Rent a chicken. Seriously. Rent The Chicken lets you “borrow” hens for fresh eggs at home. For about $140 a month, you’ll get two hens, a portable coop, feed and instructions to keep them happy. Expect one to two dozen eggs per week.
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
I order supplements online: Mix two scoops of collagen into your coffee or smoothie. I do this every morning to keep my skin, bones and joints happy. (Psst, it’s 45% off and you’ll get free shipping with my link.)
📱TikTok’s parental controls: In a total PR move and after seven years in the U.S., the app is rolling out Family Pairing tools. You can block access at certain times and check who’s following your teens. There’s a new “Time Away” feature to set a schedule and a “wind down” option for bedtime. Why now? It’s looking at a sale or ban next month, silly.
Call me bilingual: The Microsoft Translator app is like a personal interpreter. Download the app, start your call on Teams and go to the conversation site. Type your name and language in the form and hit Enter. Share the session code, QR code or link so others can join the call and understand you.
📵 Kids glued to their phones? Pick a day or time for the whole family to unplug and spend time together. Download my kids’ tech contract for them to sign and hang it on the fridge as a reminder.
💻 Kids having tech tantrums? You’re not alone. A 12-week study points to three winning strategies: 1.) Tell kids how much screen time they have in minutes, 2.) Involve kids in activities inspired by their favorite shows, and 3.) Let kids decide on the duration of their screen time. Been there, done that. Good luck!
😃“My knees feel so much better in only one month!” That’s what Andrea wrote to me since she’s been taking NativePath’s collagen. You ought to try it, too. Go here now to claim your 45% discount, free shipping and a free gift bundle, exclusive for my listeners.*
$76,900
For Airstream’s first electric travel trailer. The Basecamp 20Xe is 20 feet long, sleeps four and runs on 600W of rooftop solar panels, a 10.3kWh lithium battery pack and a 3,000W inverter. Perfect for boondocking or remote camping without needing a generator or campsite hookups. 🚐☀️
I order supplements online: They’re more affordable that way, and I never run out. On my daily list: Collagen. Hit this link for 45% off NativePath. Their collagen mixes into coffee and smoothies, and it’s great for your joints and recovery.
Dress like your favorite TV character: ShopYourTV tells you exactly what they’re wearing and where to buy it, down to the season and episode. The site links to Amazon and they get a commission on what you buy.
Make this year the one you take care of you: Hearing aids aren’t expensive and bulky like they used to be. The tech has come such a long way. Get a free evaluation with a doctor. You’ll be glad you did.
40% more
Calories burned walking backwards. “Retro” walking (paywall link) is better at improving balance, reducing back pain and sharpening cognition, too. If you try it, be careful!
🥴 “What’d you say?” If you find yourself asking this more and more, it’s time to make a change. Forget the hearing aids your grandpa wore; today’s tech is so much better. These hearing aids have two tiny processors that analyze the sound around you to make conversations crystal clear. Incredible.
1 cup
Of grapes a day preserves muscle. There are 1,600+ compounds in the fruit that help you maintain muscle mass as you age, improve kidney and heart health and lots more. Now you have your raisins to eat grapes!
✈️ Tag, you’re it! I always toss an AirTag in my luggage, just in case. Now American Airlines supports Apple’s Share Item Location. If your bag goes missing, you can share the last known location to help them track it down. United, Delta, Air Canada and Virgin use it, too.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
This is important: Global myopia rates have tripled since 1990, increasing the risk of cataracts, glaucoma, and blindness (paywall link). The culprit? Too much screen time. Reminder: Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds to protect your eyes. I like puns about eyes, the cornea the better.
Missing Fire Stick remote? With the Amazon Alexa Voice Remote Pro, say, “Alexa, find my remote.” It’ll ring if it’s connected to your Fire TV and within 30 feet. For an older remote, use the Fire TV app.