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Your side hustle is delicious

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You know that thing you do where you dissect your burger like you’re Gordon Ramsay on espresso? Good news, you can now get that burger for free.

Mystery dining is having a renaissance. You often get free food, tips and travel covered, usually via a prepaid card or voucher.

I had a guest on my show who racked up over $40,000 in free meals doing this. Not bad for someone who just wanted a decent steak.

🍔 How it works

You visit the restaurant, eat like a normal human, then unleash your inner food critic. But it’s not exactly a free lunch; you’re doing a job. Expect to answer detailed questions like:

Was the staff friendly?
How clean was the restaurant?
Did your order arrive hot and on time?

You’ll usually submit photos and complete an online questionnaire after your visit. Some agencies might want you to write a short review.

🍽️ Mystery dining companies

Here are three legit agencies where you can sign up:

Second to None: Been around for 30+ years. Offers assignments in fine dining, fast food and even retail.
EyeSpy CC: Focuses heavily on upscale dining. Reviewers say budgets are generous and assignments are fun.
Market Force: A big name in dining and retail. Assignments may start small, but regulars unlock better opportunities (and pay).

You may be asked to complete a practice test to show you can follow instructions.

🚨 Scam alert: Any company asking YOU to pay up front is scammier than a time-share in Jupiter (the planet). Run away like your entrée just came with a side of identity theft.

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Plug in and chill out

🪄 You don’t need a magic wand to organize your digital life, just these:

📚 Glow with the flow: Clip on this reading light (29% off) for bedtime page flipping that won’t bug your partner.

🛋️ Lap of luxury: Work, study or stream in comfort with a memory-foam laptop pillow (5% off).

📺 Tangled TV wires? Poof, this in-wall cable kit (14% off) hides them like they were never there.

📁 For your eyes only: An encrypted USB flash drive (21% off) shields your files from keyloggers.

📸 Snap and go: Transfer photos in seconds with a pocket-size SD card reader (23% off).

💻 From laptops to desktops: I’ve rounded up 20 computer recs that actually keep up with you over on my Amazon shop.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

✅ Back it up, or risk losing it. Total Drive is offering a great deal! Total Drive automatically backs up your precious memories, family photos, graduation videos and all your important documents. Everything’s safely stored in the cloud. It’s simple, secure, and yes, I use it, too! Get 10TB for just $18 with this limited time offer.

$36 million

That’s how much AI “nudify” sites are making each year turning regular photos into fake nudes. New research examined 85 deepfake websites where someone could take your selfie and, with a few clicks, turn it into something you definitely didn’t sign off on.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Saying “cheese” in photos can make your smile look stiff. Try “yoga” instead. The soft “uh” at the end helps your face relax for a more natural look.

😁 Look better in photos: Never face the camera head-on. Instead, turn your body about 45 degrees, shift your weight to your back foot and lean your torso slightly forward. It’s a simple trick for a more flattering pose. The source? Oh, just 20+ years of broadcasting and looking fabulous!

☁️ Back it up, or risk losing it forever: Total Drive backs up your precious memories like family photos, graduation videos and all those important documents, automatically. All safe in the cloud. It’s simple, secure, and yes, I use it, too! Get 10TB for just $18.

🎨 Can’t pay for Photoshop? GIMP is a free image editor that’s as close to Photoshop as you can get without paying. You can create images, logos, thumbnails or retouch photos. Plus, it’s got all the tools you need, like filters, layers, color tweaks, masking and more. Works on macOS, Windows and Linux, too.

🖼️ Smarter photo searches on iPhone: The Photos app can now understand natural language. Open the app, tap the blue magnifying glass at the top and type something like “beach walks with dog” or “1 year ago.” You can even search for sounds like “laughing” or “clapping” to find matching videos.

Cloudy with a solid chance of deletion: AT&T is shutting down its Personal Cloud service on Oct. 31, 2025, and any files stored there will be deleted permanently. If you ever used the app to back up photos, videos or documents, download everything before it’s gone for good. You can move them to Google Photos, OneDrive or your device.

Stop WhatsApp from eating data: Group chats can auto-download tons of photos and videos in the background. Go to Settings > Storage and data > Media auto-download and uncheck all file types under Mobile data, Wi-Fi and Roaming. FYI: You can still download what you need later.

Good in the world: After the horrific July 4th floods tore through Kerr County, Texas, one woman started a Facebook group to reunite survivors with their stuff, and 36,000 strangers joined in. Volunteers are cleaning mud-soaked diaries, baby shoes and wedding rings, then posting photos to help people reclaim what’s left. It’s heartbreak, healing and hope.

Back it up, or risk losing it: Keep your family photos and important tax documents safe in the cloud, safe from fire, theft, floods and thieves. Total Drive has your back, and so do I. Just $18 for 10 TB is a no-brainer.

🔍 Zoom in on Instagram posts: Using Instagram on your phone and can’t see the tiny details? You can zoom in on photos and videos by spreading two fingers apart on the screen. It’s great for reading small texts. Just don’t double tap by accident while snooping. That late-night “like” is hard to explain.

Baby, you’re a firework: For better Fourth pics, turn off your flash and try Burst mode. Hold down your finger on the picture button to enter Burst mode and take dozens of rapid-fire photos. Or do what I do and just enjoy it IRL. No one’s gonna want to see the fireworks video you took with your phone, just sayin’.

☁️ Back it up, or risk losing it: Keep your family photos and important tax documents safe in the cloud, safe from fire, theft, floods and thieves. Total Drive has your back, and so do I. Just $18 for 10 TB is a no-brainer.

👼🏻 Baby- or snoop-proof your iPad: Activate Guided Access. Just triple-click the home button once you’re in the app you wish to lock, then triple-click again to exit and enter your passcode. Now, your kid can play a game or your pal can scroll through photos and nothing else.

Crypto-stealing selfie snatcher: Your camera roll might be your crypto wallet’s worst enemy. “SparkKitty” malware snuck into both Google and Apple app stores, scanned your photos and stole any crypto recovery phrases it found. Remember, never screenshot your seed phrase, and maybe don’t store your financial life next to brunch pics.

📸 Fix the iPhone Photos app: Yep, the redesigned iOS 18 layout kinda stinks, but you can clean it up. Open the Photos app, scroll to the bottom and tap Customize & Reorder. Untick what you don’t need, then drag the rest into whatever order you want. Nice.

Such a smart move: Starting this October, you’ll be able to send photos and videos straight to 911, thanks to faster, fiber-based tech. When something goes wrong, you can show emergency responders exactly what’s happening instead of trying to explain it while panicking.