Update!

Well, it has been a while since I have posted. Life has been busy. We attended a family wedding out of state last week and school has kept me very busy! We contemplated doing some shops on the way, but decided it would not be worth the hassle! I just signed up with a new company to give them a try and see what they are like. One of the companies I work for has not had too many shops! I am also going to start a diet in a few weeks and I need to CUT DOWN on the fast food. Seriously, how many burgers can I eat! Even Jacob is sick of the fries...still! What 15 year old boy is sick of fries!

I am heavy into gas stations right now, evaluating three different chains. Two of them provide gas as part of the shop! Those are really nice, especially with the high price of gas. My partner and I went out to eat at a nice sit down restaurant last night for a mystery shop and we will visit the same chain again in a few weeks. Wing shops just came out so we will be eating those again soon!

I have decided to stop mystery shopping at the banks. OH, those are so tiresome. You just never know how long you will be stuck there. It really depends on what other customers are there. I just can't do them anymore! I might pick up a few here and there over the summer, but I really doubt it. I may not get to do as much mystery shopping this summer. I have a three day workshop in Richardson in June. I will drive back and forth for that everyday, but then have a three day workshop in Houston. The boys will stay home with my partner and I will be off at work! I won't do any shops on my way down there either!

Gas Shops, Pizza and Wings

Oh I am so happy have 26 new gas shops coming up next month. I get $5 worth of gas for each shop. That is $130 worth of gas and with prices going up, I'll take what I can get. I am waiting for two other sets of gas shops to come out soon! I am hoping they come out soon, because next month is already looking a little slow.

There have been some pizza shops that have come out recently that I have never done before! The boys and I had pizza for dinner tonight. The other night we had pizza and wings for dinner! Jacob is tired of hamburger and french fries and so am I for now. I haven't signed up for as many fast food shops as I usually do. I'll have to see how much of a bonus they offer for some shops before I will take them. I have more pizza and wing shops coming up too!!!

No More Fast Food Please!

Oh my, I am sick of hamburgers and french fries! I have had so much fast food the last few days. Even the boys are getting tired of the fast food. It is hard to pass up a shop though, when you are offered twice and sometimes triple the fee. I had a hamburger for lunch and dinner today. I had a hamburger for lunch yesterday! At least I didn't have to cook dinner tonight!! I only have one more fast food shop this week, so far!

Keeping Busy!

I have been keeping very busy with my Mystery Shopping and my full time job. I am on Spring Break this week and have five shops tomorrow and three of those pay $14 each! I have several more shops over the rest of the week. Things have slowed down a bit this month, not sure why, but there haven't been as many choices. I am hoping more shops come out over the next two weeks.

I took my dad a sandwich from a fast food place I evaluated today. I do get reimbursed, but I hate to waste a sandwich! Jacob didn't like this type of sandwich either! I also fed us dinner tonight by doing a restaurant shop. It was for a restaurant I have not evaluated before, but it paid for all of our dinner except for 75 cents. NOT BAD huh??

Here's hoping for more shops!

A Nice Problem to Have!

There are four different gas stations that I shop or audit. Sometimes it is a combination of a mystery shop and an audit. At this point in time, I am only working shops for a certain gas station company where they reimburse for two gallons of gas. Now you may think that isn't a lot of gas, but when I have four or five gas stations on a weekend, it can add up fast. This is especially true with gas prices going up.

I have a friend who mystery shops too and she called me on Saturday asking if I wanted some free gas. She didn't have enough room in her tank to put two gallons of gas in the car. I was about 15 minutes from the gas station, so of course, I met her there. She gave me the gas and she completed the shop! I drive an SUV so I go through gas a little quicker than she does.

I have about ten of these shops left and then I'll have to wait for the next quarter to begin to get more of these shops. Two gas companies only pay for the audit to be done, no gas. Another gas company pays for $5.00 worth of gas, so the two gallon shop is SO much better! Having to leave room in my gas tank to put in more gas during my shops. What a nice problem to have!

Banks, Phone Shops, Fast Food and Gas Stations

I have spent the last week and all of today visiting shops. I have more shops tomorrow. The gas shops are really nice....2 gallons of gas! The bank shops can be pretty boring, but they pay well. I listened to the same information about credit cards four times today!! At least it is easy money, just boring. I also had four phone shops yesterday and two phone shops today. Those aren't too bad, but I don't like the paperwork. These phone shops are from a company that I don't use very often. They pay well, but don't have a large selection of shops and the shops are 21 pages! That is a lot to print.

I also woke up and went to an early shop to get breakfast and then later had lunch!! Tomorrow I have two more fast food shops and then a casual restaurant shop to buy dinner for everyone! I think Jacob may actually be getting tired of the french fries! I also have three gas shops and I just love those. I always need gas.

I do keep track of my mileage for these shops so that I can write it off on my income taxes. I did 108 miles today!!

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!