Some mystery shoppers work on assignments simply to be productive in their free time. Mystery shopping can be rather fun, and there is nothing better than filling your free time with a money-making activity. However, others are focused on earning as much money as they can from mystery shopping. They may need their income to pay bills, to pay off debts or for other purposes. The fact is that some mystery shoppers are doing things that actually may be decreasing their income. By learning more about these activities, you can easily identify and change them in your work efforts.
Driving Too Far
One pitfall that mystery shoppers have to deal with when working on assignments relates to their time on the road. Driving to and from assignments creates wasted time that you are not compensated for, added cost for fuel and even wear and tear on your car. While some of this expense may be tax deductible because of business miles traveled, the fact is that driving too far for your assignments can drastically decrease your income by adding expenses and preventing you from earning additional income.
Buying the Wrong Items
Another hidden pitfall deals with the expense reimbursement. The fact is that the expense reimbursement can simply reimburse you for something that you purchased while working on an assignment, or it can have a net positive effect on your personal budget by reimbursing you for something you really need to buy. When you are buying items as an expense reimbursement, consider how much the reimbursement is. Then, consider what items you had planned on buying in the near future that could be purchased with the reimbursed funds. This is a great way to maximize your income as a mystery shopper.
Enjoying Yourself
A final point to consider when mystery shopping relates to the amount of time that you spend on your assignments. If your goal is to maximize earnings, the fact is that you do want to be as efficient as possible. By completing one assignment quickly, you will have time to complete more assignments over the course of a day or week. When you spend too much time browsing through merchandise at retail store assignments or sipping on lattes at coffee shop assignments, you are preventing yourself from being the most efficient mystery shopper that you can be. A better option is to cut to the chase while conducting a site visit by completing the requirements and moving on to the next site location.
These are a few of the most common pitfalls that mystery shoppers face while on the job, and you may find that one or more of these pitfalls is affecting your paychecks today. Now that you are aware of the pitfalls that are keeping your income from being higher, you can take appropriate steps to correct them so that you can boost your income. Whether you are mystery shopping for the fun of it or because you need the cash, these tips can help you to make more money mystery shopping.