier to assign value to my time, in relation to a shop fee. Weigh each and decide. There are some hefty bonuses that are hard to pass up. Thanksgiving week, there are very attractive bonuses, and schedulers in need. I just cannot get tempted, as I have too much to do, getting ready for company on Turkey Day. But, after the dishes are done, I'll check my favorite job boards for end of month bonuses.

It's so hard! I've done this for almost ten years and still have a difficult time with that. Sometimes I stretch myself way too thin and remind myself to not do that again and then before I know it, the stretching begins again! Help!

Doing what I can to enhance the life of my family! I LOVE what I do

Hubby has to work Friday, and he works from home, so I did pick up a car dealer shop with a bonus and i might look for some others in that area. Keep me offline for the sales haha.

I always say after a 10 hour day - "never again" and then I see the bonuses. I have a hard time saying no and then I am kicking myself when I get home at 9 pm and still have reports to do. There are days when I just say NO to mystery shopping so I can rest up but then after 2 days I will start jonesin again - so yes it is addictive - for me anyways.

I stay away from my PC so I won't be tempted. The day prior to when I want to take a break, I also do not answer the phone and let it go on VM.
I try to reschedule whatever is pending if I can.

Well, if you're enjoying shopping on your days off, you obviously are not suffering for it. I guess you have to ask yourself, what would you be doing on those days off if you weren't shopping? I'm pretty sure you'll know when you've had enough and need a day of rest. And I love the idea of doing a gas station shop while you're on the road with family. Since those shops take so little time, it's a great way to work and enjoy your family at the same time.

hutch4549

The problem with trying to take a day off is that you need to check your email daily for possible editor kickbacks for a question. Then you end up seeing the offers.

There are always offers that are just too good to pass up around the holidays and jobs that actually see the job board that are never seen as they are normally snatched up by someone who knows when they are posted and will grab it before it is on the job board for 5 minutes. This is a good time to note when the shop lands on the job board, so you can fight for it when it's a normal month and the person who is normally grabbing it is not on vacation.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/2015 01:40PM by scanman1.

@scanman1 wrote:

There are always offers that are just too good to pass up around the holidays and jobs that actually see the job board that are never seen as they are normally snatched up by someone who knows when they are posted and will grab it before it is on the job board for 5 minutes. This is a good time to note when the shop lands on the job board, so you can fight for it when it's a normal month and the person who is normally grabbing it is on vacation.

I know exactly what you mean. I've gotten some cherry assignments that way, and now I lurk for them. Lurk, lurk...

"The future ain't what it used to be." --Yogi Berra

I'm glad someone started this thread. I'm having family over for the holiday and decided to take this whole week off from MSing. I also have Wednesday-Friday off for my day job. I told myself I was NOT going to shop at all this week. First, to prep for the holiday and then to recover from it. But last night I quickly grabbed the laptop to apply to a highly bonused job I saw through email that I could complete on Friday. Sometimes I really think this is a sickness. LOL!

I used to see a life coach pretty regularly.... back when they were called bartenders.

I decided to take Thanksgiving week off to rest, but the phone keeps ringing and they keep throwing money at me. Help!

The only phone call I've gotten this week was someone asking me to drive 324 miles round trip for a $14 job.

"The future ain't what it used to be." --Yogi Berra

@pinchers81 wrote:

The only phone call I've gotten this week was someone asking me to drive 324 miles round trip for a $14 job.

And you passed that up?

@CoffeeQueen wrote:

@pinchers81 wrote:

The only phone call I've gotten this week was someone asking me to drive 324 miles round trip for a $14 job.

And you passed that up?

Who says I passed it up?

"The future ain't what it used to be." --Yogi Berra

@pinchers81 wrote:

@CoffeeQueen wrote:

@pinchers81 wrote:

The only phone call I've gotten this week was someone asking me to drive 324 miles round trip for a $14 job.

And you passed that up?

Who says I passed it up?

Oh well mine isn't as glorious as it sounds. I'll be sampling fast food for my big bonus. We all know what I think about that.

@scanman1 wrote:

The problem with trying to take a day off is that you need to check your email daily for possible editor kickbacks for a question. Then you end up seeing the offers.

There are always offers that are just too good to pass up around the holidays and jobs that actually see the job board that are never seen as they are normally snatched up by someone who knows when they are posted and will grab it before it is on the job board for 5 minutes. This is a good time to note when the shop lands on the job board, so you can fight for it when it's a normal month and the person who is normally grabbing it is not on vacation.

That pretty much sums it up for me. I'll look at the board in case of questions or to glance at guidelines for a future shop. I'm just going to have to learn to plan days off at the beginning of months!

Actually, lurking here constantly revives my love for mystery shopping! Then I read about bonuses (oh, better check!) or some place new I want to shop (hm, let's go through my email and see who shops xx) or am reminded to check up on my monthly favorites.......

sheesh!

@scanman1 wrote:

The problem with trying to take a day off is that you need to check your email daily for possible editor kickbacks for a question. Then you end up seeing the offers.

If I have day off or I;m on vacation I don't check email. Unplug & unwind.

If you want to cut back, you just have to do it. I've done it, and until tonight I had only one shop coming up. Today I got the notice on five that are on auto-reassign so I'll do them. So, a total of six right now whereas in the past I might have 75 - 125 on my list. It's hard to do, but you have to think about what you want. If you want to cut back, do it. If you'd rather shop, there's nothing wrong with hard work. Money in the bank is always a comfort.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

There is no cure for this addiction. For help call: I-800-I-AM-ADDICTED (mystery shopping

Some people are lucky & don't have addictive personalities.

@MSNinja wrote:

Some people are lucky & don't have addictive personalities.

I do. I am addicted to sugar, mystery shops, Cheetos and rootbeer.

Most of those addictions are very unhealthy for u.

My advice is move to a large city where the bonuses are few and far between...a $3 bonus is considered a "huge bonus". Or news they will double the pay which was $5 to begin with. You will not be tempted with those big bonuses especially since they are each a drive thru heavy traffic away from each other and the chance of spending your big bonus to leave the parking lot. lol

Well, I did good, I didn't take the Thanksgiving shops I could have done. But maybe only because I had help. Thank you other shopper who took them before I talk myself into it!

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