Mystery shopping is a tool used by market research companies to measure quality of retail service or gather specific information about products and services. Mystery shoppers posing as normal customers perform specific tasks — such as purchasing a product, asking questions, registering complaints or behaving in a certain way — and then provide detailed reports or feedback about their experiences.

Mystery Shopping can help supplement your family’s income or at least give you a “night out” if you are shopping a restaurant. Typically companies pay within 45 days of completing the assignment. Most companies do not charge you to anything to be a shopper, however if you shop a restaurant or store you will likely have to pay for something up front and then you are reimbursed after you submit your report. Some companies pay you a “fee” others only reimburse you for your expenses – so it’s like getting a free meal, fuel, or whatever. Some companies require that you buy something and then return.

When you “work” for mystery shopping companies you are not an employee – you are an independent contractor. You are able to deduct mileage and any non-reimbursed expenses. Talk to your tax adviser if you have questions.

NEVER pay a company to put you on a list of shoppers. You will in most cases have to pay up front for something during the shopping trip but if you are shopping for a reputable company you will get reimbursed according to your agreement.

I do recommend becoming a Certified Mystery Shopper. There are a lot of companies that either require it or give preference to certified shoppers.

Become a Certified Shopper by visiting MSPA The details for becoming certified are on listed there. To become a Silver Level Shopper you take an online test. There is a fee of $15.00 that can be paid with Paypal. The test is pretty easy, your read from an online handbook and then take a portion of the test after each session, it takes about 45 minutes.

Here is a company to check out now:

DSG Associates, Inc. is a Mystery Shopping Company located in Southern California. We offer mystery shopping assignments in restaurants, retail locations, financial institutions and more, depending on your geographic area! If you qualify and successfully complete the reports, you can receive anywhere from $5-$75 per assignment. DSG is a Charter Member of the MSPA and a proud member of the Better Business Bureau. If you are interested in learning more about our mystery shop opportunities in your area please call us at 800-462-8765, visit us at www.dsgai.com , or email us at info@dsgai.com

Thanks and we hope to hear from you soon!

Chris Olson

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter!
Twitter: https://twitter.dsgai.com
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I have complied a list on Pinching Your Pennies of mystery shop companies. PYP assumes no liability in anything offered by these companies. The list is for your own personal reference.

These are this months offers from Crest and Oral B.

• Pre-order 3D Whitestrips and get $10 in free product!
• Get $15 off your next dental visit (via mail in rebate) when you buy an Oral B power brush.
• Save $10 on the purchase of a Oral B power toothbrush.
• Plus, sign up to get current offers, coupons, and samples from Crest and Oral B.

Here’s a great recipe for making your own kitchen/bathroom cleaner:

(1) Tbsp. Borax
(3) Tbsp. white vinegar
(1) Tbsp. dish soap
(2) cups water
(1) drop essential oil (for fragrance – optional)
empty spray bottle

Mix ingredients and pour into empty spray bottle. Make sure to label.

I made this for the first time the other night and really like it. I was originally planning on using some of my peppermint oil for fragrance, but there was just enough fragrance in the dish soap that I didn’t need anymore, and I really liked how it turned out. So far I’ve tried it on my counters, my kitchen table and my (very dirty) painted walls near the front door without any problems.

[The spray bottle was purchased at Ikea and ended up holding all but about 1-2 Tbsp of the mixture.]

Some great Kellogg’s coupons were just added to Coupons.com, print them before they disappear!

• Save $1.50 on Any TWO packages of Kellogg’s® All-Bran®, Crispix®, Rice Krispies®, Frosted Mini-Wheats® , Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and/or Raisin Bran Cereals (10oz or Larger, Any Flavor)
• Save $1.50 on Any TWO packages of Kellogg’s® Apple Jacks® , Corn Pops®, Cocoa Krispies®, Froot Loops® and/or Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Cereals (10oz or larger, any flavor)
• Save $1.00 on Any ONE package of Kellogg’s® Smart Start® Cereal (14.7 oz. or Larger, Any Flavor)
• Save $1.00 on Any ONE package of Kellogg’s® Special K® Low Fat Granola, Raisin Bran Extra!™ or Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites Cereal (14oz or Larger, Any Flavor)
• Save $2.00 on Any TWO packages of Kellogg’s® Special K® Low Fat Granola, Raisin Bran Extra!™ or Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites Cereal (14oz or Larger, Any Flavor)

Coupons.com LINK

This fast absorbing, non-greasy formula with relaxing scents of lavender and essential chamomile and ylang-ylang oils, helps calm and relax you as you massage it into skin and is clinically proven to moisture for a full 24 hours.

To receive a free full size AVEENO® Stress Relief Body Lotion, follow the instructions at the link below.

LINK TO OFFER

Head on over to Redplum.com to print a new $5/$25 coupon to use at Rite Aid this week!! This will go great with the sale items right now. Whether you are buying items for the P&G promo or the weekly rebates, this coupon can help you take you out of pocket cost down further! Remember to print it twice!

GO HERE to read my Rite Aid post for this week and see some great weekly deals.

Here is a scenario idea using the $5/$25 printable coupon. See my original blog post on where to find the manufacturer coupons and specific item rebate information.

Scenario Idea
Pampers $8.99
Netrogena $4.37 (all Neutrogena is 40% off this week. This price is off the $7.29 lip balm)
Comtrex $3.99
Dove Men+Care $4.oo
DayQuil $3.99
=$25.34

Use:
$5/$25 printable coupon
$1.50 Pampers
$3 Neutrogena (from the Feb. issue of ALL YOU)
$1.50 Comtrex
$1.50 Dove Men
$2 Dayquil

TOTAL out of pocket cost:$10.84

THEN, submit for your rebates and get $8 in rebates back. You will end up getting everything for only $2.84!

What good deals have you scored this week at Rite Aid?

You can use the same method for making your own cleaning wipes (see previous post) in order to make your own baby wipes as well (with different ingredients, of course).

Here’s what you’ll need:

(1) roll Bounty* paper towels (or a half roll left over from making cleaning wipes)
(1) Rubbermaid #6 square container or similar
(2) cups water (distilled or tap, depending on your preference)
(2) Tbsp. baby wash or baby shampoo
Optional: (1) Tbsp. baby oil or baby lotion

Prepare the same way as you would the cleaning wipes.

I usually just used tap water, and I left out the baby oil/lotion. But you can use distilled water or boiled tap water (which has cooled to room temp before using the wipes) if you want. Adjust the amount of water based on how relatively wet or dry you prefer your wipes.

As before, you may need to add a few drops of water periodically if your wipes start to dry out.

If you also make your own cleaning wipes, make ABSOLUTE SURE to label each container so that you (or anyone else in your household) don’t accidently mix them up!

*I’ve found that Bounty works really well. You’ll want to use a paper towel that is quite thick and is not prone to giving off a lot of lint.

Let’s face it – those ready-to-go disinfecting cleaning wipes can be so handy around the house, but so very expensive on the pocketbook! When you can’t find them for cheap, or your stockpile is running low, consider making your own!

Here’s what you’ll need:

(1) roll Bounty paper towels (these seem to hold up the best; I’ve also heard that Viva towels do pretty well)
(1) Rubbermaid #6 square container & lid, or other similar size (10-cup) container with tight-fitting lid
(2) cups water
(1) ounce Lysol all-purpose cleaner (according to the bottle, this 1:16 dilution will give you hospital-grade disinfecting)

You’ll also need a long serated knife (like a bread knife), an electric knife, or a small hacksaw. (I use a long serated bread knife.)

Begin by cutting the roll of paper towels in half, so that you end up with two shorter rolls. (It may help if you cut down through the paper all the way around until you hit the cardboard tube in the middle, and then cut through the cardboard tube.) Brush any loose “fuzzies” off the cut ends, and trim any large clumps with scissors if desired. You’ll only need one half of the roll right now; save the other half.

Add the water and Lysol in your container, and swirl to mix (do not shake – you’ll make suds).

Next, turn your half roll with the cut side down and gently fold in the sides of the cardboard tube in the middle of the paper towel roll until you can pull it out of the center. It will pull up the inside end of the towel roll with it, and that’s just what you want.

Place your roll cut side down in the container with your cleaner and water mixture, and close the lid. Allow the paper towel roll to soak up all the liquid (about 30-60 minutes). Then turn your container upside down for 1-2 hours so that the cleaning mixture can saturate all of the roll. Once it’s done, turn it right-side up and you’re ready to go – just grab the towels from the inside of the roll, tear off as many as needed, and replace the lid.

Depending on how quickly you go through these, you may need to add just a little water periodically to keep the towels moist.

You can, of course, substitute other brands of cleaners if you’d like. Just be careful that you don’t mix different cleaners together. Or if you would rather stay away from the chemicals in the Lysol, you can try this recipe for the cleaning mixture:

1 tsp baking soda
2-5 drops dish soap
3 Tbsp. white vinegar
2-3 cups water

Be sure to label all containers and keep out of reach of small children.

There are always things in our life that we don’t need. It’s true! If you really want to get ahead in life you need to separate your needs from your wants and only stick to buying what you truly need. It seems impossible or even unthinkable sometimes, but it is a necessary step if you are wanting to save more money.

For example, think about those seemingly small expenditures. Purchasing that cup of coffee everyday from Starbucks. Grabbing a Diet Coke at Sonic everyday at lunchtime. Making sure you have your weekly manicure. It all adds up! Spending $3.95 a day on a cup of coffee only 5 days a week adds up to $79 a month, and $949 a year! Think about some of the things that you do….whatever they might be. Add up how much you are spending and ask yourself if you could be putting that money somewhere else.

At our house we don’t have cable, dish, or satellite. In almost twelve years of marriage we have never paid for television. I know for many people that is out of the question, but we feel it is right for us. And it has saved us thousands of dollars!

Last year I started doing something I read about in one of Suze Orman’s books. I calculated how much we spend each year on dental, car insurance, contacts, and other things. Then I divided the yearly amount by twelve. That gives me a ball park figure of how much to save every month for that expense. That way, when I have to pay my car insurance every 6 months I already have the money saved up for it. No scrambling. Same with my dental expenses. That is even more important to us since we do not have dental insurance. For over a year I have had peace of mind with our dental expenses because I save an allotted amount every month towards it and when we have to pay for dental expenses the money has been there. It feels so good!

Not only is saving money necessary but we must control what we do spend. That is the only way to get ahead. Don’t spend more than you earn. Put away those credit cards. Don’t take out loans for everything you want to buy. Decide how much you can spend each month on groceries and don’t go over that amount. When you can be in control of your finances you are in control of your life!

This week I challenge you to look at your expenses….see where you money is going and where you need to cut back. If you don’t already use a money management program, I highly recommend one. I use Quicken, and I LOVE it. I can see at a glance where my money is going. It takes some time to record things and keep it updated, but it is worth it. We always know where we stand. Even if you have to figure it out on paper right now, do it! Even cutting out one thing can make a big difference!

Yoplait Light yogurt cups .50
Yoplait Yogurt cups, any variety OR any flavor Original or Light Smoothie .40/6 (2-27-10) GeneralMills-1/3

Yoplait Yogurt cups, any variety OR any flavor Original or Light Smoothie .50/8 (2-27-10) GeneralMills-1/3
Yoplait Yogurt cups, any variety OR any flavor Original or Light Smoothie .40/6 (4-3-10) GeneralMills-2/7

Welchs 100 percent Grape Juices or Juice Blends, any flavor 64 oz. or 96 oz. $1/1 (5-31-10) SS-2/7

Progresso Soups, any flavor $1/4 (3-13-10) SS-1/17 slc
Progresso Soups, any flavor .50/2 (2-27-10) GeneralMills-1/3
Progresso Soups, any flavor .50/2 (3-13-10) SS-1/17 slc
Progresso Soups, any flavor .50/2 (4-3-10) GeneralMills-2/7

.75/1 printable HERE

Ziploc Containers, any $1.50/2 (3-6-10) SS-1/10
Ziploc Containers, any .55/1 (3-6-10) SS-1/10

Herbal Essences Styling product FREE when you buy any Herbal Essences Shampoo, Conditioner, or Styling product (3-31-10) PG-2/7

Quaker Oatmeal Squares $2.75

Quaker Instant Oatmeal, any box $1/1 (3-31-10) RP-2/7

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, any boxes $1/2 (2-13-10) JCPOpticalRP-1/3

$1/2 printable HERE

Gillette Fusion manual razor $6.99
Gillette Fusion Razor, any $4/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/7

Gillette Venus Embrace Spa Breeze System Razor, any $2/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/7

4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup Foundation Travel Size
$17.00
Use code below to get this item for FREE, just pay $5.95 shipping.

Free trial size of Pur Minerals mineral foundation through this link.

1) This opportunity is only available to NEW Pur Minerals customers
2) Only 1 free trial per customer
3) This offer is only available for a limited time: 2/8-2/14
4) Must use promotion code: FREETRIAL2010 to redeem offer

Congrats to PYP member whitlarson!
She has won the Harvest 72″
from PYP and Shelf Reliance!
Thanks for participating everyone!
We love contests like this!
Keep your eye in PYP for information
about our next contest with another
 great Shelf Reliance product.

Here are the best deals at Rite Aid this week. The Idaho ad was used to create this list, so keep in mind prices vary across regions. Also, coupons listed here may not be available in all areas. Don’t forget you can print a $5/20 purchase coupon when you earn 20 credits from Rite Aid Video Values.

These are not all the deals this week at Rite Aid! Head on over to the Rite Aid Thread on PYP for more deals and weekly discussion.

Dove Men+Care Body and Face Wash $4
Use this $1.50/1 printable coupon OR
Dove Men+Care Body Wash, any 13.5 oz. or larger OR Scrubber $1.25/1 (4-25-10) RP-1/31
Get a $4 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: FREE plus overage after coupon & rebate!

Stayfree Maxi Pads, 16-24 ct. $1.99
Use this $1/1 Rite Aid coupon AND
Stayfree product, any Buy 1 Get 1 FREE, max. value $7.50 (3-31-10) JCPOpticalRP-1/3
Final Price: Two for $.99 cents after coupons!

Post Cereal, all varieties 4 for $7 ($1.75 each)
Use this $2/1 printable
Final Price: FREE after coupon!

GE Reveal Light Bulbs 2 for $5
Use $.40 cents/1 Rite Aid coupon
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate on two
Final Price: $2.60 for both after coupon and rebate!

Finish Dishwasher Detergent $4.49
Use this $1/1 Rite Aid coupon AND
Finish Quantum Powerball Tabs or Gelpacs, any, $1/1 (3-7-10) SS-2/7 OR
Finish Powder or Gel, any .25/1 (2-7-10) SS-1/10
Get a $1.50 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: $.99 cents-$1.74 after coupons and rebate!

Comtrex, 20 ct. $3.99
Use Comtrex Product, any $1.50/1 (4-4-10) SS-2/7
Get a $1 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: $1.49 cents after coupon and rebate!

DayQuil or NyQuil $3.99
Use DayQuil or NyQuil, any, $2/1, (2-28-09) PG-1/17
Get a $1 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: $.99 cents after coupon and rebate!

Pampers Jumbo Pack Diapers $8.99 (great deal on smaller sizes)
**This also qualifies for the PG Visa Rebate** see info below
Use Pampers Diapers or Pants, any $1.50/1 (3-31-10) PG-2/7
Get a $2 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: $5.49 after coupon and rebate!

KY Intense Arousal Gel for Her or Yours+Mine Couples Lubricant $18.99
Use K-Y Brand Yours + Mine, K-Y Intense or K-Y Intrigue product, any excluding trial sizes $5/1 (4-30-10) SS-1/31 AND
$3/1 Rite Aid printable coupon
Get a $5 Single Check Rebate
Final Price: $5.99 after coupons and rebate!
**TIP: Use the $5/20 coupon with this purchase to get it even cheaper! Just find a filler item for $1.01 to get your total above $20.**

Don’t forget about the P&G promo going on right now! Remember that purchase prices for the rebate are before coupons!

Buy $25 Worth of Select P&G Products, Get $5 back
Buy $50 Worth of Select P&G Products, Get $15 back
Buy $100 Worth of Select P&G Products, Get $35 back

The rebate is in the form of a Visa Rewards Card that will be mailed separately from your Rite Aid Rebate check.

Products include:

Always, Aussie, Bounce, Bounty, Braun, Cascade, Charmin, Cheer, Clairol, Clear Blue, Cover Girl, Daily Definitions, Daisy Razors, Dawn, Downy, Dreft, Duracell, Era, Fibersure, Fixodent, Gain, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Infusium, Ivory, Joy, Luvs, Max Factor, Metamucil, Mr Clean, Oil of Olay, Olay, Old Spice, Oral B, Pampers, Pantene, Pepto Bismol, Prilosec OTC, Pringles, Puffs, Safeguard, Scope, Secret, Swiffer, Tag, Tampax, Tide, Vapo Steam, Vaporub, Venus, Vicks (excludes Vicks Vaporizer), Vitality, Wetjet Cleaner, Zest, Zooth.

You can purchase items in separate transactions. GO HERE to read more.

This is going to be another amazing week at Walgreens! Check out the transactions below for some smooth sailing!

Transaction #1
Get: Dove Men’s Body Wash 13.5oz, $5.99
Use: Dove Men+Care Body Wash, any 13.5 oz. or larger OR Scrubber $1.25/1 (4-25-10) RP-1/31 (There is also a $1 printable)
Pay: $4.74
Get: $6 Register reward

Transaction #2
Get: Huggies Jumbo pack Diapers, Pull-Ups, Training pants or goodnights + 2 cheap filler.
Use: Huggies Diapers, any $1/1 (2-13-10) SS-1/17
Use Store coupons: Huggies diapers of training pants $1/1 (3/30/2010) from Coloring Book
Use Register Rewards: $6 from Transaction #1
Pay: $0.99 + price of the fillers + Tax
Get: $3 Register Rewards

Transaction #3- (There are also some prinatble coupons at coupons.com)
Get: 2x Kotex Feminine Care 14-24 pack Maxi Pads, 2/$6
Use: Kotex Pads, any $2/2 (3-7-10) SS-1/10
Use Register Reward: $3 from Transaction #2
Pay: $1 + tax
Get: $3 in Register Rewards

Alternative Transaction #3
Get: 2x Kotex Feminine Care 48-64 pack pantiliners, 18 pack tampons 2/$6
Use: Kotex Liners or Security Tampons, any $1.50/2 (3-7-10) SS-1/10
Use Register Reward: $3 from Transaction #2
Pay: $1.50 + tax
Get: $3 in Register Rewards

You can also check out the walgreens thread for more great ideas.

If you have any questions about how Register Rewards work go here for the answers.