Yes, it is true. I started out doing those oil change shops back when they recruited school teachers by mail. Now I am in a different city and still at it only not doing the oil change jobs any more. Still teaching too. Interested in hearing from others who are teachers or professionals about how they balance two jobs.

I can usually do one phone or web shop at lunch time and/or a grocery/gas/retail shop on the way home after work. I input the lunch shops immediately, or as much of it as I can and then save it to finish later. (Those are usually shorter reports.) The after-work shops I put in after dinner or before bed. Each night, I also look for more shops and prep for the next day ((re)read the guidelines, take any quizzes and print out my paperwork.) I started out with bank and cell phone shops, but am now trying to focus more on things that I actually need or want so that I'm basically getting paid and reimbursed a little bit to do my shopping.

I also need weekends to recover from one week, do laundry, etc. and get ready for the next, so I have to be careful about not over scheduling them. Sometimes I'll do a couple audits or shops on a Saturday or Sunday, but not both and usually only if I can group them so that it is worthwhile. For instance, today I did two audits within a mile of each other, and since I knew I was going to be in that area, I picked up a last minute fast food shop there as well. I had to buy a small item at each audit, but I picked up office supply items that I needed anyway and the amounts that aren't reimbursed for them are business expenses. To get a break, I went by to briefly visit a friend who works in the area between the shops. Even though these were all short shops, I wouldn't have been up for doing another one.

Logistically speaking, when I get a shop, I put it on my calendar on all the days that I can do it and then nail down the exact date as I get more shops. During the week, I have to be careful not to schedule more than one shop per evening unless it's something I know will be okay doing two back-to-back. I need days off and have found that I shouldn't do more than two evenings or two lunches in a row.

I'm also starting to get a pattern based on favorite shops that are regularly available. I save those nights for them and allow buffer evenings, which narrows down the other nights that I'm potentially available.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2013 05:16PM by LadyMoonDance.

Lots of good suggestions there LadyMoon. I am a substitute teacher but I would not be able to do a shop at noon! Too many chances for interruptions.
I schedule shopping work around school hours. If I don't get called in by noon I move my shopping up to the afternoon if possible and see if I can pick up anything that's self assign to go with it. (not usually possible where I live but sometimes.

I'm a professional photographer, so I'm basically totally self-employed. I book most of my shops on weekdays, leaving the weekends free for photo shoots. If the weekend approaches and I don't have a shoot, then I'll add a few more shops. I generally try to keep Sunday's free.

As far as keeping track of everything...I have a spreadsheet where I color code assignments by applied, assigned, completed, and paid. I also have a separate color to highlight non-shops that I can't miss. I also carry a Daytimer with me where I've listed just the basics of the shops, as well as any other appointments or shoots I may have. That way, if I'm called while I'm on the road, I can pull over and take a look at whether or not I can pick up an additional assignment.

Thanks, I'm an office worker so have a set daily schedule at my day job, except for certain appointments.

I used to have a Palm phone and really, really miss them. Now I have an Android. I put entries on my calendar on my laptop (which allows me to copy and paste in addresses), and then they sync to the calendar on my phone... however the Google calendar app sometimes gets hung and I have to play with on my phone to get it to update. I do worry about privacy, but have everything set as private, and I don't put in a lot of details... just what I need to remember where I need to be and when. As I said, I really miss my Palm. :-)

BTW - I'm trying to setup a mileage log and to actually remember to fill it in. Any suggestions?

Same thing with me. Been mystery shopping off and on for over 20 years and found this forum just a few months ago. Lots of good info.

I am learning a lot from so many different people posting here. I have been keeping a teacher's plan book with handwritten schedule in there like a dayrunner or a filofax, but maybe I can move to doing this on a spreadsheet as well, to simplify. I have to be careful how many shops I do the weeks before report cards or grade notices go out because I am usually entering grades then. Last month I did too many and stressed myself out so bad I messed up my neck.

I am also trying to keep track on my outlook calendar of when I will be eligible for certain shops in a 3 month rotation so I don't forget those.