Mystery Mania

Well, we had our weekend almost full of all mystery shops. We did the RA Sushi lunch shop near the beach on Saturday, this was just a $45 reimbursement without payment. That food was delicious there, still the wife's favorite restaurant even though it was our 6th time there. Then Saturday night, we had a Sarku Japan shop but we found out this place is closed during weekends since it's in the financial district in downtown LA so we cancelled it. That was fine since we ate lunch so late that day. At night, we stayed at another Sheraton in downtown LA, which was free, but actually not a mystery shop!! whatdya know. We actually used our loyalty points earned through all of our Sheraton mystery shop stays (6 stays in total), which gave us enough points to get a free night here, and no report to fill out, yay! so that was fun, although this hotel had no pool. We came all ready to swim, so that kinda stank. On our way out, I got the check out guy to comp the parking ($28 savings!!) after asking if I could use my remaining hotel points to credit the parking cost. He found out that we could not but he said he would just waive the parking fee! He probably saw I was a frequent guest and wanted to keep me coming, hehe. So the hotel really did end up being totally free!

But anyway, staying in hotels is fun, nonetheless. So the next day, Sunday, I did a Universal Studios shop, where I was given a free admission ticket and parking, and gave instant rewards ($10 gift cards) or "Oops" cards when they failed to employees who offered to upsize my drink order. I had to evaluate 5 different food places in there, which actually all served similar food and was quite low in quality. This shop I will not do again unless it's on a weekday since lines were so long and the pay ($3 per food spot) was not worth the effort. I did get to go to the park for free and park for free and get free food, but we would have had to pay for my wife to get in, and you had to complete all the food shops within a 2 hour period so the same employees were still there. This was just about impossible due to the long lines at each place. Anyway, so the wife sat at a coffee place in City Walk doing her work at least, while I went from line to line, not even getting to enjoy rides or anything, which had even longer lines anyway. But the fun part is trying the food, and then giving the rewards to those employees who succeeded, some of them are so excited, so that is rewarding for me.

Finally, that evening on our way home, we did a take out El Pollo Loco shop, where I used a buy 1 get 1 free coupon also, so I got like enough food for 3 (used for my lunch the next day) and got paid $8 for the report. Also, got an addtional $1 off any item coupon on the back of this receipt and they gave out scratch off items, which for me revealed a free crunchy taco and free churro, not bad. On the way home we also stopped to do a quick ID verification shop at a gas station, which paid $8 also. All in all, it was a fun weekend of free stuff.

Tips: Ask for what you want and you just might get it. Also, explore ways to save even more like using coupons during your mystery shops, or using points you get or frequent rewards from visiting repeated locations (i.e. hotel or restaurant rewards).

Shops here and there

Well, I ended up doing a lot of little shops this week, which added up to some good stuff. I also got a couple free burritos at Del Taco, and one at El Pollo Loco using the free coupons on the back of the receipts. On Tuesday, I covered for the wife and did a Ruby's Diner take out shop, which I did just in time. I also did several gas station ID check shops (employee needs to check ID when I try to buy tobacco or alcohol), which each pay $8, and I just buy a drink or snack when they refused to sell to me without ID. Very quick and easy, I just scheduled them if there is one right near me throughout the day or on my way home. On Friday, I got a free slice at Z Pizza (back of a Ralphs receipt) and I got another load of Soy Milk for the baby girl, 8 cartons for $5.12 total using coupons and sale price.

This weekend will be pretty nuts with all the mystery shops: Saturday we do RA Sushi for lunch, Sarku Japan for dinner, staying in a hotel for free in downtown, and then Universal Studios the next day. Also El Pollo Loco take out dinner shop on Sunday night. Stay tuned.

Total saved this week: $38
Total made: $39

Money making road trip: $250!

We took a trip up to SF this weekend, and ended up making quite a bit of money on each of our pit stops. For example, on two of the stops on the way back, we made $68 on one ID check shop and $63 at another. The shop took about 2 minutes to do and the report was about 4 questions, a minute to do. The fee was so high due to the continually increasing bonuses. Actually, on our way home on Sunday, I got an email from a scheduler and ended up emailing back and forth, stopping at a kinkos to get an instant reward or failure printed for the clerk I would test, and completing the shop on the way home. I actually named my price. You can do this when a scheduler desperately needs to get a shop done. The other shops were other ID check shops, one Rotten Robbie shop (had to offer a 2 for 1 deal) and we did two Subway shops, where they had to try to offer the Value Meal to get an instant reward ($20 gift card). I like doing the instant reward shops since you get to see that instant happiness from an employee for succeeding and winning a prize. However, the sad (and sometimes scary) part is when they fail and you need to inform them on the spot. My last ID check shop, this occurred with a big guy at 11 PM at night in some middle of nowhere town off the I-5. I gave him the failure notice and bounced out of there quickly!

In sum, we did 5 shops on the drive up, and 6 on the way back on a 400-mile drive. More than reimbursed for gas money, and I actually made more in a couple days than I do daily at my job. Also, had to buy small items at most shops when they refused to sell me alcohol, so had plenty of drinks and snacks! Total money made during trip: $252

Tip: When traveling or if you live in the middle of nowhere, you can get some valuable mystery shops with big bonuses since nobody lives or travels where you are.
Name your own price!

Daphnes again! Two in a row.

Got another late scratch Daphnes shop on Thursday, close to my last client. Got the same thing as the day before, and it was again acceptable. Good enough to take it for free and make $10. They did well on the report, but the employees never really checked on me as I ate as they were supposed to. That place is so cookie cutter, corporate, the food and restaurant just reeks of it.

Daphnes, McD's

Got a couple egg mcmuffins this A.M. (minus bacon, sorry canadian bacon), 2 for 1 deal as I had a coupon for it. For dinner I got $15 worth of Daphnes Greek Cafe which was okay tasting, and got paid $10 for the quick report on the shop. Daphnes is quite generic food, and hardly Greek, but for $15 of food it is worth it as it is not too bad for you and tastes alright. Would not spend my own money there, though.

Auntie Annes again, Del Taco

Today, I did a second mystery shop for Auntie Annes where I got to have a pretzel and drink and bought a gift card to be used for the same shop next month. I also used one of my many free Del Taco 1/2 LB. bean and cheese burritos on the back of receipts for lunch. Same one as pictured below in earlier posts. In the evening, on my way home I picked up a free Wendy's Frosty Float, which I got on the back of a Wendy's receipt for taking a quick survey. So I got like $10 worth of food today, and end up paying nothing and getting paid $8 for it.

Hint: Always check the back of receipts, you never know what discounts or freebies you will get.

Tom's Farms

Got $10 worth of apples today, pink lady apples my favorite from this cool market that seems to get all its fruit, veggies, nuts, and candies locally. And prices are quite reasonable. Check out their website, too. This mystery shop reimbursed and paid $6, report took about 3 minutes, well worth it since it was an easy stop on the way home.

Tip: Try to schedule your mystery shops right along your route, on the way to work, on way home, etc. to make it really worthwhile.

JoJo's Pizza to end the weekend!

Well, for our 4th mystery shop of the weekend, we spent about $25 at JoJo's Pizza Kitchen. Really good pizza, but horrible salad, I will try to post a photo of the salad below, but if they are smart they would not show it. Pizza was good and doughy. The salad had like old ass, pale lettuce with pizza toppings as the ingredients, other than the lettuce: black olives, white onions, mushrooms. The dressing came in a class little plastic container and looked like some Kraft italian dressing. Just did not complement the good pizza at all. Don't worry, I let the owners know in my shop report. There's one primary secondary (make sense?) benefit of these shops: it lets you actually give feedback that the restaurants or stores take seriously and can make them change things.

Lush

Got a Lush shop in Beverly Hills for my wife, she was quite excited about this one. She got to spend up to $20 and also get paid $10 for the shop. They sell like all natural, handmade, designer type bath and body products, so that was fun for her, glad she could do it. She got a product called "Whoosh." Better do some good whooshing for almost $20!

Then the same day we did another hotel shop, 2nd weekend in a row, at a Westin near LAX airport. This was fun as usual, since we got parking, room, 2 meals, 1 bar visit, and all other expenses reimbursed and get paid $25. The food was quite good here. These reports take almost an hour to complete but when the charges for everything are between $300-400, it is well worth it. Met an cowboy from Calgary at the bar, that was interesting. The little one loved to watch the airplanes fly close to us from the pool at the hotel.

Catal

This weekend was a fun one in terms of free stuff, starting off with a nice Spanish restaurant, some Lush stuff, nice hotel, and end it with some pizza.
But let's just start with Catal, a restaurant at Downtown Disney, like Jazz Kitchen. We were able to spend $100 (and stayed just under at $99).

The food here was great, they had these delicious beignets for dessert in a peach soup with ice cream. The appetizers of Empanadas were also very tasty, as was my entree of halibut. We got to sit up above on the second story overlooking people walking below, and it was a really nice night. Looking forward to doing this one again (although never thought I would pay $8 for a beer!).

Tip: The more mystery shops you do, such as retail, fast food, etc, you can be assigned more fine dining and hotel type shops.

Burrito and car wash

Thursday, I used some more unconventional methods to get my free stuff. I brought my lunch, but then for late snack, I used one of my many El Pollo Loco receipts, where on the back you can get $1 off any item by doing a quick survey online or on the phone. So I get a BRC (beans, rice, cheese) burrito that is $1.09 and I end up paying 10 cents. Not a bad deal and its quite a big burrito. Better than Del Taco in terms of healthiness. The picture doesn't look half bad, does it?

Then before soccer game, I did a car wash mystery shop and my car is damn sparkling clean now inside and out. I will be reimbursed about $17 for it and paid $5 as well. Report was easy for this one. Never thought you could get paid to get your car washed, huh? They did a fine job too.

Pretzels and Groceries

Wednesday, I had nice "lunch", got an Auntie Annes mystery shop and got a nice almond pretzel with lemonade. Also had to buy a $5 gift card that I get to use for next time. This shop pays $8 and very easy form to fill out. Never had their pretzels, they were pretty damn tasty but also very sweet and greasy (good combo).

Then after work, I stopped at Smart and Final (mystery shop), could spend up to $10 in groceries, so that was pretty easy. Their prices are quite high and they have big ass items for chefs I guess. I would never ordinarily shop there, but found a couple good items: soy milk and mixed nuts. Everyone needs that, right?

Tips: You can get paid to get groceries and snacks, sign up with companies to do mystery shops at mysteryshop.org

Jazzy goodness!

We did another Jazz Kitchen shop in Downtown Disney. This one is great since we have done it so many times, they are easy to do. And a tip for saving money: get the shops that reimburse and pay you, as this one paid us $10 and gave $125 in reimbursement.

The food there is quite good. It's a nice atmosphere as you can sit above on the second level and watch people walking around. We just got assigned another hotel shop for this weekend! Cant wait for that, it is near the beach again. I love the hotel shops because you put everything on a credit card, including room and food, and it gets all put back on it within a week, along with a payment of $25 in the mail! Cant beat that.

Free hotel!!

And finally, to make a great weekend, we got to stay at the Sheraton in Santa Monica and eat 2 meals for free!!! I love these hotel mystery shops, this is the 5th Sheraton we have done in the past 3 months, and the second time we have been to this one.

It was an awesome stay. Took the little girl out to the beach, which she loves, since we were 3 blocks away, and the weather was amazing. I have to start taking photos of these place. We had an ocean view from our balcony. The food was also amazing and very high quality. We were allowed to spend $50 each on room service and then $50 on dining at the restaurant. It was high quality Santa Monica type food (i.e. local, natural, organic, etc.). The service was great and we ended up spending a total of $420, which will all get put back on my credit card within a week and I will also get a $25 check as payment. Not bad for a weekend at the beach and the report does not take too long to fill out. The photo above is just what our room looked like, including the ocean view. The air feels so much better out there and it makes LA almost palatable.

Togos 2x and Claim Jumper

Then for Thursday, I ate Togo's twice, and the same sandwich each time. I really like that avocado and turkey sandwich and I tell myself it's somewhat healthy. Well it is compared to the other choices I can get in this shop (pastrami, etc.). And I like doing these because the reports are a breeze, take a about 5 minutes and I get paid $7 for these, as well as reimbursement. They are generous with the avocado and everyone says that is good for you. The wife hates Togo's, probably cause I used to do some many of these shops, she got sick of the sandwiches.

In the evening we went to Claim Jumper, where we spent $70 on a mystery shop. It was a reimbursement only, but it's nice to be able to spend that much money. Has anyone ever seen bigger portions in their life? It's like food for a giant, if only they made the drinks for giants also....

But that was good stuff, and I tried to eat healthy with some fish, but the dessert could not be finished. It was a bigfoot sized bread pudding, but it tasted as though it was hot in some spots and cold in others. Microwave?? but the drinks were very good, especially on a hot day.

More Del Crappiness 2x, and Wahoo's yumminess

Wednesday, I ate Del Taco twice (ugghhh), but it was free, that's ok right? That should cancel out the unhealthiness I think. Hey, let's rationalize, its only beans and cheese, what's bad about that, and a 44 oz. Macho cherry coke. One for lunch, one for dinner, but hey I also got the wife some Wahoo's on the way home, which was another mystery shop, so someone in the family ate healthy today! that stuff is good, I like their fish and they make it quick but it's healthy.