I thought about when I first started mystery shopping to now. I found that I acquired some unintended benefits from mystery shopping.

Comparing back then to now, I've become a better (situational) writer and a much-improved driver. I'm able to make recommendations to friends and family on certain businesses. Particularly, which locations I prefer of a chain or franchise. Call me crazy, but I very much enjoy the occasional long-winded report, as well.

I’m a better science teacher with 15+ years of video and traditional mystery shops under my belt.

1. Writing SO many narratives has helped me be concise and sharp when I write emails to parents, admin, and colleagues.

2. I’m better at multitasking.

3. I notice small details in my classroom - like who had the bathroom pass last, or that I only have a few pieces of Kleenex left. This helps me keep my class running smoothly.

4. I’m really good at learning and remembering faces/names. I teach 150 students, know all their names by the third day, and another 50 or so by the end of the week.

5. My memory and recall are strong, and I spook my teenage students by how much I remember months later about their classwork.

6. I’m overall happier because I have an extra $1000+ monthly from my mystery shopping work. I can do things that make my life better, like get house cleaners and car detailing done when I’m too busy with grading and lesson plans.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/2025 05:15AM by ColoKate63.

MS'ing has reinforced my experience with targeted frugality and the behavior of people:

Shops provide a unique way of saving money. While it's not significant in dollar terms, it is cumulative over time and I equate it most closely with the use of coupons or rebates because of the time investment to payment ratio. A diversified investment in company equity (stocks), bonds, and alternatives provides a much faster return on capital and human investment especially when compounding over time is considered.

MS'ing also provides an outlook, or window into human behavior at various public venues. In summary, as a child I thought most people were like me; or as my first teacher noted in a report, "...bright and happy." What I have found is that many people possess behaviors that are self-defeating; lying, cheating, stealing, substance abuse, ignorance, spendthrift actions, focus on short-term over long-term, etc. that hamper personal improvement.

Wish I could make $1000 plus a month. I never have in over 20 years of shopping. Guess it depends on where you live, number of shoppers in your area as well as if you are willing to drive hundreds of miles a week to get shops done. I have done shopping in 3 states and never was able to make that much. Low paying jobs, newbies jumping at low shop fees and not waiting for fees to rise, presumably many shoppers in the area and shopper rotation are reasons. Please let us know how you make $1000 plus a month.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/2025 12:16PM by OldmanJames.

It def has. I have become more outgoing. I never used to talk to people just on a whim, now I find myself engaging more with not only mystery shop jobs but life in general. My hearing is pretty bad even with hearing aids but now I just say, speak up, I'm deaf!

It gets me out of the house more, gives me a sense purpose and I also make over $1K per month with a full time job. I absolutely live in a very suburban area with other shoppers and there have been months it has been a struggle to get jobs but something always comes along.

With the extra money, I have been able to dig myself out of debt and as long as my kids continue adulting, I should be able to start saving more and more over the next few years and that is golden since retirement is only about 10 years away for me.

Participating in the gig economy helps me push back against other-pronounced limitations for me and my life. The non-monetary benefits substantially outweigh financial considerations. Along the way, I have learned to accomplish my goals in new, better, and evolving ways. I have learned some of the new, better, and evolving ways from this invaluable forum. Thank you.

I think the only way it has helped me overall (other than the side income and freebies) is that I've become
increasingly aware of time vs. money....it helps me stay on top of that tradeoff without veering too far in either direction.

It's certainly helped me be more outgoing. Asking someone their name, when all they've done is point to an aisle where I'll find a product, or asking to speak to a manager, have brought me out of my shell.
Now, I can strike up a conversation anywhere. I'm still a loner though.
I was irritated by how restless someone was beside me in a crowded waiting room. Just fidgeting, stretching, sighing etc. I wanted to quietly read. But I put my book away and said something to her. Once she got talking, she was able to relax a lot.
Before mystery shopping, I would have just sat there quietly annoyed.

I've become more empathetic toward employees I meet in the environments where I do my shops, as well as retail workers overall. I knew they had to put up with a lot of shiate, but I had no idea just how much shiate they had to put up with.

I used to do a lot of banking shops. I became a bit more financially savvy as a result of doing those shops.

Mystery shopping really hasn't helped me develop any characteristics, skills, or traits I didn't previously possess. I've had jobs or experiences doing things (specifically journalism and spotting at football games) which required me to talk to people I don't know to gain information, write about the information I gleaned and events I witnessed, be very observant, and make sure the information I provide is accurate.

Mystery shopping has also given me a greater appreciation for non-corporate / small businesses. In a perfect world, I'd spend my money at very few of the places which are mystery shopped and audited.

For a little over 10 years, mystery shopping was my sole source of income, so I can say that it has sustained me. My writing skills were intact, but I was out of practice, I'm not now. I won't avoid a shop with narratives, if it pays well, or it's something that I really want to do, but doing far too many Chipotle shops really burnt me out on writing extensive narratives.

I have become more outgoing, and I talk to folks of all walks of life more easily. That's a huge one for me, I've had trouble talking to random folks since my husband (ex, long ago) convinced me that I was too stupid to talk to normal people.

I've been scared, I've had men follow me and harass me, but the folks in the businesses have looked out for me and kept me safe on more than one occasion.

@OldmanJames wrote:

Wish I could make $1000 plus a month. I never have in over 20 years of shopping. Guess it depends on where you live, number of shoppers in your area as well as if you are willing to drive hundreds of miles a week to get shops done. I have done shopping in 3 states and never was able to make that much. Low paying jobs, newbies jumping at low shop fees and not waiting for fees to rise, presumably many shoppers in the area and shopper rotation are reasons. Please let us know how you make $1000 plus a month.

I almost exclusively video shop. I have 15 years of experience. I can write well. I am paid anywhere between $75-$250 per shop. It adds up quickly.

I mystery shop between 4-6 pm M-F along my 30 mile drive home from work in a busy city.

I also use my covert video cameras to capture footage for disability fraud cases. Those assignments are absolutely my favorite.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2025 12:41AM by ColoKate63.

No. I'm the same person.

@prince wrote:

I was irritated by how restless someone was beside me in a crowded waiting room. Just fidgeting, stretching, sighing etc. I wanted to quietly read. But I put my book away and said something to her. Once she got talking, she was able to relax a lot.
Before mystery shopping, I would have just sat there quietly annoyed.

I forgot about this. MS has made me more outgoing and assertive.

My pet peeve is strangers not respecting personal space. Today, I patiently waited in line behind someone ordering for his/her whole family and putting them on speakerphone. Then, some dude tries to press up on me, when we're the only ones in line. Even the employees gave him a weird look. My vent!!!

Paniconmon, I know that feeling.
Yesterday morning, I pulled into a convenience store parking lot. It was full of people on their way to work....it's a small lot and very busy and never as many parking spots as needed.
As I patiently waited for someone to come out and leave, so I could get their spot, another car came up behind me and decided to honk their horn at me....she could see I was boxed in and had no where to go but to wait for someone leaving.....when I saw in her line at the store, I bore holes into her with my eyeballs lol.

Yes. When I drop a piece of trash or spill a drink in a store, I clean it up instead of leaving it there, lol.

@BarefootBliss wrote:

Paniconmon, I know that feeling.
Yesterday morning, I pulled into a convenience store parking lot. It was full of people on their way to work....it's a small lot and very busy and never as many parking spots as needed.
As I patiently waited for someone to come out and leave, so I could get their spot, another car came up behind me and decided to honk their horn at me....she could see I was boxed in and had no where to go but to wait for someone leaving.....when I saw in her line at the store, I bore holes into her with my eyeballs lol.

Oh gosh. That's exactly how I felt, boxed in and trapped! Some people are unaware of their surroundings or simply don't care.

I'll add some more things that MS made me better, that I forgot. It's kept me sharp even during off-hours from work, with things that I normally do for work. Not on the same level, but still, scoping projects, understanding requirements, planning ahead, prioritizing, and budgeting time and resources.

Gig work has helped me appreciate people and their situations. It has taken me to new-to-me places where I discovered new and interesting things and all kinds of people. We are all just human, fabulous, and flawed.

Although I am not dependent on mystery shopping for my financial needs it has given me an in person look at how difficult it is to earn enough to even pay essential bills like rent and utilities for someone without a specific skill set or education. It has kept me in constant amazement that even a below local minimum wage job requires one to have a computer with the skills to use it, a cell phone, often a car and other relatively expensive items.
Beyond that tho it has given me the ability to "repay" the friends I have who will give you the shirt off their back but will not ever easily accept anything in return even a meal as a treat but somehow once they know I am being reimbursed for the meal they are all in on it.
After all these years writing narratives I still have not learned to be concise.

I have had to "unlearn" my training in technical writing in order to stretch out those long narratives.

@OldmanJames wrote:

Wish I could make $1000 plus a month. I never have in over 20 years of shopping. Guess it depends on where you live, number of shoppers in your area as well as if you are willing to drive hundreds of miles a week to get shops done. I have done shopping in 3 states and never was able to make that much. Low paying jobs, newbies jumping at low shop fees and not waiting for fees to rise, presumably many shoppers in the area and shopper rotation are reasons. Please let us know how you make $1000 plus a month.

I have consistently averaged more than twice that amount for more than 16 years, and I mostly shop locally in a metro of 1M plus. I suspect that the reason you are not making a couple grand monthly in mystery shopping fees (not including reimbursement $$) is that you live in the wrong area, you do not do enough shops, or you do low fee shops.

What a fabulous thread!

MS offers me the opportunity to blend diverse life skills and experience in ways that do more than just support business owners and corporate bottom lines.

I’ve done many things in my life from non-profit community, creative and entrepreneurial work, corporate servitude and volunteerism in various sectors including customer service (the bedrock of any business), health care, insurance, hospitality, filming, publishing, advocacy and counseling, caring for people, properties, pets, and this earth.

It all informs a holistic perspective and the ability to read people and situations, as I strive to offer valuable insight and factual information with dignity for those being evaluated, ultimately for the benefit of all involved.

I’ve always appreciated people who care enough to show up as best they can, and had compassion for those who can’t, and how a positive word by name to both can shift their day.

I have to control my irritation with those who just don’t care to, and the predatory, soul-sucking usury I call “the cancer of our culture” also present.

I abhor the devaluation of humanity and individual uniqueness and also understand the power we have to make a difference.

How we present things can mean someone can continue to feed their families and have a place to live, or not. If we’re really present and observing, we can feel the difference between someone who’s overwhelmed trying their best who would benefit from some coaching, someone who doesn’t care enough to make the effort, and someone experienced and present enough to be professional, personable, ethical, and polished.

Many we evaluate are still learning, and I’m heartened to see more and more of those who care enough to care…”on the front lines.”

I’ve done various versions of this in corporate, private, and journalistic settings and hope to “retire” one day, knowing I probably won’t because I have people I’m taking care of.

Coming back into this in the position of greater freedom this environment offers has turned out to be a blessing and a challenge, especially with the various entities we contract with. I’m grateful for the ability to make my schedule around life and the people I love and for that I’m very grateful.

Also grateful for this diverse and supportive community.

I hope I can continue to build this business into long term sustainability.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2025 06:29PM by SBP.

@ColoKate63 wrote:

@OldmanJames wrote:

Wish I could make $1000 plus a month. I never have in over 20 years of shopping. Guess it depends on where you live, number of shoppers in your area as well as if you are willing to drive hundreds of miles a week to get shops done. I have done shopping in 3 states and never was able to make that much. Low paying jobs, newbies jumping at low shop fees and not waiting for fees to rise, presumably many shoppers in the area and shopper rotation are reasons. Please let us know how you make $1000 plus a month.

I almost exclusively video shop. I have 15 years of experience. I can write well. I am paid anywhere between $75-$250 per shop. It adds up quickly.

I mystery shop between 4-6 pm M-F along my 30 mile drive home from work in a busy city.

I also use my covert video cameras to capture footage for disability fraud cases. Those assignments are absolutely my favorite.

The disability fraud cases sounds really interesting. Would love to know more about that. I am in NY, there has got to be a huge amount of fraud going on here.

Not sure if I'm a better person for it, but I've developed a heightened awareness of happy employees and miserable employees. I give everyone a fair shake, but try to callout the stars and encourage employees that act/appear unhappy.

I'm loving this thread!

I started mystery shopping the year my husband divorced me (yes, for a younger woman, which I can laugh about now!) and I was struggling financially. I don't need to do it anymore, yet I continue to do a lot of it, for many reasons.

The main benefit I've gotten from it is re-learning (because I was independent before a nice guy husband turned controlling!) that *I* can make things happen in my life. I really struggled emotionally the first few years, because my ex was the reason we got to go on exotic trips and do adventurous things. Yes, I started with fast food and pizza, and the grocery shops remain my real bread and butter (sorry!), but I've also mystery shopped a ComicCon, a minor league hockey game, a quilting convention ($1K for that job in ONE DAY! -- though that will never happen again, lol), and resorts in Arizona, Utah, and soon in Colorado. I mystery-shopped a plane ticket buying process (100s of screenshots) to get myself to Alaska for an impromptu vacation.

On a more everyday scale, it's made me a savvy grocery shopper and a more compassionate person, and has kept my writing skills from getting rusty.

And funnily enough, I'm now really good at making up lies on the spot!

I think the problem is too much competition, shoppers taking low fees when shops first posted and shopper rotation. Simply not enough jobs that pay enough to justify leaving my home- not going out for $10 shop that requires my driving 20 miles round trip. I wish more high paying jobs were available just does not seem to be the case.

I think the problem is too much competition, shoppers taking low fees when shops first posted and shopper rotation. Simply not enough jobs that pay enough to justify leaving my home- not going out for $10 shop that requires my driving 20 miles round trip. I wish more high paying jobs were available just does not seem to be the case.

I empathize with Oldman James. I live in an area bordering a major US city which unfortunately has a very high crime rate as well as areas which my son and daughter in law caution me never to visit. I see many jobs posted in that city however the distance I would need to travel and my safety does not justify my doing so. I am very cautious about my safety and will not venture into an area where I would not fit the demographic of the area and also not be totally comfortable driving. The town I live in is very safe but there are not many jobs available. Bank shops which pay $68 to open an account only allow you to open a total of 4 shops a year and the number of branches in my town is only 1. I am often sent invitations to do bank shops in areas where I would feel safe so I decline. I think the problem is too much competition, shoppers taking low fees when shops first posted and shopper rotation. Simply not enough jobs that pay enough to justify leaving my home- not going out for $10 shop that requires my driving 20 miles round trip. I wish more high paying jobs were available just does not seem to be the case. I guess what mystery shopping has taught me is to weigh my personal safety against the amount being paid and deciding if it is worth risking my life for a shop.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2025 03:12PM by Fatlady.

Thanks for sharing, amyann2!

@amyann2 wrote:

I'm loving this thread!

And funnily enough, I'm now really good at making up lies on the spot!

…

Kudos on all. I can relate…

…making up lies…is also Improv! If you enjoy the thrill of imprivising as a shopper, an improv class will be a blast! I did it on a dare and loved it! I had no idea I could be funny!

I was in Toastmasters for several years and became rather good at impromptu speaking. ( lying in a fancier form).