I realize I keep paying out for services for shops but the reimbursements trickle in ever so slowly. Still have not received my $109 for a carpet cleaning gone now over 60 days. Yesterday had oil changed at $47, only will be reimbursed $33. The biggie was the 1-800-GOTJUNK? haulaway for over $500, will be reimbursed $400 something. Bought my nephew a $25 shirt today in a children's clothing shop. It seems to go on and on, restaurant meals, etc. Anyone else feel like this or is it just me?

Carol,

I was just thinking the same thing. My shops payable is currently over $1,500.00 but my reimbursments due are over $2.000.00 At least this time, I can say that I left the casino at a profit when I get reimbursed. I recently completed a bunch of casino dining shops that also included reimbursable gaming losses.

But other than the money from Direct Scheduling / Ra mack scheduling, I believe I will get paid as contracted.

It seems that the longer I complete shops, the more money I have payable. I used to be happy getting a few hundred dollars throughout the month, now if every deposit is not $100.00 or more I have to look and see if all of my work was paid by that client. It usaually is paid correctly.
Part of this is getting offered much higher paying work. I just got set up to do apartment shops at $80.00 each in town vs before they seemed to max out at $30.00 and required a bit of a drive.

So I am looking at it as half full, I am doing higher paid work for less time.
I just need to adjust to my new standard of work. The other part is realizng that in many cases, I am getting reimbursed for normal purchases, like groceries, gasoline and of course pizza.

Van, I send Melissa e-mails every day with titles like, "I WORKED FOR YOU AND YOU OWE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", "HOW CAN YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF NOT PAYING WHAT YOU OWE????????????????" and various others. There is a post from June today regarding what she recently heard from Melissa on the other forum.

Back to the original question: Yes I often feel this way. I've been shopping for over 5 years and I still have to juggle to make sure I have money to pay for my shops and then wait for the reimbursement. When I first started shopping, I was sure this was just like a scam, get you in the store to make a purchase. I started off on a series of Radio Shack shops with a 2.00 reimbursement and of course there is nothing in RS that you would want to buy for 2.00.
But knowing what companies pay when has helped a lot for my cash flow. I now look at the shop and know when I have money coming in and schedule my shops accordingly.

I do not have much for cash to "lend" so I do not take on many that need cash up front. I feel for you guys.

Yes, the juggling happens. I just did an oil change that I will be paid for in 3 months. I laid out $300 last month for a job that will be reimbursed next month, I laid out $150 that will be reimbursed at the end of this month. Yet the shopping kitty is getting replenished on a regular basis. Yesterday I received close to $65 as a reimbursement, the day before one substantial check was all fee and the other was fee plus about $10 to go back in the 'kitty'.

Indeed knowing when companies pay--and that they are indeed systematically paying--helps a lot with cash flow. All reimbursements through September have been paid--there is only about $100 in fees from a slo poke left to collect. October I laid out about $890 to be reimbursed and only about $150 of it has been paid back so far. November has been light on reimbursements thus far with only about $300 out there. The 'kitty' these days is still relatively flush because I took it back up to $1800 this summer when I saw reimbursements were averaging around $600 per month over a 3 month period. Much easier to earmark $100 in fees per month to the 'kitty' to expand it than to scramble wondering if I am going to get reimbursed that $300 before the credit card payment is due. And I expect December, January and February will be fairly quiet so likely some of the 'kitty' can go back into general revenue, again $100 at a time. Of course I would rather see nice paying shops throughout the period that would need enough useful reimbursement that the 'kitty' can't afford to shrink, but I suspect that is unlikely. The first of the year has always been slow for me here.

This is where the shopping account comes into play. If you want to do reimbursement shops, build an account for them. My shop account doesn't grow because this month's out-of-pockets are paid from last month's reimbursements. I don't want to front the household money. Frequent dining out is not in our budget.

I'm with you guys, but glad I have done something about it. I no longer wait for the big reimbursements to return to me, just stopped the high end p/r, and although yesterday I did a $35.00 lunch reimbursement, I'm tiring of no report fee, and can live without all these lunch places. I joined Groupon and they have a great lunch or dinner place for $10.00, much less than the original price, and (guess what), I can afford to eat out for that, not have the hassle of waiting it out. I'm now rethinking doing almost anything for reimbursement, and just doing straight pay shops.....guess I've eaten enough. I;ve just gotten two checks and a couple paypal funds in, gotta love TNS (grocery), they pay quickly.

Carol, I feel for you and the Mellisa/June situation, June owes me for a couple jobs years ago, but since it was like maybe (20.00), I've written it off.
The junk thing for 500.00 is totally crazy, someone's making out like a bandit!!

Remember WE are in control, just say no.....

I was out $1200 in October. However, most of it was a few bank openings, which I was able to close out, an expensive haircut and a very expensive restaurant, which all have been paid. I am only out a few hundred now.

I usually use my credit card and then do a couple of audits so that I can gain a little extra and pay them off.

ie; gas shops-$5.00 gas plus $1.00 plus $6.00 fee I end up getting my reimbursement plus some extra change to pay it off.

grocery stores- $14.00 reimbursement. I'll admit I splurge here, but I am able to pay it back.

I find it difficult when I do those fast food shops for Market Force and I have to pay cash. At the end of the month wehen they are bonus to $15 and $20, that makes it so worth it.

Waiting on reimbursements for 12 more shippings. But with the $10 payment for each of the 12, I'll have a nice check right before Christmas that was really easy to generate.

I rarely do reimbursment shops, unless it is something I have to do anyway, like an oil change.
Maybe a restaurant twice a month. If there is also a fee, then it's different.
I did the junk shop a while back for only $100 and had to wait three months to get reimbursed. Thant made me pretty nervous and that's when I decided to have more control over how much of my money to spend.
The sub shops where you pay cash and wait for months to get paid, no more.

Sometimes I wonder if it is worth all the stress and worry to put out so much $$$ to do a shop and then to be concerned if it will be paid back to you or rejected for some unknown reason. Or, heaven forbid, will the MSP go broke and you are out of luck. I also think I will cut back and do fee only shops for awhile til everyone pays me what they owe.

Over time you find companies that you work well with and who are reliable about paying in a timely manner. It then allows you to plan your expenditures better. I don't mind being out of pocket a couple hundred dollars for a shop I know will pay like clockwork. When the 'shopping kitty' runs thin, it means I need to either expand it or cut back on shops until reimbursements are received to fund it again. But I will not lay out much money for shops with a new-to-me company or a company with a proven history of unreliable payments. I think of the later as "thieves" because in essence they have stolen my money, not just my services.

I was scrambling up cash for a bonused Fast food. I didn't want to touch my accounts with money but I am down to my last. I think I did too many in Novemebr and paid too much back to credit cards. LOL. I'm waiting for Trendsource and Marketforce to pay out this week.

Patnewman, I agree, you learn the hard way. I spent alot on eating out the last couple months, and anxiously awaiting pay...takes so long....can't do anymore as taking my trip and need my $$, thanks anyway!! Not doing those sandwich shops, just too many calories, not enough pay. My sandwich's at home are tasting mighty good.