Having a sidehustle is the way most of our independent contractors found their way to mystery shopping.
Long before eBay and Uber, mystery shopping was in a category of its own as a side gig. Mystery shopping does not require an upfront investment, or a specific technical skill set. If you have good observation skills, can transfer what you see into words, and understand deadlines, you can be a mystery shopper!
Mystery shopping has always been viewed as a great way to make a bit of money or get meals for reduced prices – or for free.
Some contractors have made mystery shopping into a full-time home-based business as well. Working on their own schedule and choosing which assignments to take is the desired lifestyle of many.
But don’t be fooled. Mystery shopping is work. Hard work. And it does require dedication to seeking and completing assignments to make significant money.
For those who find mystery shopping alone does not bring in the income they desire, there are a lot of options for people who want, or need, a flexible work schedule. We found these sidehustle opportunities that can be scheduled in and around your mystery shops.
SideHustle As You Go
- Driving for Uber or Lyft. In most cases, you’ll be driving to complete a mystery shop. Why not pick up and drop off someone else along the way?
- Delivery service. For someone living or working in a busy urban or suburban area, you can coordinate mystery shopping assignments with driving for GrubHub or Door Dash.
- If you like route shopping or merchandising, you might like being a Brand Ambassador. Find ambassador opportunities along with mystery shops in the same town and you’ve increased your pay for the day!
- If you are environmentally conscious, why not earn money to help the effort to keep our towns clean? Learn how you can make money by cleaning the lots you drive in for your mystery shops!
- Similar to mystery shopping, but offering different types of opportunities, Wonolo and Gigwalk have on the spot jobs you can snag through an app on your phone.
From Your Desk #SideGigs
- Prospective mystery shoppers often tell us, “I like to shop!” (and those of us who know the business know mystery shopping and ‘shopping’ are two completely different things!) But if you do like to shop, maybe being a seller on Amazon or eBay would work for you!
- After a full day of mystery shopping, you can earn gift cards or filling out surveys and shopping online at Swagbucks or Inbox Dollars.
- Do you have a special skill or technical knowledge that can be taught to others? Online course platforms like Udemy and Skillshare will do the marketing of your courses for you! You can earn money from this type of gig while you sleep!
- If you have a fair cash flow, you can buy and resell concert and event tickets. It’s completely legal. Just know who will be popular and sell out quickly! Stub Hub is the most popular platform to use.
Sidehustles, freelancing, and working as an independent contractor can keep life interesting and fun. To make real money from various sources takes a lot of focus and coordination, but it can be done! There are many blogs and books written by people who could never picture themselves in a corporate environment or having a ‘real’ boss!
If this sounds like you, check out some of our ideas – and get out there and make money!
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