So many posts.

I agree with Steve, how much you can make depends on the shopper and their circumstances. The way I work probably does not work for more than a handful of shoppers. I am not going to share how much I make a year nor will I share what companies I do most of my work for, sorry, but I will be more than glad to share my formula. I have about 15 days worth of work each quarter in recurring work. I've negotiated fees for that work which nets me in the range that I already stated. One of the two routes takes me about 10 days and I add no work to it as 10 days is about twice as long as I like to be gone at a time. The other route is rural, takes me about 5 days, and I can almost always stretch that one out a little longer and rack up on bonuses on other shops. It helps that while it isn't where I live it's close enough that doing it in multiple trips doesn't add any cost (and actually helps as it gives me more nights at home instead of in a hotel. I try to get those done the first of the quarter but I have 3 months to do them so I'm free to move them around to maximize bonuses. I try to leave the last week of each month free for bonus only shops and sometimes the last 2 weeks of a quarter. The rest of the time I fill in with short (4-7 day) video trips. Normally I pick a few places each quarter that I would like to go and ask the schedulers I work with to hold shops for me in those areas. They never disappoint because they know I never disappoint. A couple of times a year I get offered long routes like the one I just got back from. I leave my schedule flexible enough that I can almost always fit one in when I get the call.

To work the way I work requires a lot of planning, and a lot of contact with schedulers, and a lot of fixing crap when you screw up. My process does not work for everyone and it's not the only way to be successful. I imagine techman would look at my shop log and laugh hysterically. I'm also fairly certain he makes more than I do. That does not bother me. I imagine Jackaroe makes at least as much as I do with less work. That also doesn't bother me. Just like I don't care if I make more or less than a Jamba Juice manager. Or an Office Depot manager. Or an IT manager. Oh wait, yeah, don't want anything to do with IT managers, been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, got the hell out. MDN doesn't make as much as I do. So what? She enjoys what she does, she does it on her own terms, and I think she's probably a fantastic shopper (and poster).

I'll also say that I am probably a very average shopper at best. I suck royally at narratives. Mine are not good and even then take me forever. The $35k in reimbursements Steve was mentioning earlier would take me 3x as long as $35k in fees from the way I work. Probably more. The trick is finding a system that works for you and then maximizing it.

One last point. I am not shy among schedulers with what type of work I'm doing like most people seem to be. I'm sorry, but the schedulers that have been around awhile know what work is out there. Sure I don't tell them the MSC or the client, but all of the video schedulers I work with know about my permanent work (at least the shop type and locations). Today as I was driving home I got an email from one of them who just got an order in for 8 shops that fits perfectly into one of my routes and also can be done anytime during the quarter. She knew it fit perfectly for me and I was the first person she thought about.

Also now I want ice cream

I do it to pay bills and save money. The more bills I pay with shopping money the more I can save. Recently I've been able to cover everything except insurance and property taxes. Yah Mary, you go girl!

I do it to hire strippers....

So I was checking into my hotel last night and the girl was training a new employee. I had booked a room with 2 queens because that's all that showed up on the website. I was kind of joking around with them as I was checking in and when she verified I wanted two queen beds I was like, I don't care, if there's a king I'd rather have that. She looked at the guy and was like, he's diamond, whatever he asks for you give it to him if it's available. Sometimes my mouth works faster than my brain because out came "then I want the room with the Jacuzzi and the stripper pole."

Thank you both for validating the concept there are many definitions of success. The stay at home mom who cuts hundreds of dollar from her grocery bills or the disabled shopper who is able to schedule shops based on their health is no more or less successful than shoppers who rely on mystery shopping alone to pay the bills. I would also like to add that neither bgriffin or Mary are average shoppers. They are two people who looked at the options available to them, paid attention to advice offered by those who had gone before, evaluated their own skill sets and goals and made their businesses work for them.

@LisaSTL wrote:

paid attention to advice offered by those who had gone before

most important

@bgriffin wrote:

To work the way I work requires a lot of planning, and a lot of contact with schedulers, and a lot of fixing crap when you screw up. My process does not work for everyone and it's not the only way to be successful.

I might disagree and say that there is an element of the secret to being successful in that one sentence. Though BGriffin and I would probably balk at each other's shop logs, we have that in common...

@SteveSoCal wrote:

Though BGriffin and I would probably balk at each other's shop logs, we have that in common...

Seriously. I'll admit to having a ton of jealousy about that. I would LOVE to do the type of shops that you and SoCalMomma seem to mostly stick to. I also understand that I do not have the skillset required for that type of shopping, even as a small percentage of my shopping.

This last long string of posts demonstrates an important aspect of the contributions of many, not including the OP, to these forums: mutual respect. And, I suspect, that trait may also align strongly with another: self respect.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2015 03:05PM by walesmaven.

@Billy ONaire wrote:

How much can I expect to make if I work full time mystery shopping? I don't believe claims that you can make a good income. I think expenses will take to big a bite out of profits. I don't want to hear from anyone who appears to exaggerate. Only wish to hear frm those who know howvto calculate expenses. Surprises me to read people bragging about earning $$$$/month. That is near poverty income.

It surprises me to read something like this. He is asking for information while putting down those he is asking for help.

It makes me want to ask him: Who are you? What do you currently do for a living? How much do you make at your current job? What are your skills and abilities? What do you consider a living wage? What is a near poverty income to you?

People who need to be led by the hand and "trained" are usually not good candidates for being independent contractors. They are better suited to a regular job where they get paid for coming to work and they directly report to a boss.

One of the biggest benefits is never talked about in terms of pay. That benefit is freedom. I get to work as much or as little as I want. I get to say no to jobs I don't want to do for any amount of money. Or jobs that I don't think pay me enough. I'm the final say in what I do in any given day.

Priceless.

What boggles my mind is that a new member can come into the forum, drop a hand grenade like this and so many members go nutso responding to him. Better to ignore this kind of garbage post.

Mike T, we're not just talking to Billy. We're mostly talking to each other, which is what we mostly do. As to what the Billies on the forum get out of it, they're on their own.

But why do all the Billies seem to find THIS forum!

Because we're the very best entertainment in the ms world, that's why!

I can picture poor Billy right now in his skivvies in his mothers basement disappointed that we haven't actually responded to him but instead talked to each other and basically ignored him.

I suggest we stop responding to Bill, Billy or B. Troll and just let him crawl back under his bridge or to his mama's basement or wherever. I fail to see his humor.

Honestly he kinda makes me laugh

@LIJake wrote:

I suggest we stop responding to Bill, Billy or B. Troll and just let him crawl back under his bridge or to his mama's basement or wherever. I fail to see his humor.

Billy who?

Is bgriffin's first name Bill or Billy? Come on, 'fess up!

One thing that no one seems to mention is the HUGE tax advantage that one can get from being a MS, and running the business from your home. I had a 3 room apt (bathrooms don't count) and half of one room had my desks and files, computer, stapler, adding machine, etc. etc. This was like 17% of my house. Accordingly, if I made enough to pay taxes, 17% of my TOTAL house expenses can be deducted from income tax. 17% of rent, utilities, grass cutting, telephone, etc. ALL my paper, ink, new printer, etc., etc.---all deductions. Think about it.

Well, it can be deducted from your income, not from your taxes. And, remember, if you own your home and depreciate part of it when you sell, the IRS will want you to pay tax on the amount of total depreciation that you took over the years. It's called "recapture," if I recall correctly.

@LisaSTL wrote:

Huh? What is up with calling other people liars? On routes for the same company as bgriffin I regularly netted $1,000 to $1,400 per week. I've had more than one route lasting anywhere from five to eight days which resulted in a net of $1,500 to $2,000 because some or all of my expenses were paid for by a MSC. Are those routes available every week and every month, no. Are those routes hard as hell, yes. The point is there are routes like that and probably more of them than you can wrap your head around.

I want to be you when I grow up.

Did you miss a digit, cuz I don't think anyone can make $85,000 per month and even pet year would be tricky.

Did you miss a digit, cuz I don't think anyone can make $85,000 per month and even per year would be hard.

There are people who make much more than $85,000 per month. I'm not one of them, unfortunately for me, but they do exist.

If we're talking about mystery shoppers, then I feel confident saying you're correct.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2015 09:41PM by af517.

@bgriffin wrote:

@SteveSoCal wrote:

Though BGriffin and I would probably balk at each other's shop logs, we have that in common...

Seriously. I'll admit to having a ton of jealousy about that. I would LOVE to do the type of shops that you and SoCalMomma seem to mostly stick to. I also understand that I do not have the skillset required for that type of shopping, even as a small percentage of my shopping.

AWWW That's sweet. I am currently traveling through the Midwest (sports) and am totally failing at getting much of anything as far as shops go. Mostly because I didn't know when I would be where on any given day. I knocked out a few at the airport and grabbed a simple hotel, but I should probably start looking for a few to cut some costs off of this month long trip.

Oh shoot, I lie. I did book a two day job at the tail end of this trip. They'll pay for my rental car and fight home.

I am currently doing this full time and make about $200/week (plus reimbursements), I however do not do video shops nor high end ones like resorts. $1000/week might be possible and I am even willing to to concede $2000 but if anyone claims to be regularly making more, they should give us more info such as which area they are shopping and either the MSC's names or the type of assignments they do.

I don't think anyone on here has ever claimed they are consistently making $2k a week.