My two cents on fulltime shopping...
Yes, it is possible, but (in my humble opinion) not probable for most people. There are a few major stumbling blocks:
- There are hundreds of shopping companies and, after hitting the big guys, you can sign up for dozens of the small ones before finding one that has shops in your *state* let alone area, which tends to have diminishing returns on your time investment.
- Competition. Some areas (like mine) seem to have shoppers willing to do 2 hours of work for $5.
- Where you live. You need to live in a densely populated area but also be able to drive in a rather large geographical area as well. With gas prices as they are, this typically works better in the coastal states.
Personally I think mystery shopping is GREAT for a flexible income as well as some perks (free dining out at some rather nice, though mostly chain, restaurants). I've found that it's just easier to pick and choose the really good shops and leave the rest to the people who apparently need the money more than I do. So, I bring in a few hundred dollars a month plus some free stuff, and with a relatively low time commitment.
Personally I also do other online work as well but that's due to having a job with a lot of free time!
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