Shopping for Money

Mystery shopping isn't a new concept and I've done it a few times over the years but starting last summer I began making a concerted effort to find some companies that I wanted to work for long-term that included stores that I enjoyed. It's been a slow process and I still have a ways to go but I have had some success. 

Right before Thanksgiving I got some of my groceries for free. At Christmas, I got presents for my mom and my mother-in-law at a high end cooking store AND I was paid for my time.  Last month, my family went to a nice steakhouse in town for dinner. This month I have four shops set up already: two restaurant shops, one retail shop and one banking shop. If I'm diligent I might be able to add some more before the month is over, too.

The thing I like about mystery shopping is that it fits in my schedule. It's hard, as a stay at home mom, to find a 'job' that will bring in income that fits in our daily schedule. I need something that I can either do alone in the evenings or with a toddler in the mornings since afternoons are reserved for nap times. Mystery shopping allows me to pick shops that work to the schedule I need since they are self-scheduled and that is definitely a Cool Idea.

Another very Cool Idea is that many will pay via PayPal, although one I have one company that only pays by check. Either way, it's an opportunity for me to add to our income in a way and sometimes we get a nice dinner or an item reimbursed as well.  

If you are interested in learning more about companies that I have worked for, leave me a message in the Comments section. I'd love to pass along Cool Ideas!