Do you do shops because you have nothing else to do?

I'm single, no kids, at home alone a lot. Sometimes I do low paying shops close to me, because I have nothing else to do. What are your reasons for doing shops. other than the pay?

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I'm not bored, I own a farm, there is plenty to do here, but I need money. I do shops that are mostly outside, and where my contact with human beings is limited. And that are relatively easy physically because after 30 years of fixing cars and trucks my knees and hands have some serious limitations.

I don't go into malls, and I'm a super bad liar, so I don't do a lot of entirely covert mystery shops. I'm kinda weird about setting folks up to fail, or to do something illegal, so I won't do a lot of banking or money transfer shops. Which basically leaves me doing gas stations and audits, with some shipping and fast food shops to fill in the routes.

I have been guilty of doing it. I spent a whole day doing unrevealed gas stations just because nothing was coming along and I was sick of being home. Do you also have a full time job?

I'm on Social Security and fill in my income with mystery shopping.

I do food shops just for fun at times.

I have shopped off and on for years. At different times of my life, I have shopped for different reasons. I am mostly a writer and editor, and have worked from home during much of my career. When I first started, it was to fill in the work schedule gaps and get out of the house (away from my desk) during the slow times, which you tend to get in this business. At other times, when I had on-site assignments, I took mystery shopping assignments mainly for the perks, and did mostly hotels, resorts and upscale restaurants. I started back during the pandemic, this time, it has been as a side hustle, but I am starting to eye those perks again as well.

How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg?
"Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
-- Abraham Lincoln

I started shopping back in 2003. I was doing anything I could get my hands on back then. Now I am much more selective with what I take. My income and net worth has risen significantly since 2003, so maybe I was more "desperate" back then. I do not do much retail (jewelry/appliances/clothes/etc). I will do fast casual. I will do more upscale restaurants if they are not excruciating like ACL/COYLE.

Many times I plan shops around my kids sports activities. If I know they have games in an area, I go search for maybe 1 or 2 quick things in the immediate area I can knock out since the kids are supposed to be there 1 hour before the game to stretch/warm-up.

no job, I'm retired because I can't do what I used to do anymore, and the last time I worked in an office they didn't use computers to do accounting work. I tried to get a job in accounts payables, which is what I used to do before I changed careers and became an automotive technician, but they wouldn't hire me because I'm not familiar with the accounting programs they use. It doesn't matter that I had to use SAP to track repairs on the vehicles and parts inventory, and I taught all of the other technicians how to use it also. And I used to help my ex-husband build computers, he had trouble with the software, spent most of his time cussing when it didn't work, so he did the hardware stuff, and I installed the software on the clients' computers. But I'm old, and I'm far from pretty, so I'm not going to get hired no matter what.

I had to put an axle hub on my Jeep this week and I'm in a LOT of pain now because of it. I seriously miss fixing cars though.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2022 01:20AM by Morledzep.

Honestly, its just the pay for me, another stream of income but the only reason I would take a low paying shop is if it was across the street from a shop i was already doing or if it was for a service that I already do or if i was doing 7 shops in an area I would take a low or no pay food shop cos I have to eat something.

I do the jobs for several reasons. I hate to stay at home and like to stay busy. I use the money for extras such as vacations and items for the home. I also really enjoy the work and have met many very nice people. I have been in shops and restaurants that I had never been in before and now they are places I go .

No, I do shops because it is my job, and I like my job.

As a senior, I find mystery shopping keeps my mind active. Who knows, may even help avoid the big A.

Nope. I do it for the money.

I actually hate to shop. When not on assignment, I get what I go in for and leave. I don't engage in conversation unless required for the item I went in for ("where are socks? OK, thanks." ). I do not window shop, or walk around stores looking for things. I just get 'n go.

Many people have told me that I am "unmaterialistic" to the extreme.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/2022 06:16AM by ceasesmith.

@ceasesmith wrote:

Nope. I do it for the money.

I actually hate to shop. When not on assignment, I get what I go in for and leave. I don't engage in conversation unless required for the item I went in for ("where are socks? OK, thanks." ). I do not window shop, or walk around stores looking for things. I just get 'n go.

Many people have told me that I am "unmaterialistic" to the extreme.

I understand completely, even when going to the mall was cool when we were teenagers I didn't get it. Shopping without a purpose doesn't make sense. Go to the store, buy what you went for, and LEAVE.. lol. My son is a bargain hunter, he'll sniff around all the discount and clearance tables in ANY store looking for "deals." It makes me bonkers, I can't even go grocery shopping with him, and sending him to the store to get something I don't want to go out for is worse, he comes home with 5 bags of things he doesn't need because they were cheap.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/2022 06:42AM by Morledzep.

I shop because I enjoy it, and the money comes in handy, too. Meeting new people, learning new things, nice little ca$h drops...yesss !

@Morledzep wrote:

I understand completely, even when going to the mall was cool when we were teenagers I didn't get it. Shopping without a purpose doesn't make sense. Go to the store, buy what you went for, and LEAVE.. lol. My son is a bargain hunter, he'll sniff around all the discount and clearance tables in ANY store looking for "deals." It makes me bonkers, I can't even go grocery shopping with him, and sending him to the store to get something I don't want to go out for is worse, he comes home with 5 bags of things he doesn't need because they were cheap.

Hopefully he resells items! Huge market flipping cheap items.

I have a full-time job (medical librarian). Pre-Covid, it was convenient to do a shop on my way home from work at least 3 or 4 nights per week, either a grocery store or dinner somewhere. And on the weekends I would do routes of 3-4 grocery stores. It's always been more because I need the money, but honestly I've almost always really enjoyed it. Partly it's because I'm divorced and lost many of my friends to my ex. As silly as this sounds, mystery shopping makes me feel a little "important" or something. (I have no idea why!) If I tell someone I do it, they are almost always fascinated and ask questions.

I do it for lots of different reasons. Depends on the shop. I'll do a nice restaurant shop for the experience; something new (or that I like a lot), being able to bring along a friend for a fun night out, and not having to pay for it. I've done retail shops where all I had to observe was if the cashier asked me to apply for a credit card, nothing more. I was going to that store anyway, so in my eyes it reduced what I bought by $XX. Reimbursement shops are great. Tax tree and reduces cost of living. Others I might do for the learning experience. I hate the process of buying a car. I want to erase the fear so I take on the challenge in hopes I'll be a better negotiator the next time I buy a car. Although they pay very little, I do phone shops on days I need to stay home or when I'm not in the mood to get out into the world. If I'm thinking of purchasing something or doing something different, I'll take those shops. I had a need to go there anyway and now I get paid for doing my research efforts.

@Capurato wrote:

Hopefully he resells items! Huge market flipping cheap items.

Sometimes that is the stated goal, but mostly it's stuff he "thinks I might like, or that we might be able to use." Of course, we probably could use some of it, if we lived in an alternate universe.. lol

I sometimes do it for the meal, because I like to eat out and you got to eat anyway. I'll do a hotel that isn't too far away just to get away and the reward points. Sometimes I'll do two back-to-back to help justify the gas costs (the hotels include supper and breakfast so that is helpful).

I agree with you!….after 20 years of mystery shopping, merchandising, and auditing, if I go into a store now it’s hunt, shoot, and leave.
My daughter likes shopping and occasionally I will go out shopping and lunch with her, but after about 30 minutes I always say “This feels like work and I am not getting paid to do it!” Then I say, I’ll be in the car waiting, take your time. I’ll go to the car and maybe look through presto or other job boards….and then I feel like my time is productive, lol.

I have a very good memory, but I cannot remember a time when I have had nothing else to do!

I used to shop for $$ to contribute to our families budget while being a 'stay at home mom'...

We no longer 'need' my income at all, and I've cut WAAAAAY back. I no longer schedule/ edit, but I just can't say no to shops I've done for years (could do them in my sleep) that pay well. It's not to fill time, as I never have enough of that with 4 kids still at home (i have 5, one is an adult) and all are in multiple sports/ activities.

I guess I shop because even though my husband brings home a very good income I like to know that I contribute financially too.

I actually have a lot to do, including a full-time job, but a lot of what I have to do outside my job is humdrum. Shopping is a nice side hustle and it can be somewhat exciting, especially when you have to overcome "first-shop jitters" ... first-shop jitters feel bad when you're doing it but great when you conquer them successfully, lol. Sort of like Dorothy Parker said, "I hate writing but I love having written."

I do shops sometimes just for free stuff, even if I don’t need it…just because I like getting stuff for free. Also, I do a lot of dinner shops because I love going out to eat but don’t like paying $100+ for the dinners out.

Right now it's for the money. In the past, I've done it because it's a way to use a skill set I don't use in my regular job, and gives me a lot of variety in terms of different stores and things to try. In the past, I've done it for free food, free items, taking a break from cooking, or to do outings with family for a minimal cost.

I'm new here, but not to mystery shopping. I got started in it after my divorce, around 2010, when my daughter was four, and, boy, were we struggling. We had a $100/month food budget; I took the Aldi, local grocery shops, etc., not so much for the "pay" but for the reimbursement for food I was required to buy for the shop. Honestly? Some months I essentially doubled our food budget by doing those shops. And I could schedule them around my full-time and part-time job. Same with fast food, a local ice cream shop, etc. It was also one of our main sources for entertainment; I did bowling shops, and we got a couple to Major League Baseball games. Once we got a two night stay at a fancy ski resort around here; it was the only vacation we had for years. I actually just re-signed up because my daughter is now 15 and can obviously spend time alone, so, I am using it mostly to save money on eating out and maybe to score some entertainment/hotel opportuntiies when we travel (she plays competitive sports).

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