Katnina Wrote:

> I've only done one hotel shop, but I hope to start
> doing more of those, which will allow us to travel
> a lot more. Hard part is that we have dogs and
> like to travel with them, and most hotels are not
> pet friendly- and even if they were, not many
> MSC's would allow us to bring the dogs on a hotel
> shop.

I just looked up a new hotel I saw on a job board. This mscompany told me if I paid the dog fee they did not mind if I brought my dog along...the dog fee at the entire chain (I am pretty sure it was Marriot) is $100. Uh, do you really want dogs or is it just politicaly correct to say you accept them when the fee is this high. It was one of the low end brands this hotel has. The dog fee for one night rivals the room fee for people.

I bought a brand new fishing boat last year. Shopping pays for ALL the expenses, at least so far. I've been doing this over 6 years, and the work is mostly steady.

Being student loan debt and living in a house that I own is fun for me! Lol. Planning our wedding for next summer so my mystery shop money will pay for a few upgrades I would not have been able to do otherwise.

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You could always strap him to the hood.


I'd make a great hood ornament.

I shop full time and pay for all of my groceries, gas and car bills. I have painted my entire house with over $2000 of free paint. I only eat out, when it is reimbursed. Most of my clothing comes from shops and I have more kitchen gadgets and towels that I know what to do with.

I love the office supply shops and donate boxes of school supplies in August. I may have bought over 1000 pens in the past few years, with as many as 20 for $1. My dog has had many free baths and grooming, (not her choice) and I always have little goodies for my grandchildren.

With my earnings, I have traveled internationally and throughout the US. I enjoy shopping for my children, and when my daughter was setting up her apartment, I enjoyed helping her collect the kitchen and bath items.

I work routes and occasionally long hours, but I enjoy the freedom to select the jobs and setting my own schedule. When I start to collect social security, I plan to increase my savings and focus more on the jobs I most enjoy.

I funded my 2 month winter stay in FL last year. Doing the same this year.

I have real job, but I need the extra income right now. Have had my house on the market for over a year. Love being my own boss. The extra money is always nice.

I'm, happily, a very frugal homebody with a side income that's also based from home, so I use MS-ing to get out and about with people on the cheap. This includes paying for the really nice dinner, movies, gifts, travel, etc. I like the idea of having a singular goal though, and if I had to name something that I have been saving for and thinking of, it's making my house look like it belongs in Elle Decor.

I have a full-time job, so MSing is our vacation fund. So far, it has paid for a week in Disneyworld for our family of four, a week long cruise for DH & I, and the biggie... a week long Disney cruise next year to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary (all 6 of us are going - Mom, Dad, DH, me, and the kids). I am pulling out all the stops for that one - staying concierge level, limo service to & from the airport, private tours at all of our cruise ports. NO WAY I could have afforded a trip like that without MSing!

Went on a 3 day cruise.

Wow, it is really crazy to hear about everybody using MSing to pay for all these things. My wife and I recently started mystery shopping when I stumbled upon it looking for a way to make some extra income. We both make good money, but we're sticking to a strict budget to try and pay off my large student loans as soon as possible so my wife can quit her job and be at stay at home mom. So far we've done a few food shops at casual restaurants and some cell phone shops. Unfortunately, we weren't picked for the fine dining shops around us (probably because we're only 24 and don't have a lot of experience). It would also be awesome to do some hotel shops so we can take small trips, but we haven't found many of these either. I guess persistance is the key with mystery shopping.

At 24 there are a whole lot of tobacco and casual dining with alcohol ordered and such to make certain that you get carded, so those shops can be really nice for you (even if you pitch the tobacco).

If you are both working full time, your mystery shopping time is limited, so fee only shops or fee with small reimbursement are nice but probably not the best bang to your budget buck.

As I see it, the best way to make mystery shopping work is to do shops where the reimbursement is for something you would need to pay for out of your regular household budget otherwise--groceries, oil changes, entertainment. The fees for these things may be small or none at all, but when you are replacing budget money, it saves the budget. So I normally would get a $20 oil change but the shop oil change is $35 and reimbursed with a $5 fee. I have just saved the budget $20 and the IRS mileage deduction will pretty much offset any fee vis-à-vis taxes. If I was not shopping we would go out to eat once a week for about $30 each time so the budget is $120 per month. Although we still will try a restaurant that looks interesting on our own dime, reimbursement only restaurant shops keep about $90 in the budget.

Hello Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so happy to hear what you are all doing with your shopping money. I am personally using it to pay bills and I just used most of it to travel to South Carolina with my family. I do look forward to securing hotel and resort shops which I keep looking or hoping I get some soon. But, overall this is my 2nd source of income and I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to be a shopper. I find that it is exciting and fun, keeps your skills up with being alert and attentive and strengthening my writing skills as well. I have met a few shoppers recently that are full time shoppers and doing very well. But, they did tell me you have to be registered with a great number of companies. So, I do look forward to making this my full time soon just need to learn how and connect with more companies. I wish you all the best in shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy your Summer,

ND12

That is some good advice. I actually am going on an alcohol shop tonight at a theater so that saves us the price of a movie ticket. We tried doing 3 fee only shops last Friday and we both agreed it wasn't worth it (we ended up making less than $10/hr) after we got home and finished all the reports. We definitely are now looking for mostly reimbursement shops as we do enjoy going out to eat. How hard is it to find hotel/resort shops? I haven't even seen many of these listed on the multiple sites I have signed up for. I'm assuming its a small selection of MSC that do these?

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At 24 there are a whole lot of tobacco and casual
> dining with alcohol ordered and such to make
> certain that you get carded, so those shops can be
> really nice for you (even if you pitch the
> tobacco).
>
> If you are both working full time, your mystery
> shopping time is limited, so fee only shops or fee
> with small reimbursement are nice but probably not
> the best bang to your budget buck.
>
> As I see it, the best way to make mystery shopping
> work is to do shops where the reimbursement is for
> something you would need to pay for out of your
> regular household budget otherwise--groceries, oil
> changes, entertainment. The fees for these things
> may be small or none at all, but when you are
> replacing budget money, it saves the budget. So I
> normally would get a $20 oil change but the shop
> oil change is $35 and reimbursed with a $5 fee. I
> have just saved the budget $20 and the IRS mileage
> deduction will pretty much offset any fee
> vis-à-vis taxes. If I was not shopping we would
> go out to eat once a week for about $30 each time
> so the budget is $120 per month. Although we
> still will try a restaurant that looks interesting
> on our own dime, reimbursement only restaurant
> shops keep about $90 in the budget.

Gambling at the casinos.

Please tell me how to get hotel shops, who are the companys?

I used the required purchase for an art supply shop to snag some gorgeous origami paper. Then my friend and I had an "origami tea party" funded courtesy of mystery shopping!

I MS part time, to supplement 2 other IC jobs. I do it so I don't have to pay for things like car maitenance and groceries. Most of the money I earn goes into savings. A little bit goes to bills and monthly massages. I have not tried setting a specific goal yet in terms of saving up for something specific. And this month is the first month I'm setting a weekly goal of how much money I want to earn MSing.

Thank you to the other people here for the inspiring ideas of what to save up for! :-)

Mystery shopping has paid for my groceries and help fund my 42 inch TV. I have also use it to put gas in my car and help with birthday gifts. I enjoy seeing how much I can make. I started 5 years ago just doing a few but now that I am making a little more money by joining more companies I have a chance to add to my saving on go on a cruise next year!

I was told that Amway distributors use the upscale mystery shops for "dream building".

They go to the upscale shops as if they were in that economic level. In their mind they own the experience of buying jewelery and Infinitis and $150 lunches at upscale department store cafeterias and things like that.

When they go out on the road they keep that experience in their mind.

Before you know it what you wished for plus what you worked for becomes a reality.

You do not have to be an Amway distributor to use the same mind conditioning.

If you want that life style play the role, remember the experience when you feel like quiting, and keep on going to your goal!

Mystery Shopping Fund? I actually support my Mystery Shopping activity with funds from other sources. Sometimes I actually spend more than I make a month from mystery shopping if I include gas, car expenses and over reimbursement limits. I don't really mind because sometimes I really enjoy it, especially those high-end restaurants and hotels. I normally would not go to these establishments and spend over a hundred for a meal, but mystery shopping gets me there. Sometimes I go over the reimbursement, but that is understandably alright too. Any one feel the same way?

Mine goes to my kids' college funds, and I match it every month with my own money.

My best friend's husband left her with no place to live and she hasn't worked since she was 22. She has no "outside"skills. She is living with me and taking care of me and the house so I can use my energy to shop. I firmly believe that God gives me what I need. I never seem to have more than that. My MS money plus my disability pension support both of us. I feel better physically when I stay active so MSing is my "fun". This month I'll be able to cover my car insurance. The lack of stress about bills is my "fun". I got a big settlement from an accident a couple of years ago but used it to pay all my bills off and pay cash for a car. Am back to trusting God that He will provide the work and the energy one day at a time. My next challenge is making it through the Medicare Part D do it hole. Now this ought to be interesting! I do buy lots of goodies for my grand kids at yard sales and use that stuff now for my shipping shops. That's fun too. Am taking my roomie out to Cheesecake Factory next week. Nice dinners are a perk too.

When I started MSing I was in a terrible spot financially. I had been in 2 car accidents within 90 days and that left me physically not able to work to full capacity for around 6 months. I own my own business so no work equals no money. This business has a natural lull from Nov - Jan and by the end of the year I did not have enough money put aside to make it through that stretch.

So when I found MSing it was truly a lifesaver. My son and I ate fast food 3 times a day for close to a year. The tiny fees helped to pay our utility bills. It was just enough to keep me afloat while I rebuilt my business back up to where it needed to be. I am truly grateful to MSing to allow me to make it through what could have been a devastating period of my life.

Now I have scaled it way back. I rarely take FF shops anymore because I gained so much weight when it was pretty much all I ate. I do mostly grocery, car maintenance, and retail with meaningful reimbursements. Recently I've painted a couple of rooms in the house with free paint and I've got quite a few items in my Christmas gift stash.

I love the idea of saving for a specific goal. I think I'm going to up the number of shops I do and start saving for a couple of truckloads of organic compost. I'm working on my dream of an urban homestead with chickens...

Shopping pays for my kids' gymnastics, piano and swim team fees. It pays for their Under Armour clothing that the insist upon wearing. My oldest (pre-teen) is growing like a weed and I'm constantly buying new athletic shoes for her. Shopping has paid for our yearly vacation to the beach.

The reimbursement-only shops have given me Ridemakerz cars, Disney toys and Legos for my kids, Pandora jewelry for me, and a closet full of Aeropostale lol