@jlux wrote:
I'm curious how the people that are making $20,000 plus dollars shopping. What kind of shops are you doing and how far do you drive to do them?
I almost never drive more than 75 miles to do a shop. I fly quite often though.
I do lots of bar audits (paying $50-$75 in fees for 90 minutes).
I do hotels with $500 fees, usually 2-3 days at most.
I do special projects internationally. I speak 3 languages fluently and a bit of a handful of others in order to get by.
I do shipping shops for 3 companies. I can do these in my sleep. Love them. Food banks and teacher friends of mine are grateful for what I send.
I do gas station mystery shops. I quit doing the audits 4 years ago. They pay the same as they did in 2000.
I do amusement parks. I am good at it. I like them. They are profitable for me. I end up with enough free tickets at the end of the year to send my kids and 20 of their friends for free between Christmas and New Year's.
I do casino audits. Some clients let me keep up to $1199 in winnings.
I will do about 30 easy peasy food shops a month. My OOP food expenses are less than $20 a month on the road.
I do special projects. I get unexpected calls from people to do one-time or ongoing assignments.
anything in an airport. I fly through no less than 30 airports a year. I will watch for anything to make an extra $100 on a trip
Here's what I don't do:
apartment shops
bank shops (except the 30 second deposit a check shop)
I have done exactly ZERO video shops. I have no interest in being a road warrior, downloading video at a motel in BFE, regardless of how much I could make doing it. Not for me.
car buying, test driving, negotiating etc shops. No interest. $200 for a Porsche test drive. Pass.
purchase / return shops
nursing home shops
"fun & easy" shops
any of the new low priced grocery store shops with more than 3 interactions for less than $25
OK .... I did one bank phone shop for a favor, and didn't really even want to get paid for it. Hourly rate ended up being $7/hour. (insert eye roll here) Within 24 hours, I was offered an all expenses paid international job. Pays not to burn bridges or be an ass sometimes. I know that sometimes, there is no margin and a job needs done. Call me. I'll do it. I know you'll call when you have extra money or a great job. It works.
Hope that helps. I'll edit if I think of anything else.