Many people have plenty of extra time to burn over the summer months. Whether you are an elementary school teacher, a college professor or even a college student yourself, you may relish your free time to lounge around during the summer months. However, after spending a few days relaxing, you may begin to think about all of that extra free time you have when you could be earning some extra cash. There are dozens of summer jobs that you can choose to work in, but mowing lawns, babysitting and flipping burgers may not be ideal. After all, while you want to earn some money this summer, you also want to continue to enjoy summer as much as possible. Mystery shopping may be the ideal job for you this summer for a number of reasons.
Reasonable Income
Some summer jobs may offer flexible schedules and a great work environment, but the jobs may fall short in terms of income potential. Mystery shopping is considered to be an unskilled job, and this means that almost anyone can qualify to be a mystery shopper. You only need to demonstrate your writing skills and age to qualify in most cases. However, it is reasonable to earn up to $20 or more per hour in some cases. You will be paid per assignment, and the income will vary, but some mystery shoppers regularly earn this amount or more for their efforts. Considering the fact that no experience is required, this pay sure beats income from other unskilled jobs you may work at.
Flexible Work Hours
Many people love summer because it truly is a time to relax and be care-free. Friends may plan impromptu barbecues in their backyard, or your neighbor may ask you to head to the pool for a swim at the last minute. You want to take advantage of the freedom and flexibility to fully enjoy summer without the limits of a job, and mystery shopping can help you to accomplish that. Once you sign up to work on assignment, you must complete the assignment within the dates and times specified. With this in mind, you should avoid over-scheduling your time. However, many assignments have larger windows of time when you can complete the assignment. Some may allow you to complete the site visit within a period of several hours or even several days, and you may have 12 or even 24 hours after the site visit to complete your report. You will have plenty of time to enjoy your backyard barbecues and last-minute trips to the pool while still working and earning money.
There are indeed many jobs that people normally think of when they look for a summer job, but mystery shopping is not one of them. As you can see, however, there are many benefits associated with being a mystery shopper this summer. Perhaps what’s best, however, is that you can continue to work as a mystery shopper on a scaled back basis once your schedule picks up again in the fall months.