Recently I went to the mall to purchase some toys for myself. I figured with my baby coming soon, who knows when I'll be able to splurge like this again. So I bought myself one of those cool Mac Book Airs and a Iphone. (Just click on the links on the left and you can see some pictures of my new tech babies.)
Of course my beautiful wife was hating on my Iphone decision because I switched from my long time mobile company of Sprint to ATT. She rambled off about cell phone plans being a family decision. That was news to me. But I think I'm winning her over. Yesterday at our doctor's appointment (for the baby), I pulled out my new Iphone and started watching YouTube videos of Dave Chappelle with her. Needless to say she had a ball with it. Strangely enough she didn't complain about my Mac Book Air laptop purchase. I guess it was because she inherited my 6 month old Sony Vaio laptop. Go figure, right? (Don't smack me babe. I kid, I kid. lol)
Enough about that. Let me get to how this all can help you make some money. I know some of you are impatient and may have already left this article because you didn't think it was about making money. Tsk, Tsk. Those people have just missed out.
Getting Paid To Shop…
For you patient folks, let me continue. As I walked through the mall and tried to dodge those overly hyper teenagers (More about them later.), it reminded me that I could have gotten paid for my trip to the mall and just shopping for my gadgets. I've created a little video just for you to show you what I mean.
By the way, is it me or are teenagers "becoming too grown"? Some of these outfits these girls were wearing were not age appropriate. I don't know guys. I'm worried about my little girl and she ain't even here yet.
Anyway, enjoy the video below. I'm going to try to spotlight various work at home careers for you. I want to keep it focused on things outside your normal expectations or desires. I know a lot of you want to type at home and do data entry but you know my feelings on that. There are way more available and better ways to make money at home and damn it I'm going to make you aware of them all!
How To Find Mystery Shopping Jobs?
So chances are you liked the video and you're ready to try your hands at this opportunity. Well no worries, I've done the hard part and found the companies for you. To find the mystery shopping companies listed in the video, click here.
I hope this helps. Let me know what you guys think of this opportunity below. As always if you like what you've read, feel free to share it using the links below or sign up a subscriber so you don't miss out on other opportunities I discuss.
Do you update your Jobs area? Everything is listed as 0 available.
We had stopped listing jobs. But I’m working behind the scenes to bring jobs back. But for now enjoy our informative reviews on various work at home companies every week and some of the other recommendations I list.
Whoppers, Yummy! lol
I’m glad to hear that you have the work ethic and dedication it’s going to take to be successful in affiliate marketing. It’s definitely a different beast than a 9-5 job where for a lot of employment you’re pretty much guaranteed a salary as long as you show up. That’s definitely not the case in running a business and that tends to scare off the people that shouldn’t venture into it. It’s clear you’re not one of those folks. So I applaud you. Once you are ready to take the plunge you’ll have one requirement already checked off, your mindset!
Nice job on the swagbucks stuff! Have you tried beezag yet? If not, get on that too my friend. It’s also easy and enjoyable money.
In any event thanks for sharing your advice which is obviously based on your experience of taking action. It’s funny because at least once a week I get folks that are just the opposite of you, the nay sayers. They’re the ones that are quick to snicker at these opportunities. But they’re also the people complaining that they aren’t making any money online. Oh well you can lead a horse to water….
Great point about Walmart! But I’m sure most folks don’t know that. I wonder if there is an article about this that I can refer too when the haters start mouthing off about what a waste of time this stuff is. It would be nice piece of reference in addition to comments like yours. lol
In any event, keep grinding my friend. It pays off if you keep running the marathon!
Signed up @ BZ under your link 🙂 Few days ago. I find it quite humorous how you continue to provide people with legit ops, talk about the negatives, explain its not a get quick rich scheme, and yet they still are not grateful.
Apparently they are not thirsty enough to drink….I guess they will just be happy working at a job that they will be unhappy working. I’m one of those people who like to choose my hours, pay, and people I deal with. So naturally this is the type of work for me. Fade the naysayers, and work with the stars. One of the best tips I learned in MLM a few years back.
Amen!
You’re grandma probably didn’t work with a reputable mystery shopping company because the real ones would never ask you for any account information where they could withdraw any money. It all boils down to doing your research before joining any company so that you can tell what is legit and what isn’t. Either way I’m sorry your grandma was a victim of a work at home scam.
i know this is a scam because my friends grandma did this and they took money right outta her account mystery shopper is one hell of a scam please people dont fall for this like a poor 70 year old lady did
Eddy what a sweetheart you are! I just started reading your many letters. I appreciate you I have quitea ways to go to support my family right now……………but I am starting right into the Mystery shopping immediately
Also I will connect with some results Thanks Eddy best to you…………………
Well thanks Jamy. Mystery shopping is definitely a great starting point. Be sure to check out our recommendations page as well: http://www.workathomenoscams.com/recommendations
You should also check out or jobs page which is updated daily:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/jobs
Both should get you closer to supporting your family. Good luck.
You’re not contacting legitimate mystery shopping companies. You’re contacting middlemen who are probably selling you a list of mystery shopping companies we already list for free here:
https://www.workathomenoscams.com/jobs/browse_by_category/Mystery+Shopping/
Good luck.
Hey Eddy, I’ve been stalking your page for a few weeks now. Mind you I would like to applaud you on you’re tactics when obtaining information pertaining to working at home.
I’ve signed up through a few of your referral links, so your information has done its job here.
I am interested in Mystery Shopping amongst other opportunities that you are providing information for. Prior to signing up through you at Wealthy Affiliate I was wanting to get some sort of stable consistent income from work at home, and reinvest.
The reason I choose this article is that this seems like one of the best ways to jump start self-employed work, and make enough money to seed future investments, and bring home some bread.
Now onto my questions….(I know you have said you don’t do this very often)
First, I have herd that alot of people mix mystery shopping with merchandising. So in light of that…
A. Have you done much research about merchandising?
B. Some sites require a monthly fee to be able to apply to jobs in merchendising/shopping..should I avoid those?
C. I would be sharing a car, and having to pick up/drop off my better half to use it during the day…I know you said public transportation is an option…but do most of your emails you receive give you specific timelines in which you need to shop or just specific days?
Once again thanks for being “that guy” who tells it how it is. I know your trust factor from a straight forward person like me increases daily. This is no doubt a result of your un-bias analysis of companies, dedicated research, and ability to portray fundmental ideas as one of the leading work at home experts.
I look forward to building a relationship with you as a affiliate marketer, and hopefully a friend.
Thomas Hake.
Thomas,
Thanks for the kind words. I’m happy you can appreciate my style. I try to shoot straight because I know a lot folks don’t in this industry. I know what it was like to be on the other end of that. In any event, I’m glad to hear you’ve been taking the time to read the information and take action!
In regards to your questions.
1. Nope. I’ve read some brief things about it. It seems to be another legitimate option for folks.
2. It’s unnecessary. We already list tons of mystery shopping companies here:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/jobs
You can find a list of merchandising companies here:
http://www.volition.com/merchandise.html
The companies that usually charge a fee are just middle men that can be cut out of the equation if you know how to do your research or have found a site like ours.
3. Usually I get an email everyday with the assignment and details of it. But the emails tend to be for that very day. Sometimes you will get a heads up so you can plan accordingly. But honestly the best thing to do is sign up for a lot of these companies and you’ll get a better idea of the scheduling. You’re not required to take on all the jobs. But you’ll still be on the list so when you can make an assignment it’s just a matter of replying back to the company and letting them you’re able to do it for that give day. The email will usually tell you the amount of money you’ll get paid as well.
I hope this helps. Again this isn’t really my area of expertise. It’s one of the few opportunities I haven’t personally tried. The only real outside non-traditional work at home opportunity I’ve done really well with is focus groups. It’s something I highly recommend for some decent money:https://www.workathomenoscams.com/2008/01/08/focus-groups-got-paid-150/
Like surveys it all depends on your demographics and location. So it’s not something you can depend on for consistent money. Some folks won’t ever qualify for a focus group or survey because they’re not a desirable demographic. However if you are one that they want, you can make some nice money. My brother in law just got one I sent him. Even to this I get called for some nice ones. I’m just too busy too make them and they’re a bit out of my way now that I moved. But my friends and family love me because of my introduction to focus groups. Hopefully you’ll be able to take advantage of that as well.
Couple this with my other recommendations:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/recommendations and you should be in a great place to work your way up to running your own business via affiliate marketing. But take your time as you’ve been doing. Make money with the easy stuff first and then work your way up. Because as I said in my articles, affiliate marketing isn’t easy and takes a different level of commitment and patience that most people don’t have.
Alright I’ve babbled enough my friend. Keep me posted Thomas.
Wow your reply was faster than the time it takes me to devour whoppers. A true testament to your dedication.
As far as my commitment and patience… you will soon find out I am dedicated to making this work.
The amount of hours I am willing to put into my education, business development, and furthering myself as a self-employed businessman would make most people sick.
I do really enjoy the surveys, and the focus groups are the next step in that development.
Speaking of easy money, I just requested my 3rd gift card from Swagbucks this month. 🙂
I’ve been taking a fair amount of action. As you always say, “Some money is better than no money” and “Multiple small streams of income add up” …So I’ve been trying to add 3-4 little ways to make money everyday.
For those of you out there just trolling eddy’s posts stop wasting your time. Read his posts, and join the sites. After you know it your email box becomes a cash register.
For all those people saying to yourself, “Well is making pennies and dollars here and there worth it?” Let me remind you that Walmart makes pennies on a majority of the sales in the store, they just have tons of ways to do it. So stop trolling, and start controlling your future.
You wont regret it.
Mystery Shopping does work you just have to research and find the right company. Years ago I made a total of $75. So, it really works.
Agreed and pretty much what we said above.
hi i jus i was wondering which myster shopping u did?
@Pamela Richardson:
can you please email me a list of companis you work for that would be great.
That same thing happend to me. But the thing is , he was from england an dhe wanted me to take 300 out and keep it and send the reast to an orphanage.I actually knew him thats why i trusted him. i grew up in england, i should of know better!@Brenda Rorie-Baety:
I have been mystery shopping for 11 years now. There are over 400 legitimate mystery shopping companies in the United States alone and over 1.5 million mystery shoppers. Everything is mystery shopped. I have not paid for gas, groceries, dining out, oil changes, car washes, etc. for over 11 years except on rare occasion.
None of the companies in the United States, except in the state of Nevada hire you as an employee. You are required by most legitimate companies to give your social security number prior to being able to accept any assignments for them.
Most mystery shoppers are registered with over 100 companies as they wish to stay busy and have a variety of jobs.
As the President of the Independent Mystery Shoppers\’ Coalition, it is my job to bring mystery shoppers, company owners, schedulers and editors together. If I can be of any assitance to you, please do not hesitate to ask.
Hi Pamela,
My name is Asa Lester. Recently I had the opportunity to become a mystery shopper. Have you every heard of a company out of California called Informa Research Services? What can you tell me about them? I did a mystery shop for them back in November but I still haven’t gotten paid for it. Plus, there was a second shop that I couldn’t do for them because of the establishment’s scheduling procedures. Anyway, please respond. Thank you.
Asa Lester
alester222@verizon.net
How do I get started?
By actually reading the article and taking action.
Pamela You are very informative with your experience Could you put me in the right direction immediately with legit. companies in the State of Pennsylvania Please send an email to me at jamy11@ptd.net
I am serious about this, new and want to support my family as well. Sincerely, jamy
Hi Pamela, do mystery shopping companies hire in Trinidad and Tobago? Please, Send me an email at cgenelle@yahoo.com
i like this video i just came across this site and got interested on the hole thing of get paid for surfing the web…. so it looks cool…
Glad you like the information Iliana.
I’m sure as you read more of it, you’ll discover a whole new world of legitimate opportunities you never knew existed.
Be sure to check out our recommendations page:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/recommendations
and become a subscriber if you want to stay up with all of our information:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/subscribe
Good luck.
Hello Eddy, thank you so much for all the info. I have 2 questions, if you don’t mind. First, how long does it take for me to get my money back after I spent it on whatever I bought? and if you need to send the company a SS# so they can discount my taxes or do I do that on my own, or how does it work?
Thanks alot, I hope my question isnt too frequent or dumb.
Regards,
Nacho
Hi Ignacio,
You’re welcome as always. To answer your question, I think it all depends on the company. I’ll be honest with you I just don’t know because I never gave mystery shopping a fair shot because it involved leaving my home. lol But I do get assignments regularly. But the best thing to do is contact the companies of interest to you directly or read their faqs on their sites.
In terms of taxes, like most of the non-traditional opportunities I recommend, you’re on your own regarding taxes. There is a cost involved with handling the taxes which is why most of these companies don’t do it for work at home related folks. The reason this relationship is appealing is because they can avoid such cost. So you’ll be responsible for reporting that. But here’s how it works: You’re usually considered an independent contractor not an employee. When you reach about $600 for a given company, you may be required to fill a w-9. At the end of the year you’ll receive a 1099 that is filed with the Feds and a copy is sent to you. You then take that to your accountant. They will ask you what expenses or deductions you have such as internet fees, computer, etc, etc. That will be subtracted from what you earned. If there is anything left, you’ll be taxed on that when you send in your return. When you start making some big money, I would suggest getting incorporated. It definitely helps your tax burden.
So that’s pretty much how the taxes work. Keep in mind some companies aren’t based in the U.S. so they may not require this. But as a rule you’re suppose to report the income regardless. Please keep in mind I’m not a tax advisor or professional. You should always seek the advice of a professional tax advisor for questions like this as the information I provided here may not be accurate.
Hope this helps.
Yes Eddy, you do NOT want to end up being a helicopter parent lol. I have the unfortunate incident of having both my mother and stepfather being helicopter parents, so I grew up resenting them both because I no individuality (I’m just NOW starting to develop some), can’t make decisions without someone else, and am finding it really hard to be an independent woman after being dependent by force for so long.
A nice medium is the perfect way to raise a child, you don’t want your little girl hating Daddy because he never left her alone, not even for a second 😉
I totally hear ya Monica and respect your advice considering your own situation. Trust me I’m all too aware of the damage I can inflict on my little girl’s development. I know no matter what we as parents do some damage. But my goal is to keep that at a healthy minimum. lol
First, thank you so much for your dedication to the research of work at home opportunities with no spam, scams, and stuff. Secondly, on the subject of daughters. This I can help YOU with. It is the job of teenage girls to give there parents, especially fathers several heart attacks/heart breaks before they fully mature. I know, I was a teenage girl. I’m sure you are intelligent enough to be both a parent and a friend to your children when they need you to be, whether they know it or not! It can be done if they know you can be their go to person when life gets confusing for them. There is nothing wrong with the words “You are not leaving the house dressed like that!” And ” I don’t care that all the other girls can”. Clear expectations and a friendly attitude wins in the end. Unfortunately there are exceptions to this rule, but very few.
You’re welcome Cathy! I appreciate the kind sentiments and the thanks.
In terms of your parenting advice, I’m totally there with you. My girl is close to two years old since the time of that article and I’m already on top of my expectations of her.
I don’t want to be in the far extreme of being too over protective or too passive. I’m trying to stay in the middle. My nature is to air on the side of being over protective and a disciplinarian. Fortunately
my wife is the nice balance. But the point is I’m starting very early with her about rules and what will and will not be accepted by us. It’s so interesting to watch the development of her personality because she’s already testing our boundaries. While others may find it cute, i view it as an opportunity to nip future situations now. So I hear your advice loud and clear and have been implementing it.
I know my daughter is going to drive me crazy in later years but I can minimize the pain by working on her now. lol
Oooh…this looks veddy, veddy interesting. I tried one years ago and just received a lot for places like Taco Bell. I just did not want to HAVE to go to fast food places so I lost interest. But, your list is extensive so I may give it another try and sign up with a few companies. Thank you for doing the research for us. I know when I was ‘shopping’ around for mystery shopping opportunities, years ago, it was hard to filter out the spammy ones. Another reason why I may have only signed up with one back then. I wanted to see if it was legit.
Eddy…I was just in the process of filling out an application. Is it normal for them to ask for a lot of information like age, b-day, past jobs, SS# (though not required at the time)
Hey Sunflower,
I’m glad you’re giving this another look because mystery shops range from fast food to car dealerships. So there is a lot of variation.
In terms of your question, I was asked a lot of questions when I filled out a profile for these companies and focus groups. So it is normal. But as always do your research to ensure the company you’re working with is legit by following the steps in our scam video:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams if you’re uncertain about a given company. Hope this helps.
This is very informative! Thanks so much for all the time and effort you & your team put into this site! It has been most helpful to me, again many thanks!
You’re welcome TJ.
Thanks Eddy for you quick response. i feel better that I did the right. It goes to show you that you should listen to that little voice that says something’s just not right here.
thanks again,
Brenda
Indeed!
You’re welcome!
Hello Eddy,
I’ve been looking for something to do from home for about 4 months now. My Brother found your site and forwarded it to me after I got caught up in a survey scam. I learn fast but now I’m paranoid of everything. Now, the reason I’m writing. I received a check from a shopping co. in the amount of $4965.00!!!!! Imagine my surprise. I immediately thought , “Oh boy,. Here we go again” I looked the company up on the website that they noted and the company is an internationally known company. What sent off bells and whistles is they wanted me to deposit the check in my bank account before they would tell me what I was supposed to do with the bulk of the money. They said I could keep $300 for expenses and all of the goods I bought from Walmart and JC Penneys but there was a wire transfer for 1500 and I was supposed to exchange 2800 in cash for foreign currency. Enough to make you go Hmmmmmmmmm! Well after I discussed it with my husband ,we decided to decline their most “generous” offer. We decided that we didn’t want anyone to have access to our checking account. I’ve seen too much on your website for that. Did I do the right thing? Was this a scam? Or am I just being paranoid. The website was payme4shopping.com. The company name is Service Inspection Limited. The parent ccompany is out of New Zealand. What do you think? I think if it quacks like a duck……….
Thanks for what you do. You have saved me months if not years of floundering around in this new world. I still haven’t found anything that appeals to me, but I’m still looking. Wish me luck.:)
Brenda
San Diego CA
Hi Brenda,
Thanks for sharing your story with me. You and your husband made the right decision. I’m not sure if you’ve ever visited our scam section. If not I encourage you to read it from top to bottom including the comments. So many people have fallen victim to these check cashing wire scams. They disguise themselves in various ways but at the end of the day its always the same scam. So you did the right thing. Head over to our scam section now:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams it will expand on the knowledge you’ve already gain.
At the end of the day if something sounds to good, its probably is. One of the questions when I read about opportunities like this or visit one of those work at home product sales pages is; “If it was so easy and people were making money like that, then why are people working 9-5 jobs they hate or struggling to find work at home jobs?”
In any event, thanks for sharing. You might want to do your part and post the scam you discussed above in our scam page. Take care.
Yeah, they are much too grown. They come to the clinic where I worked looking the same way, but that’s the way it is now. Your baby is now here, she has an intelligent and sensible father and mother, both of whom I’m sure will be teaching, so not to worry.
Again, thanks for the information.
Let’s pray that the home training that we provide her with help. lol But ultimately times have changed and as parents we have to adjust to a certain point. There are some thing I will stand firm on because I’m just “old school” like that. But there are other things I will probably have to relent on especially because my wife is much more lenient than I am. But everything in life is a bout a balance.
Thanks for sharing your words of wisdom!
Hi Neil,
Welcome to our blog.
The first thing you want to do is subscribe to our email updates so you’re made aware of any new legit work at home opportunities or scams we may discuss:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/subscribe
Next you should read some of our best articles listed here: http://www.workathomenoscams.com/articles
Here you’ll find my recommendations for the top work at home opportunities and other information to help you succeed at working at home.
And finally you should visit our scam section so you know what to avoid and know how to determine when a company is a scam or not:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams
Hope this helps you get started.
If you have any questions be sure to visit our questions section:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/ask
Eddy
I am looking to do some Mystery shopping in Iowa but when ever I get call’s on them I need money first and I can’t do that. I want to do it without having to pay first to start shopping can you help me out
VERY INFORMATIVE, BUT NOT FOR ME. WHAT WORK AT HOME JOBS WOULD YOU RATE AS YOUR TOP 5/10 PICKS.
I JUST FOUND THIS SITE