Check out how Annette adds to her fund…
I am a stay at home mom of four boys. With that being said, money is always tight. I use many ways to save a little here and there to put into my vacation fund. I read and am very grateful for blogs such as Couponing to Disney, as it saves me time in finding the good deals. I use my coupons and have a cash grocery budget. I also do rebates, online surveys etc…
One of my favorite ways to save is by mystery shopping. I mystery shop for several local stores, including the local grocery store chain. I use my coupons while on the shop and buy my groceries with my grocery fund like I normally would. I also get several other shops like Kmart and Best Buy. I buy things to set aside for Christmas and birthdays. I usually get paid with Paypal, so it makes it easy to keep the money separate. I don’t make a ton, but it adds up quickly. And it is on items I was going to buy anyway.
A few of the sites I use are TrendSource, Bestmark (www.bestmark.com), www.mysteryshops.com, www.marketforce.com They are my favorites, and the ones I get the most work from. It all depends on where you live at, and how many shoppers they have in your area. Another resource is a website called shadowshopper.com There is a fee for the site, it is basically a bulletin board of people hiring mystery shoppers and merchandisers. I have received some great jobs from posts on there. I once made $3000 replacing Discover card stickers in small businesses (too bad that was a one time job) .
(Thanks Annette!)
Lulu says
This is a great idea! Thank you!
Jennifer says
I was signing up for a site and didn’t finish because they wanted my ss# I find that a little fishy
Kristin from Couponing to Disney says
It isn’t necessarily fishy, but I understand your hesitation. You are applying to be an independent contractor with them. I would feel more comfortable if I was asked to provide my social after I actually earned money with the company.
Kim says
Do all the mystery shopper sites have a fee involved up front?
Pam says
You should never pay a fee to be a mystery shopper. Stay away from any site looking to charge you. Social security numbers are required though, as you have to pay taxes on any earnings over $600 per year, per company you work for.