Do most of you do this full time or is it a second job? I'm trying to supplement my first job, but feel like maybe I could someday make this full time.

It's supplemental income for me. When I was laid off in 2016, I did i full time. Now, I primarily do bank and food shops.

This is part-time for me, a rural dweller. There are few shops for me in my town and the nearest town. Also, I get up at 1 am for another job. You will not see me doing a large-report dinner shop or bar shop unless they are part of a rare hotel shop because I should be asleep by 5 pm. That never happens, but I still avoid certain shops. Despite little time for this, I can combine shops, audits, and merchandising tasks with personal errands in distant places and earn part-time income. If I want to examine or buy items personally, I must go to distant towns because these things are not available near me. Above all, I enjoy the open spaces between assignments. My approach is almost 100% values-based. Approximately 4% of my decisions are based on the fact that I am in a certain age group that makes me ineligible for a large number of shops that younger shoppers could do multiples of and make the big bucks. A younger and/or more strictly business oriented soul might work this region differently and earn more money. For example, if I were eligible for age compliance shops, I could work for three days and make hundreds if not thousands of dollars from those shops. But I cannot do that. 4% of my choices are related to time. By the time I get to where the fast bank shops are, there is only enough time to do a few of them. Audits? Once, I was a kamakazi and did three in one day-- after working early in the AM and traveling a few hours to the locations. I lived and encourage you to consider this if desperate, have eaten Wheaties for breakfast, or can push hard for a short spurt to help out a scheduler. Two percent of my choices depend upon rotations. There are not multiples of things here, so I wait for my turn unless a scheduler is able to waive the rotation requirement. This is just one story about one busy rural shopper. There are many more ideas to consider!

I'm rural too! Trying to find the right balance can be hard, but I am enjoying the journey

This is very part time for me as well, as I am retired and do this as a way of earning a small supplemental amount. But there are many here on the forum who work at this as their main source of income, and they work HARD at it. They are dedicated mystery shoppers and have provided much valuable information here on this Forum.

I've done it as both. When I did it full time, I was gone too much and staying up too late to spend quality time with my spouse. I've learned a better balance now. I did do it full time for almost half a year, though and made a decent amount of money route shopping. Now, I grab up phone shops (you gotta get over hearing yourself recorded) and 1-2 shop every day on the way to and from work. No shops? No worries. I just budget VERY carefully.

Very PT for me, but I've been trying to up my game this month after returning from vacay. I limit my shopping hours, no weekends, and plan so my reports are done by dinnertime. PT work = PT income.

I have a full time job so it is part time. I retire in 14 months so it will then become full time.

I only do 30 to 50 shops per month, but nothing below $20 unless it provides a lot of rewards points for hotels or flights, free fuel or really good food. So, I am semi-retired but rely on MS to supplement Social Security and housemate income.

It's a second career for me to fill in my time. Not sure why I'm still doing this and stressing myself out, but I'm pushing more to supplement my boujee lifestyle, experience things I wouldn't pay out of pocket for and utilize any of the income from this to help pay for some (or sometimes all) my monthly living expenses, so I can save my full-time income and do whatever I see fit with that.

I have a full-time job and this is to supplement my income since my husband has been out of work for over a year. He says he can't mystery shop because he hates paperwork and is not good at lying. <BIG EYEROLL> I hate paperwork, too, but I like and need money. I try to do 4 to 5 shops a week either at lunch or after work.

I also live in a rural area and the assignments even in the nearest cities are very few. I'm trying to supplement my income. Maybe things will pick up around the holidays.The age compliance is an issue for me too.. Yes if I were younger I'd sign up for those better paying assignments.When an assignment is age compliance it's always for a younger group. I've not had an age compliance assignment for a 50 plus age group.

Work doing shopping,audits, and merchandising would make full time work with some good effort. At this time I'm looking for audit work on a regular bases. With good effort I'm sure the audits will pan out!

Have a great day everyone!

Right after I quit my regular job I made mystery shopping my full-time gig. Recently, though, I'm cutting back and concentrating more on volunteering and projects around the house (which I can do myself more cost-effectively than hiring a contractor(.

I am different from a lot of you in that I do these to 1) get me up off me ahole and doing something 2) income to supplement vacations 3) because of disability I can not work partime or full-time for company and 4) because it allows me to work when I am able to and not work when health makes me unable to.

One of my main reason to do this is because like you say it something you can do with a dsablerty. It something I can work when my back will allow it and not when I need to rest it. It also keeps one foot in the business I work in for many years that of retail.

I am a merchandiser, demo person, and mystery shopper. I started with mystery shopper and branched out into the other work. Everything is part-time work but it averages out to a full-time paycheck. I like it.

I only shop part time since I am retired. I have to give tons of credit to anyone who shops full time and makes a good living. I think you would need lots of experience, work morning, noon and night really hard without benefits.

@Tarantado wrote:

I'm pushing more to supplement my boujee lifestyle

This made me think "Badged and boujee" because of your airport tag.

I am doing mystery shopping full time. I am not yet making full time income. I am only working with 3 companies right now. The 4th company no longer has clients in TEXAS.
I am trying to find more companies to shop for. I'm a new single mommy so I have to make this work.

Sending well wishes your way for you when you start you mystery shopping journey full time <3

@pegleg2000 wrote:

I have a full time job so it is part time. I retire in 14 months so it will then become full time.

I'm part time, and I seem to have a love-hate relationship with MSing. After I do a shop, or especially what is for me a heavy week of shops, I say never again. It's not long before I'm looking again.

I do this to supplement my income. But I have run it as a full-time gig and a part-time gig. Just depends on how much time I have on my hands. I try to do grocery stores, gas stations, post offices every month because I need to go there anyways!! A few favorite restaurants that I do every month, just rotate locations. But currently I am an auditor and a merchandiser, too, so I have cut back on my MS'ing.

I like to stay up to date on what is going on so I check this forum for the latest. I also have a waitressing gig 2 days a week, take care of my disabled mother 4 days a week and a few other creative sales ideas on eBay. I was also doing couponing but kind of fell out of that and am just building it back up now. I feel that I have become so money focused but I want another house. I want to move soon. I want new stuff in my new place. Right now I am starting up for the holidays and will be working all angles til the new year. I'm trying to stay healthy thru the holidays I know all of my hours at all of my gigs will be increasing. Starting November 1 I am POWER SHOPPING! With a GOAL in mind! New house for the New Year!

I started out doing it while I was still trying to work. It was for extra income, and as a way to occasionally treat myself and my best friend to nice dinners.

Now, like others here, I'm disabled, and I do it so that I can afford to buy fast food, gas, etc. I prefer the MSCs that are more flexible and understanding in regard to rescheduling because I have days when I can't get out of bed, much less my apartment. I often schedule shops on the way to/from a doctor's appointment or before grocery shopping. I'm also in a more rural location than I used to be and am only interested in driving to a larger town for a shop if I need to go there otherwise. However, I will try to pick up a shop or two if I do. On these occasions, I have to remember to pace myself as I may not have the time or energy to complete more than one or two shops, and to also take of my own business there.

@CarooXO wrote:

I am doing mystery shopping full time. I am not yet making full time income. I am only working with 3 companies right now. The 4th company no longer has clients in TEXAS.
I am trying to find more companies to shop for. I'm a new single mommy so I have to make this work.

CarooXO, You don't mention whether or not you are familiar with the link to the list of Mystery Shopping Companies at the bottom of each page here on the Forum. If you haven't yet, take time each day to sign up with a few of the Companies listed in that list. It will help you build up your Clientele!!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/2017 03:20PM by guysmom.

I can't think of one person doing this for a living who hasn't registered with at least 100 companies or more. Three or four wouldn't even cover my groceries for a month.

I hope you have money set aside to cover both your personal expenses and business expenditures for at least three to six months. My guess would be it usually takes shoppers well over a year to get established and start earning anywhere near the equivalent of a even a good part-time gig. I want to say it was almost two years for me. I only know of one who was able to do it much more quickly because he jumped into video and began traveling extensively as in four to six weeks on the road.