When is it NOT worth your time?

I have gotten many questions and comments about mystery shopping being worth your time vs. just not worth it for the money. This issue is going to differ from one individual to another. This is when you have to decide just how much your time is worth and what you want your personal return on investment (your time, gas, mileage on your vehicle) to be. One simple way to do this is to decide what you believe your time is worth per hour to decide if a shop is worth it to you. If you decide your time is worth $10 an hour and a shop is going to pay $6 shop fee with a $6 reimbursement you see that the "pay" is $12. But you have to factor in how far you will be commuting for the shop (mileage, gas, tolls- which most companies do NOT reimburse) as well as your time to complete the shop and the shop forms. For some of us a free meal is worth a 30 minute report. For others reimbursement alone with minimal to no fee will simply not be worth their time. It is a personal decision but you should decide in some capacity exactly what your time is worth so that you are making the most of your time.