OK, I have scheduled 5 shops (one hardware, one fast food, 3 gas stations). First one 45 miles away, East. Last one, 50 miles away, West. Total route will cover roughly 200 miles. Only one - the fast food - has a "window", the remainder just need to be done before dusk.
My friend's gonna pick me up at 8 AM, so we can do the first shop at 9 AM and be home by 4 PM.

I am old. I am disabled. Therefore, I set my clock for 5 AM, to give me my normal 3 hours to get functioning and ready to leave. So, of course, I sleep through the alarm. For TWO FULL HOURS. Wake up at 7. OMG. Call my friend, tell her I overslept, OK, she'll come an hour later. Check my e-mails. Nope, still haven't heard from that scheduler. Should I cancel the application, or just leave it open until the last second? Leave it open.

Instead of hopping into the shower by 7, I creep into it about 8...do the best I can, and am basically ready by 9. We're still in good shape, plenty of time.

Of course, half an hour down the road, I hear from that scheduler...she assigned me the shop. Great. Just in case, I had brought the paperwork with me from last month, when I did a different location of the same shop, so I am prepped.

Do my first shop. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Have to wait a while for the fast food shop, so run over to do a Field Agent. Scored a free ham! Job only pays $4, but the ham was $25. Okay, have time for personal errands, get them all done. Arrive at the fast food at the exactly correct minute for the beginning of the window. They are SLAMMED! First, I can't get the door open; I have to wait for help to open it. Then, there's not an available table or booth in the place. No one in line ordering, but lots of people waiting for orders. And it's a dine-in shop. I had budgeted 15 minutes, because it's a dine in shop. It took 12 of that to get the food. By then, my ride had come in (probably to see what was taking so long!). My 15 minute job takes half an hour. It takes my ride's assistance to open the door to leave. Hit the road for the first gas station. Same town, get the second one done, too -- except the MSC has labeled it as an "unattended" station, 2 quick photos, get gas with credit card, gone. OOOPS. There's a convenience store. And it's open and staffed. So, do the full reveal audit, on the theory that it's better to do the audit and submit too much info, than to perform the shop as an unattended location, and have it kicked back. Because I can't get there again to re-shop the location.

Revealed audit takes me 45 minutes. So now we're an hour behind schedule. Hit the road for gas station number 3. Done. On the road to number 4. Done, just in time as now the sun is setting. Hope those photos are acceptable to the MSC, because they state "full daylight". It's only 4 PM, but sun is setting fast.

Get home right after 6 PM. I have put $30 in gas in my friend's car; after I also pay her something, I will net about $200 for the day. Not great, but way, way better than nothing coming in next month.

Exhausted. Back aches Feet killing me. Hurt all over. Download and sort my 147 photos (yes, one hundred and forty-seven). So exhausted, seeing double. Go to bed, set alarm clock for 2 AM so I can get most of the reports in within ROUGHLY 12 hours of completing the shop.

Of course, I sleep through the alarm. FOR TWO WHOLE HOURS AGAIN!!! Wake up at 4 AM. Drag straight to the computer, get the first 3 reports in.

Okay, now it's 10 AM. (Yes, I know -- I AM SLOW. Reports are hard! Despite what other shoppers say or think, for me, they are difficult.) Gotta take a nap. Don't set the alarm, it's just a nap, right?

Wake up 9:30 PM. Now my reports are late, the final 3. But I gotta get 'em in. So I will be sitting here working on them until probably 1 AM. Maybe 2 AM.

On the bright side, that sleep was restorative -- back doesn't hurt as bad, foot swelling somewhat down, don't ache all over everywhere, like I did at 4 AM.

Why is this gig just so hard?

*sends assorted heating pads & cold applications for assorted sore and tender parts along with selection of shoes that tamp down the foot swelling and may eliminate any need for odious and unprintable compression socks. adds list of resources for back braces. mentions that sometimes, a posture unmentionable or posture brace helps with back stuff. asks nosy, rhetorical question about insurance and back braces. relates personal tale of very firm, adjustable office chair conveniently located near piled up rigid things that do not move and put the legs and back in various positions while reports are being prepared and submitted. sends hopes and gentle hugs.*

That sounds like my day, but on a much grander scale. I had an insomnia shop that had to be completed by 7am. I woke up at 6:33. After that was 2 gas stations. The first, the employee didn't know how to make sandwiches, and they didn't have the seasonal coffee. I get the reports written up and submitted and take a nap. I go to the shipping store to process some shop returns. It takes an hour. An hour!

I cancel my no fee lunch shop and head to the lunch shop with the fee. I had a very hearty martini. On the way home, a scheduler calls me for a burger shop that's in the same direction. It's an online shop, so I didn't have to stay.

Moral of the story: have a dirty vodka martini before shopping (yes, no matter how early).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2019 11:47AM by HonnyBrown.

The mystery shopping isn't that hard. Your life and sleep schedule and ability to finish the reports and physical condition makes it hard. This story could have been about anything outside the home and it would have unfortunately been hard for you. Can you do calls from home or something that could reduce your movement? Type medical reports? Do remote customer service?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2019 01:01PM by Niner.

I have had days like this in the lean months. This week is shaping up like that. I have learned, though, that I do better when I schedule 2 hectic days in a row, followed by a day or two of complete rest, then a couple of "light" days with nothing but app gigs (field agent, observa, etc.) that I can take or leave.

Niner, you may be right to a certain degree.

That's why it's called "work", and we get paid for it.

I don't have the requisite computer skills for your suggested alternatives. I wish I did have the skills.

I know my physical limits. If I were driving myself, believe me, I wouldn't have done a single personal errand. But when someone else is driving you, is kind enough to take a whole day out of their week to help you so you can earn some money, you do NOT say no to them wanting to do other things. You go along.

Ten years ago, when I was considerably younger (LOL), I used to hit every thrift shop in every little town. I'd scout stuff to resell on e-Bay and Amazon; I could often add $100 or more to my day's earnings MSing by reselling my finds. I no longer have that kind of energy.

Y'all, thanks for the stories and the giggles! Wish I could hit the "like" button more than once!

I hope you can find some alternative that makes your life easier.

I'm working on it! Not having the computer skills is a huge hindrance. There are no local classes available, although I have urged both the local library and the local Chamber of Commerce to offer them. I have some leads I'm following up on. I freely admit learning tech is not my forte! I think my analog brain just won't function properly on digital input, LOL!!!

I think reports are hard too. They make my brain refocus in a way it isn't accustomed to. At least that is what I tell myself. BTW you can get excel classes online. Excel is what you need to be a scheduler.

Yes, need to learn Excel. Since I have a background in accounting and finance, I should use it, anyway. Also need Word, but I don't even have it on my computer, so I'm not sure what good it would do me to learn it -- I sure can't afford to buy it.

Man, I'm STILL working on reports. Stultifying!!! And I have this afternoon scheduled for my volunteer gig -- cleaning the Senior Center in preparation for the Thanksgiving Dinner we provide for the entire community on Thanksgiving Day. I have to start the cleaning early, because I'm physically limited in how much I can do each day. Today, refrigerators and freezers!!! Next weekend, all the tables and the light fixtures (nothing like dead bugs overhead to make your eating experience pleasant, LOL!!!)



(And yes, that's hard on me, too. I will ache for days; I will complain. And I'll sign up to do it all again for Christmas, and, God willing, again next year!)

There are free versions of most of the Microsoft applications. Many have almost identical interfaces. Here is an article that reviews free programs that have the same functionality as Word: [www.techradar.com] It appears that WPS Office Free Writer or LibreOffice would be best for you.

This article reviews free alternatives to Excel: [www.techrepublic.com] Google Sheets is apparently the best, and I use it occasionally.

@ceasesmith wrote:

Yes, need to learn Excel. Since I have a background in accounting and finance, I should use it, anyway. Also need Word, but I don't even have it on my computer, so I'm not sure what good it would do me to learn it -- I sure can't afford to buy it.)

Thanks. If an employer REQUIRES Excel, will the substitute work? I just always assumed if they want it submitted on Excel, I would have to submit it on Excel, not a substitute.

I mean, it's an employer, not an IC situation, so they can, may, and do require specifics. If the job says "Applicant must have WORD and Excel", then don't you have to have WORD and Excel?

I am inclined to say that if an employer says Word and Excel, that knowledge of the genuine product is required. Every interface is slightly different, even from one version of Word to another. But, the basic concepts are the same, so you can start learning with the free ones. An employer will provide you with the current Office products (including Word and Excel) for free.

@ceasesmith wrote:

Thanks. If an employer REQUIRES Excel, will the substitute work? I just always assumed if they want it submitted on Excel, I would have to submit it on Excel, not a substitute.

I mean, it's an employer, not an IC situation, so they can, may, and do require specifics. If the job says "Applicant must have WORD and Excel", then don't you have to have WORD and Excel?

Transferable skills! Yay!!

@ceasesmith: Someone mentioned something about reducing your movement. Do you need to reduce your movement, or do you need to keep on truckin'?

Corporate for a grocery store where I do nutritional demos now requires me to submit my demo requests using their Excel form. They sent me the Excel sheet I need to use as an attachment. My Microsoft Office is out of date and I can't use Word or Excel; since they are expired they will not allow me to edit the forms or to enter necessary information into the forms. I had to learn how to import Excel documents into Google documents so that I could edit and add information, and then export them back to Excel documents so I could attach them to email. UGH. I figured it out, though. Now it seems pretty simple. Google docs are pretty awesome. I would imagine anyone could do the same thing with most MS Office files. It just takes a little time to learn how to do it.

@ceasesmith wrote:

Thanks. If an employer REQUIRES Excel, will the substitute work? I just always assumed if they want it submitted on Excel, I would have to submit it on Excel, not a substitute.

I mean, it's an employer, not an IC situation, so they can, may, and do require specifics. If the job says "Applicant must have WORD and Excel", then don't you have to have WORD and Excel?

Excel and word are both available with a monthly fee instead of buying them outright. That could save you a bundle to begin.

I have, ummmmmm, had Word and Excel for about 15 years. It comes under the name of Apache Open Office, but it is the spittin' image of Word and Excel. You can even save in those formats, which is key to the free software being acceptable as Word or Excel. My reports and spreadsheets that were created in Open Office and sent out as Word and Excel have never been questioned.

I just don't want to pay for them. At. All. The only time I need Excel is once a month for about 5 minutes. I can read Word, I just can't edit or create documents with it. I currently don't need to do that, either, so for me, it doesn't make sense to pay a monthly fee (though I would be more likely to buy the program rather than do a subscription). I imagine one day I will be buying a new computer (several years down the road) and there is usually a discount to buy Office. I might buy it then.

JAS, Excel has compatibility modes that will allow you to use the new document in an old build.

Explain how, please? Whenever I opened the document, I tried many times over the past few years to figure out how to get it to let me enter information into the fields. It wouldn't. Not saying it can't be done, but I would love it if you could tell me how. It's not too hard for me to do what I have been doing with Google docs, but I like easy, so if you can make it simpler for me I would be happy

Hello CS. You have the computer skills for an Excel cloned software but not Excel as you need to pay for it? Specifically, what are your tech problems/ignorance? What exactly do you have issues with technically? Why are you attempting to do an overnight hotel shop with a minimal fee? I hope you are taking advantage of that risky shop in order to perform others or to maybe enjoy yourself. However, you seem to be able to assign jobs, note the guidelines, upload pictures and do whatever is necessary for success. I agree with Niner. The physical capabilities are hindering you.

Oh, my ignorance is vast! I did recently master taking a screenshot -- but it took me literally days to figure it out. Finally, a member of the Forum was kind enough to give me the step-by-step, which I printed out and put right by the computer. I can follow step-by-step, but I cannot extrapolate.

My ignorance is so vast, I cannot even tell what it is I don't know.

I know less than a typical 8 year old.

In fact, I know some two year olds who are way ahead of me on using cell phones, apps, tablets, etc.

And I don't think they are that much smarter than I am!!!

When I open Excel, I get a pop-up message stating that my product has been deactivated and most features of Excel have been disabled. It prompts me to reactivate by entering a product key (purchasing Office) or adding to an existing account. I am able to read Excel and Word but am not allowed to edit the document, enter information into any fields, or any create documents.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

JAS, Excel has compatibility modes that will allow you to use the new document in an old build.

Oh, okay. The compatibility code must be for more recent builds.

:Libraries have Excel and word on their computers, it's free.

I don't really need it. I only need Excel for 3-5 minutes once a month, and it only takes me 5-10 minutes to transfer it to Google docs for editing and then save it back into my files. It would take me 45 minutes to drive to the library and back.

This is perfect for practice with meaningless information. But be careful with actual personal or business information. Unless the public computers have been upgraded, your real information might be seen by others even if you use a removable drive.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

:Libraries have Excel and word on their computers, it's free.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2019 02:07AM by Shop-et-al.

JASF, when you purchase a computer or receive a trial subscription from elsewhere, you will need to purchase it after the trial expires. For example, when we purchase a new laptop, the Office Suite is available for use for a short period. After that, you must pay for/purchase it. An activation code is provided once you buy along with a serial number. You may leave the trial software on your device but will only be able to use it just as you described. I don't know if this is what is happening in your case. Just my experience that I wanted to share with you..

Yes, I know. I have owned several conputers over the past 19 years. I owned Office on them, not a subscription and not a free trial. But, when I was getting my HIT degree a few years ago I had a different laptop and desktop with a newer version of Office which was necessary for my coursework (the old Office didn't cut it at my school). It was a student subscription. After I was finished with school, the subscription expired. However, I was still able to edit documents up until about 15 months ago. I haven't had any reason to repurchase it and don't plan on doing so. I need Excel for about 10 minutes a month. Hardly worth buying it for that.

Edited for typing on my phone.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2019 02:55AM by JASFLALMT.