6 Figures Shopping???

Just curious if anyone has ever hit 6 figures annually shopping? I've come close but I still have not done it.

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Not me. I know others have, either by basically living on the road for weeks or even months at a time, or by negotiating really high fees that require air travel expenses. I try to keep a high dollar per mile ratio and strike a work/life balance that avoids overnight stays unless the pay is really good.

Bob, at least 15 yrs. ago, a gal posted on the Volition Forum she had hit 6 figs. She then explained what it took for that accomplishment. Below is what I recall:

1-She was on the road 28 days a month.
2-She had a partner that submitted reports while she shopped.
3-When meals and/on boarding were not assignment possible, her net was reduced.

In concluding, and after the split, she netted $40K.

As for me, I would not be interested in 28 days a month for a yr. of eatery dining and sleeping in a motel for triple her net.

@shopperbob wrote:

2-She had a partner that submitted reports while she shopped.

Wouldn't having somebody else file reports on your behalf be a huge no-no?

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown

It would already be super if I archive 5 digits, I net half that this year only Q_Q

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2024 08:16PM by kisekinecro.

I can’t imagine how this is even possible. It must be a miserable life. I work full time and my goal is to net $800-$1000 month from shops. Some months I make it and some I do not. I am fortunate that I make 6 figures a year in my full time job and it’s not as stressful as mystery shopping.

SIX FIGURES??? I am happy to be in the (low) five-figure zone.

The big question; Are you including reimbursements?

I am having my best year ever for reimbursements, but barely cracked $60k. My actual fees are a very small percentage of that.

I would think reimbursements should not be counted. Just gross income before deductions.

At some point very early in my shopping, I decided I would only count reimbursements in my gross if a NEED existed. Two such examples are groceries of my choice and oil changes.

Eh, I don't believe it without some substantiation.

@bradkcrew wrote:

Eh, I don't believe it without some substantiation.

As was already mentioned, the actual figure was $40k, not $100k, since it was actually a team of 2 shoppers, and it was not clear if they added reimbursements to reach that total. My goal has always been at least $2k each month, which has been easily attainable. And, no, reimbursements should not and do not count as income. I think my best year was $27k reported on my tax filing. That was mostly local mystery shopping, and I did not live on the road, but I worked weekends and weekdays.

@shopperbob wrote:

At some point very early in my shopping, I decided I would only count reimbursements in my gross if a NEED existed. Two such examples are groceries of my choice and oil changes.

That is a slippery slope, Bob. My wife insists that she needed that trip to Napa...

Even on my best year, fees + reimbursements was around $40k ish….. that was slaving away ~20-30 hours a week. I remembered why I stopped shopping altogether.

Very infrequently shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado these days.

If you live in a large metropolitan city perhaps. But if you live in the sticks no way in hell.

@wrosie wrote:

If you live in a large metropolitan city perhaps. But if you live in the sticks no way in hell.

As someone who tried doing this full time in a large metropolitan city back when fees were higher and living expenses lower...also no way in hell.

That said, living in a metropolitan area, there are plenty of work options that will pay six-figures without nearly as much hassle.

I'm wondering why they decide to spend all their time on the road when they could just get a regular job with insurance...

@Mellifluy wrote:

I'm wondering why they decide to spend all their time on the road when they could just get a regular job with insurance...

There's a lot to be said for "being your own boss" and having some measure of flexibility with when and where you work. I raised the white flag with trying to do this for a living, and I've gone back to a "regular job," albeit one where I work from home. I miss that flexibility like you wouldn't believe.

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown

Maybe in the 2000’s? I pulled over $50,000 in fees once or twice. I did not have a full-time job at that point and my spouse provided the medical insurance so that wasn’t an issue for me. I did a lot of casino work. I did a lot of work in Las Vegas and I had some steady routes in California. I never did video, and I never slept in my car. I shopped a lot of theme parks (not the rewards shops) and hotels. I did a ton of bar audits as well. Bar integrity was the most profitable. That paid $100 an hour at the very least for very minimal work.

the best I did pre pandemic was $11K with reimbursements and without mileage.
No I am avoiding long travel because it is not feasible.

Shopping Eastern Pennsylvania since 2009

I've been doing this 7 years now and I don't think I've ever made more than a couple thousand per year in fees....reimbursements are a different matter.
But then, I don't work hard at it either...so there you go. lol.
In the beginning, I came here and posters used to advise that you had to work your way up - attend conferences, get to know people, take some unpopular jobs just to help out the schedulers, buddy up to the schedulers.....
I tried that for a bit and realized that for me, that wouldn't work.
So here I am - still learning, still being picky...that's ok, when it stops being interesting, I'll find something else.
There are a million influencers out there just ready to tell us what to do for a few extra bucks....it must be sooooo easy....LOL.

SIX FIGURES from mystery shopping? Sure, if I include figures AFTER the decimal point too!

However, as it stands right now, from investing for decades, this year we are on track to achieve over seven figures from investment appreciation. The double comma club. Or as Einstein called it, "“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it … he who doesn't … pays it."

You can actually make decent money in "the sticks" if you wait for bonuses and/or know how to align routes well. City shoppers are thirsty and take the shops at base pay.
It would still be a grind to pull 6 figures though.

What applies in the rest of life, also applies to the world of MS.
Often it's the ones with a good deal of wealth - they never speak of it, and you'd never guess who they are.

I can't see this happening without a lot of bonused shops, which would likely require a lot of travel. I've done a fair amount of driving this year, but the fees (excluding reimbursement) are in the $40k range.

Silver certified with a PV-500
Shopping Michigan and beyond

There are certainly weeks here & there where one could make $2k, but turning that out consistently over a year is the issue. Anytime I have had a week like that it has required a lot of advance setup, and the luck of scoring a really good client.

Back in the day, video shoppers could make that much money; here’s a sample schedule:

M-F: 3 new home shops per day @$120 each = $1800
Saturday: Add in 3-4 apartment shops, tire, car, or furniture rental shops @$80 each
Plus a couple of bonused gas stations on Sunday, you’re over $105K for working 48 weeks a year (1 month off)

There were also negotiated bonuses for completing full routes. You were dealing only with the company owner(s), so talking money was swift and effective.

Video shopping has very little reporting; for some companies, it just involved uploading your video files and then sending your invoice to the company.

15-20 years ago, a route video shopper’s biggest problem was uploading the videos.

Man, I miss those days.

@ColoKate63 wrote:

Back in the day, video shoppers could make that much money; here’s a sample schedule:

M-F: 3 new home shops per day @$120 each = $1800
Saturday: Add in 3-4 apartment shops, tire, car, or furniture rental shops @$80 each
Plus a couple of bonused gas stations on Sunday, you’re over $105K for working 48 weeks a year (1 month off)

There were also negotiated bonuses for completing full routes. You were dealing only with the company owner(s), so talking money was swift and effective.

Video shopping has very little reporting; for some companies, it just involved uploading your video files and then sending your invoice to the company.

15-20 years ago, a route video shopper’s biggest problem was uploading the videos.

Man, I miss those days.

Based on that sample schedule, would it be 48 weeks of 7 days per week?
I have weeks that I do 7 days, but not a full day of work and definitely not every week.

Colokate, what happened? do you or anyone know what changed? I've never done video shopping, but I am aware of it.....did MSCs just lower their fees and shoppers accepted it?

As a side note, I see similar stories everywhere I go - all sorts of industries, all sorts of professional or gig work...anecdotally, it would seem Americans, generally speaking, are working much harder for less compensation - all types of compensation.
I realize this might not apply to certain work categories....owners, senior leadership, etc....we can figure out why.
I belong to a reddit group for medical professionals....there are young doctors whose work stories remind me of factory workers in this country in the 60s/70s.
Ok, I'll stop there...too macro.

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