Mystery shoppers have been watching gas prices creep back upward for months with much dismay. The higher gas prices climb, the more money mystery shoppers have to pay to travel to do assignment site visits. With gas prices up almost $1.00 per gallon in many locations in just the last few months, if not more, many mystery shoppers are really starting to feel some pain at the pump each time they fill up.
There are some steps you can take, however, to help take the sting out of those painful fill-ups. Here are some ideas:
Gas Station Assignments. There is nothing that will put a smile on your face faster while you are standing there filling up your tank than knowing you are getting reimbursed for your gas purchase! Now most gas station assignments will reimburse you for only a portion of your purchase, so don’t expect to walk away with $50 or $100 in gas for free! However, if you make an effort to pick up a few of these assignments each week on a regular basis, you will find that this really will make quite a difference in your overall gas expense for mystery shopping.
Phone Assignments. There isn’t a better way to cut down on pain at the pump than to stay off the road, and when you find a few phone assignments that you can do out of the comfort of your home, you can make some bucks while keeping your gas tank full. Look for assignments for credit card companies, banks, pizza shops, and others that require you to make just a phone call or two to earn your paycheck.
Double-booking It. If you have to be out on the road and burning gas, you might as well make that trip worth your while. With gas prices so high right now, it absolutely makes sense to schedule mystery shopping assignments with location in mind. A great idea is to look for several assignments in the same shopping mall, outlet mall, or retail center so you can drive to one location and complete several site visits. Another idea is to pick up assignments that you can complete en route to places you already need to travel, such as on your way to work or to your daughter’s ballet lesson. You can also try to find assignments that serve a double purpose for you, such as a grocery store assignment where you can pick up your groceries for the week while you are also working on an assignment, too.
When gas prices get as high as they currently are, and especially given the fact that they are only expected to go higher yet, you really have to make some adjustments to your mystery shopping habits so that you can avoid pain at the pump. When you take steps to follow some of these tips, you will find that you can continue to make great money as a mystery shopper without spending quite so much in gas, and this means increasing your overall profits!