Oh, good heavens, Flash and anybody else that read my snippet and thought I was dead serious - after the first 2 weeks of this month, I AM in burnout hell!
Murphy's Law took over and ruined everything from car performance to computer glitches to wrong addresses on assignment sheets, to a report that printed out as 2 pages and ended up being 2 pages of boxes to check yes or no. BUT, they kinda' left out the fact that there were 6 sections, EACH requiring a 250 word essay on cleanliness issues in a certain area of the store and for the same area a 350 word essay on your experience in that area, including associate interaction, if any. After doing the shop and upon seeing the evaluation, I called the scheduler and told her that for $18.00 I would not be doing the report. I apologized and told her I hoped this was not going to reflect back on her. She said it would not and then said how sorry she was that she had not had time to get to me, to warn me ahead of time about the report. I had applied the day before the due date.
So --- here's what I know: I had a tax loss from the business last year! It really didn't matter, b/c we didn't have to pay any taxes last year anyway.
What with gas prices as high as they were and the long distances I have to travel for a lot of the jobs here, coupled with the $3000+ I shelled out for car repairs, I probably did use up every penny of the 48.5 cent/mile allowance for auto expenses.
I very rarely take a job if I have to buy something I don't need or can't use, unless I can return it. From Star$s and DD, I take a container to save the coffee in and of course bring the breakfast sandwiches or donuts home and freeze them.
Gas shops are great, I can always use gas and a candy bar (yum!) or something from inside. BTW - for people that feel like idiots going inside and asking for the attendant to turn on the pump for $1-$5 worth of gas -- get a credit or debit card that you use only for gas, or maybe all your business expenses. Use the card right at the pump, you'll get a receipt there too and you won't feel like a moron when you go inside. In addition, you'll have a record of at least some of your expenses. Well, you get the idea. If I need it, can use it, want it or can save it, I'll do the shop, if it's reimbursed and the job pays enough. If not, I've got to think it over carefully.
I operate on the "theory", that I will make some cold hard cash and also reap benefits from some of the shops that have reimbursements on "stuff" I want to buy. I agree that lowered prices, fewer jobs and more shoppers are making it a bit tougher to get as many jobs as I would like. My husband and I decided the other day that we were going to sign up with more MSPs to broaden our base somemore. We've left about 6 MSPs in the last 3 months for various reasons, mostly to do with money matters. We need to replace those and add more.
I'm giving myself 'til the end of the month to squelch this burnout. I'm back to work on May 2nd.
I appreciate your encouragement, Flash!