Mystery shopping is without a doubt one of the most fun jobs you can do without any experience required. Consider other jobs that don’t require experience, such as working in a retail store or maybe working in a restaurant, and you can see that mystery shopping is a fun alternative. For people who need to make some extra cash or even those looking for a full-time job, mystery shopping is a great way to earn some money with relative ease. But the fact is that the job isn’t a good fit for everyone, and here’s why:
Is The Pay Right For You? Many people get into mystery shopping with big plans for earning large paychecks with ease. Well, the fact is that mystery shopping is easy most of the time. But as with most jobs that don’t require experience, the pay is commensurate most of the time. A complaint you often hear from mystery shoppers is that they could bring home the same amount of cash from flipping burgers at a fast food joint or working retail. And this is the truth in most cases. But for many people who have to choose between these types of jobs, either for their full-time job or a side job, mystery shopping is a preferable way to spend their time.
Mystery Shopping Offers Flexibility. One of the big difference between mystery shopping and these other comparable jobs is that mystery shopping offers flexibility. With mystery shopping, you control your schedule. If you want to work a few hours one week and thirty hours the next, this is possible without hassle. Or if you want to take two or three weeks off for whatever reason, you don’t even have to get approval. You sign up for as many jobs or as few jobs as you want and have to complete. This is a huge advantage over other jobs, and this makes it an ideal job for stay-at-home moms, retirees, college kids, and even professionals who want to pick up some extra cash on the side.
Don’t Forget The Perks. Unlike other comparable jobs like retail and fast food gigs, mystery shopping comes with some extra perks. These perks actually have some extra financial benefit for you, which should be taken into account as a total compensation. For instance, when you are a mystery shopper, you can often find assignments that require you purchase items and will reimburse you for their purchase. So while you are earning the equivalent of $10 or $15 per hour for doing the job, you may also pick up a free cup of coffee, a few items from the grocery store, a few gallons of gas, or any number of other things, which you are largely reimbursed for. Plus, since you are an independent contractor when you are a mystery shopper, you can run your job as any other self-employed businessperson would. This means you can deduct space at home for a home office, write off expenses like travel and office supplies, and more. So there are definitely some tax benefits to being a mystery shopper that you won’t find with other similar jobs.
Even with these benefits taken into consideration, some people may find that mystery shopping just isn’t for them. But for those who take full advantage of the benefits that mystery shopping offers, this is an excellent way to earn some cash.