Editor's Note
Last week I stumbled on a $40/hr gig that took me 10 minutes to set up. Here's exactly how.
This Week's Quick Win: Mystery Shopping
Companies hire everyday people to pose as customers, complete a task (buy something, ask questions, tour an apartment), and submit a report on the experience. Brands use this data to improve service and they pay you for your time.
Who it's for: Anyone 18+ with a smartphone and reliable transportation. No experience needed.
Realistic earnings: Most shops pay $10–$30 each, plus reimbursement if a purchase is required. Do a handful a week and it adds up to solid pocket money this is a supplement, not a full income replacement.
How to do it efficiently:
Sign up with more than one company. Shops in your area come and go, so more platforms = more availability
Field Agent (app-based): quick tasks like photo audits, surveys, and mystery shops at retailers like Walmart, CVS, and Best Buy, great for beginners since jobs are small and fast
Ellis/EPMS: apartment mystery shopping, pose as a prospective renter (phone, virtual, or in-person), paid monthly via direct deposit
Reality Based Group: shops for well-known retail and restaurant brands, including video mystery shopping gigs
iShop: connects you with paid evaluation assignments at retail stores, restaurants, and banks — start with their free webinar to get set up
Pro tip: Batch your shops by location, do 2–3 in the same shopping center on one trip to cut your time-per-dollar way down
If you're job hunting💻
JobOwl is a Chrome extension that tailors a resume to any job posting in one click, matching keywords and rewriting bullets so it clears ATS filters. That means more of your applications actually reach a human instead of getting auto-rejected by the bots and it's been the easiest ATS fix I've made to my process. Looking for jobs is a full time job, thats why I’m so glad there’s tools like this to make it a little easier.
👉 Check it out here This is an affiliate link, if you buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Till next time,