Mystery Shopping at the Grocery Store

Mystery shopping at the grocery store is a good way to buy groceries. I won't say which grocery store chains I mystery shops, but they are some of the larger known chains. Right now I have two chains that I have shopped quite a deal. The payment is usually $5.00 but the reimbursement for the groceries ranges from $5-$10.

 

You may be wondering why I get so excited about these shops. Well, I completed five of these shops this week and my partner has done three.  This makes for $72 of paid groceries. This helps with our grocery budget and we get paid to go shopping. I have two more shops this weekend which will give us $10 more in groceries and my partner is out doing one now for another $9 in reimbursement. We always have food or other items from the store we need and sometimes we splurge and buy something we normally wouldn't buy. The amount we are reimbursed is not reported to the IRS as income and that helps out too. I like getting "paid" this way! The fee that I am paid is reported to the IRS, but I also get to write off the mileage.

 

There are restrictions on the dates you can shop and also on the times, but those are manageable. The input is not too bad and I come home with groceries! Oh and last night I got an incentive to complete a mystery shop....$26 extra in fees to go to the grocery store....oh yea, I'll do that!

Been Busy!

I had a very busy weekend with shops. I finished two different rounds of gas shops, but am still on one round. I get two gallons of gas for each of these gas shops and with gas at $3.49 a gallon right it is nice to get reimburse for those two gallons. I have about 30 shops total for this round of gas stations so that is 60 gallons of gas!! Not too bad! I also get paid $10 per shop!

However, the end of this month is starting to slow down. I have a few banks and gas stations to complete this weekend but not much more than that. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of gas stations left, but I am used to having many other shops too. Next months shops should start popping up around the 20th. My teaching job is keeping me pretty busy, so it may be nice to have a more laid back weekend.

I did pick up a grocery store for this Saturday and I have a take out dinner for Sunday, so no cooking dinner on Sunday night!

We are at 915 pages printed on the new printer too! WOO HOO!

Skills needed to be a Mystery Shopper!

So what skills do you need to be a mystery shopper? First and foremost you must be organized. I work for four different companies PLUS work my full-time job. I have to print all of the shop instructions, plus keep up with WHEN they must be done. The majority of the shops even have time windows on when the shop can be complete. When I worked for only two companies, it was a lot easier. Now that I am with four I have to keep a close eye on the dates and times my shops are due by. I have a calendar on my laptop that helps me keep things organized. You also have to plan out your day and map out your shops so that you aren't losing time while driving. I also have a GPS, which helps immensely!

Another skill you need isto be a good actor. I have to act like a customer and remember details from the shop. Many companies ask about the names of the employees as well as what they looked like. Most ask if the employee is wearing glasses. Some shops have cheat sheets you can conceal and carry with you. Some don't have cheat sheets, so you just have to observe and remember.

Having a digital camera is a must! I have many shops that are audits and require pictures!

I am going to two grocery shops later today and have a variety of shops later this week: gas stations, fast food restaurants, and check cashing just to name a few. I have all of the information for each shop in a folder that stays in my car. Next weekend will be crazy with just eleven shops on Saturday.

I may think of more skills that are needed as time goes on, but this is a good start!

What is a Mystery Shopper?

Hello! I have spent the last year working as a mystery shopper as a second job. I won't reveal too much aboutthe companies I work for, because I don't want anyone to figure out where I actually do this hsopping. Anyway, a mystery shopper is someone who goes in and evaluates a business without the business knowing you are there. You are shopper for all they know. This is called an unrevealed shop. There are other shops called audits in which I do reveal who I am and conduct the audit taking picture and looking for items.

This has been a really nice way for me to make some extra money and work when I want to work and work as much or as little as I want to work. Many times when I go to a restaurant I get reimbursed for my meal, plus get paid for doing the shop. Sometimes when I do grocery stores I get reimbursed for the groceries I buy, so it is like getting my groceries for free. I even get reimbursed for gas sometimes at the gas stations I do.

I hope to share some funny and sometimes frustrating stories with you all!! I have a good friend who is also a mystery shopper and we help each other out by keeping track of assignments that are available. I have a busy month coming up and some insights from past shops to share with you! Thanks for reading!