Could you imagine being one of these athletes and still needing a side hustle to pay the bills?
How to get a job as a mystery diner
Any restaurant worth its salt wants to know what it’s doing right and what it’s screwing up. And they’re willing to pay you for that info. But they can’t just judge servers and kitchen staff when they’re on their best behavior. They need someone undercover.
Enter mystery dining. Restaurants get genuine feedback and you get to eat out for free. I found out how to have your cake and eat review it.
How it works
Yes, you really get your food free of charge, including tips and travel expenses, usually in the form of a voucher or gift card.
It is a job, though. You’ll have to give a ton of feedback about your restaurant visit. How was the food? How was the service? What could’ve been better? You’ll need to have an eye for detail and a good memory. You’ll also need to take some photos as part of the trip.
Oh, and you won’t need to worry about an awkward confrontation at the table. You’ll submit all your intel afterward to the company you’re working for.
Most of them have online portals, too. Once in their system, log into your account, check available assignments, choose one to complete and upload your results.
Who are these “mystery” companies?
Mystery dining agencies act as a middleman between you and larger restaurants that pay them for intel. Here are a few of the most reputable:
- Second to None has been in the biz for 30 years and can get you gigs in high-end and fast-food dining. Pretty sure getting paid to critique an In-N-Out burger is Barry’s dream job. They also work in retail if shopping’s more your speed.
- Eye Spy CC focuses on dining and has excellent reviews from reviewers who, uh, review for them. Shoppers report getting large enough budgets to go to high-end restaurants and really enjoy themselves. Nice!
- Market Force is another heavy-hitter in dining and retail. Diners say vouchers usually start small, but once you’ve worked with a company for a while, you can get larger assignments and additional pay.
FYI: This is a “secret” from restaurants but not from the IRS. If you make over $600 with any org, you must file a 1099 like a regular independent contractor.
How to apply
Make this change if your browser is slowing down to a crawl
Quick! What’s the one app you use more than just about any other? I bet it’s your browser. It takes you everywhere online. But with countless extensions and tools, not to mention the complexity of today’s websites, we’re working them to death.
Your new side hustle? Digital notary! That is, if you’re in one of the 47 U.S. states that now allows notary publics to operate completely online. Once you’re certified, you can notarize docs from home at your convenience. Check out the requirements for your state on the National Notary Association’s website.
Woman duped out of nearly $1M in gold bars
She says it started with a pop-up on her computer. Relationship expert Amy Chan joins us to talk about online dating and crafting the perfect profile. Plus, a kid’s stink that ruined a family business, the side hustle black market, and a major Life360 data leak.
🚘 Side hustle black market: A woman was busted renting out Uber, Lyft and DoorDash accounts to immigrants. She gamed the system by using stolen licenses and editing in her “customer’s” faces to bypass security checks. She was pulling in $10,000 a month until the FBI came knocking. Read the whole crazy story here.
Money tip: 7 apps that pay for your opinions and time
A little extra cash is always welcome, no matter your financial situation. You can use your free time to make money with little more than your smartphone and an internet connection.
Ever considered being an online juror? How about testing products and websites? If you’re a good listener, you can transcribe audio. Tap or click here for more exciting ways to make money from home.
This professor has an OnlyFans. Should he be fired?
Joe Gow and Carmen Wilson have a spicy side gig making adult videos. They were happy, and everything was going great — until Joe’s other job found out. Joe was the Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Because of the side hustle, the university ousted him from that role, and now he’s fighting to keep his tenured professor position.
You can’t delete Meta AI
Meta wants to make your FB or IG search bar work more like ChatGPT. You can’t turn it off. Plus, high school coach uses AI to frame principal, the most dreaded word at work, and a new TV projection breakthrough. Got a car? Here’s how to make it into your next side hustle.
Spies want in on your router
Is yours at risk? Hackers’ new side hustle is charging Chinese and Russian spies and scammers for access to old home routers so they can launch denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Plus, Google blocks romance writer, worst airlines for luggage, and Microsoft gets hacked.
Get paid to eat (seriously)
Love eating out at fancy restaurants but don’t always want to spend? You won’t want to miss out on this side hustle.
An Airbnb host got the shock of his life when his guests used 15,000 gallons of water during their stay. Why? They were running a full-blown laundry business from his property. The water bill was around $375. They paid about $1,000 for their weeklong stay.
Ransomware gang has your health data
Yes, the Change Healthcare hack just got worse. Here’s what you need to know. Plus, X charges a $1 fee to post, a foodie side hustle saves a guy $40K, and beware of scary SIM swapping scams.
Bonus episode: The Kim Komando Show, April 13
A new tech ban is coming, this time it targets Russia. Trade your data for money? I tell you the real cost of cash-incentive offers (it’s not pretty). True crime lovers — here’s a side hustle you won’t want to miss. Plus, a gal wonders if her Roomba records her. Creepy!
Simple side hustle: Put your truck or SUV to work moving oversized items for people with cars too small for that couch or fridge they just bought. TaskRabbit or GoShare are good options. GoShare says drivers make a whopping $45 to $168 an hour.
36M Xfinity customers hacked, sneaky TikTok update & offline map trick
Plus, I chat with Heather Hooks, an online reseller who turned $300 into a $1 million business. Listen to this story for side-hustle inspo! Also, a guy convinced a chatbot to sell him a Chevy Tahoe for $1. Rite Aid gets a five-year AI ban, and a gal makes a cringey laptop discovery.
Humane’s Ai Pin, p*rn monitoring software & 3 worst money apps
Plus, Graham Cochrane is a side-hustle whiz. After a job loss in 2009, he now pulls in $160K/month from two businesses in passive income — and he shares how he did it. Also, Citibank wants you to stop getting paper bills and what to do if your laptop gets stolen.
Cheap voice cloning, earn $ w/ online surveys & iPhone 15 mania
Plus, got a side hustle? I show Chris from Colorado how to set up an online presence for his small biz. Major networks are up for grabs — Baby Boomers can rescue them. Tips on setting up Zoom backgrounds, spotting hacked webcams, and finding keyloggers on your devices.
Turn your car into your next side-hustle
Is your car just sitting idle in your driveway? Find out why it should be your next income stream — in 60 seconds