Easy Ways to Fill Your Holiday Piggy Bank: Let’s Get Earning!

The jingling bells and twinkling lights of the holiday season bring warmth and joy, but they can also bring a bit of financial stress. Fear not—whether you’re looking for a quick cash influx or consistent side income, we’ve got some options to help you pad your wallet. 

Let’s dive in with some side hustle suggestions you'll absolutely love and discover a few favorites like iShopFor Ipsos and Ipsos iSay!

Side Hustles that Keep the Holidays Bright

• Mystery Shop with iShopFor Ipsos: Dive into the world of Mystery Shopping with this super fun way to spice up your shopping outings. Add some Mystery Shopping assignments to your holiday shopping route. These assignments are extremely flexible and help brands gather valuable insights to make the holiday shopping experience more enjoyable for everyone. In addition to getting paid, you can often score some free products or meals!
• Take Surveys with Ipsos iSay: Imagine getting paid for your thoughts—this is exactly what you do! Share your opinions in surveys and convert points into cash or gift cards. It’s simple, rewarding, and it fits into any schedule.
• Freelance: Unleash your skills on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork. Whether it’s designing, writing, or coding, you’ll find countless opportunities to shine—and earn.
• Pet Sitting or Dog Walking: Especially over the holidays, platforms like Rover or Wag! let you care for sweet pets while pet owners travel—double win!

Our Favorite Pick? You Guessed It: Mystery Shopping!

Mystery shopping is a method used by companies to measure the quality of their service, monitor compliance with regulation, or gather specific information about products and services. This practice involves shopping at stores, dining at restaurants, or interacting with staff as an undercover customer, then reporting your experience. 

Perfect for anyone who loves a little adventure, let’s break down how you can become a sleuth in the shopper’s world.

What is Mystery Shopping?

Imagine helping leading brands understand their customer journey, just by shopping or dining. As a Mystery Shopper, you’ll perform specific tasks during your visit and provide detailed feedback that helps brands perfect their customer experience. Not only are you compensated financially, but often you’ll receive complimentary meals or products too!

Types of Mystery Shops

• In-Person Visits: These assignments might have you purchase products, try on clothes, or enjoy a meal, gathering specific data to report back.
• Telephone Shops: Sometimes, all it requires is a phone call inquiring about services, providing insight into customer service over the phone.
• Digital Shops: These are purely online, like checking out a bank's app or making a digital purchase.

Getting Ready for a Mystery Shopping Assignment: How to Get Started

• Find Reputable Companies: Make sure you’re partnering with legitimate Mystery Shopping companies before giving them your information. The Mystery Shopping Provider’s Association (MSPA) maintains a list of reputable companies. We recommend signing up with 2-3 companies as a starting point. 

  Signing up as a Mystery Shopper should always be free – no matter which company you choose. If you’re asked to pay an up-front fee, that’s a sign that this might not be a legitimate Mystery Shopping company.

  If you’re just getting started, we recommend signing up for the PrestoShopper app. Registration is free and simple, with just a 30 second sign up. It will show you different opportunities from a variety of different companies.

  You can also sign up with iShopFor Ipsos here. We offer two different Mystery Shopping platforms, Shopmetrics & Sassie. Each offers different Mystery Shopping opportunities, so sign up for both to see all that we have to offer!

• Start your Search: Once you register with a Mystery Shopping company, you’ll get access to their job board. From here, you can search for different assignments and choose the ones that make the most sense for you and your schedule.
• Be Prepared: When you find a Mystery Shop that you’d like to complete, follow the steps to apply for that assignment. If you’re accepted, you’ll get access to a document that outlines all of the steps to be successful. Read that document carefully! If you don’t complete all the steps of the assignment, you might not be paid for it. Make sure you understand the ask before you head out!
• Execute: Complete the Mystery Shop as specified in the guidelines and complete the report that comes with the assignment. Your report will typically go through a quality assurance process that checks for accuracy, grammar and spelling, the clarity of your photos, and other important information. Once it’s cleared, you’re ready to get paid!

A Peek into Payment

Most tasks range from $8-$25, with some more detailed assignments offering greater returns. Not to mention, enjoying the journey with perks like dining out for free!

Each Mystery Shopping company offers different payment methods and timeframes. iShopFor Ipsos is one of the fastest paying companies in the industry. During the holiday season, we pay even faster with Holiday Pay!

From November 1 – January 2, we process payments twice weekly, making sure you get what you need when you need it most.

Wrap Up (And Wrap the Gifts!)

With Mystery Shopping from iShopFor Ipsos, you’re not just adding to your holiday fund but also playing a pivotal role in quality enhancement for the world’s leading brands. 

Register today and start your journey into the thrilling world of Mystery Shopping.