A Week in the Life of a Mystery Shopper

August 29th - September 4th...

I'm disappointed.

Still there? Okay... enough whining. Last week was bad. I earned $131 in fees and $179 in reimbursements. I shopped 14 gas stations, 7 restaurants and a grocery store. All were at standard, non-bonused fees.

What happened? I didn't do anything Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. I could not find work. Wednesday was my busiest day as I shopped 13 gas stations. On Friday I shopped two casual dining chains for reimbursement only. The food was excellent and my options for paying work were limited.

I'm optimistic that this is just a bump in the road. A couple of the larger jobs I do are between projects so that's just a timing issue. I'm still suffering from lack of work with one company that used to be my largest source of income. A couple of its clients apparently have reduced the frequency of their work, and someone in my area is picking up jobs for what I deem an unreasonable fee. I can't justify shopping a gas station - with multiple photos - for a $5 fee and $2 reimbursement.

If this weren't enough, the A/C went out at one of my properties. As this is an unplanned emergency repair, my September budget will take a huge hit.