Market Data 
Fresh out of university, I was working my first real job, and money was tight. I could cover the basics, but there wasn’t much left over for nice meals or updating my wardrobe.
Treating myself to a night out or a day snowboarding felt out of reach, and I couldn’t imagine any way around it until I saw an ad for secret shopping that changed everything.
It sounded too good to be true — getting paid to go shopping
I spent a few hours digging around online to make sure it wasn’t a scam. Turns out, mystery shopping—as it’s also called—is very real.
I applied to two companies, each with a surprisingly in-depth application process that tested my writing, grammar, and communication skills.
I didn’t know it yet, but the shopping part was only half the job; the other half was writing thorough reports about every part of the experience.
At first, I was only offered small jobs
Initially, the job listings were sparse, and I was only able to apply for smaller jobs like reviewing a fast food place for $10 with up to $40 for food reimbursement or earning $20 for a $15 retail purchase.
Some months I completed several shops, but others I didn’t have time to do any. I completed every job, no matter how small, on time and submitted extremely detailed reports.
I didn’t mind the small gigs, I was saving money and scoring free burgers, pizza, gas, and groceries. However, I was after the bigger jobs, like hotel stays, which would come after I’d built up my reputation.
I started landing bigger gigs after half a year
It took me six months to prove I was reliable, and that’s when I started landing more advanced gigs, including one for a high-end clothing store with a $100 gift card.
After that, I was assigned several more locations, each with a $100 gift card to buy whatever I wanted.
Then, after about a year of successful shops, I was assigned to review a full-day snowboard experience at a nearby mountain.
This job included snowboard rentals, lift passes, and several meals on the mountain for myself and a friend — an experience I could never have afforded back then without my secret shopper status.
After that gig came the multiple hotel nights I received at four and five-star hotels, both at home and while traveling. Applying for out-of-town hotel nights became a way for me to have a weekend getaway without paying for it.
By combining hotel and restaurant assignments in nearby cities, I was often able to get paid while enjoying a mini-vacation. Talk about a fabulous side hustle.
I kept this side hustle and was a secret shopper for 11 years. I saved thousands of dollars and even made a few hundred extra along the way.
My one complaint about secret shopping and why I quit
My one complaint about secret shopping — and the reason I decided to quit — was the amount of time it took to complete the detailed reports.
Sharp attention to detail and patience are required to complete the thorough reports that cover every part of the experience. Oftentimes, I would spend nearly two hours carefully completing questionnaires of ten or eleven pages.
The hours I would spend filling these out eventually outweighed the benefits. And if you make a mistake, they can withhold pay. This only happened to me once, but after I added the additional information required, I was promptly paid.
I don’t regret my secret shopping days
I got to dine at fancy restaurants, stay in luxury hotels, refresh my wardrobe, and enjoy unforgettable experiences — all for free. The little extra cash I earned for my time was a nice bonus, too.
I am forever grateful for stumbling across that ad for secret shopping. That one click completely changed how I dined, shopped, and traveled.
For me, becoming a secret shopper was never about getting rich, and I didn’t get rich from it. However, I can confidently say it was worth the effort for me at that time in my life.
