Is it Possible to Make Money While Shopping?

Let's face it. For many of us gals (and even some guys) shopping for pay sounds like a dream job. But where on earth do you even find these jobs? As you've probably already discovered, the Internet is full of scammy "shop for pay" or "shopping survey" sites that will take your money without finding you work in return. If you really want to earn money through shopping, here are a few ideas that have worked for my family and a couple of my friends.

Personal shopper for busy neighbors. After my youngest child started school, I started earning extra money by shopping for several of my neighbors. Some of my neighbors were elderly or shut-ins, while others were too busy to take advantage of weekday sales. Since I was out and about running errands anyway, I'd add their shopping list to mine and then charge them $10 or so for the extra gas and time.

Personal shoppers don't just buy groceries; they can also buy clothing and household goods, pick up dry cleaning or drop off the pet at the groomers, and run all sorts of little errands much like a personal assistant. To land a job as a personal shopper and all-purpose errand girl (or boy), let your friends, relatives, and other acquaintances know that you are available for this kind of work. If you belong to a faith community, consider a small advertisement in the bulletin.

Shopping for resale. Back in the late 90s, I also used to buy antiques at thrift stores and estate sales to resell on eBay. My teen daughter started doing the same thing this summer, focusing instead on vintage clothing and accessories that could be resold to upscale retro shops.

Shopping thrift stores, yard sales, and estate sales is an easy way to find discounted junk that can fetch premium prices on auction sites or local specialty sites. While this type of shopping means a bit of upfront cash outlay, with a little bit of skill, you too can turn that trash into cash.

Extreme couponing. Can you really earn money through extreme couponing? Sure! Couponing - whether extreme or otherwise - is how a person can save money on groceries and household staples. Extreme couponers (like my neighbor) can leverage those 100 tubes of practically free toothpaste or toilet bowl cleaners into cash or a gift card which earns her a little bit of pocket change every month.

Mystery shopping. The acme of all shopping careers, being a mystery shopper is the job everyone hopes to land. Mystery shoppers are usually contracted through a marketing firm who has been hired to evaluate the quality of service in a particular store. These shoppers are usually reimbursed for their time and the cost of the items purchased. If you really want to land a job as a mystery shopper, visit the Mystery Shopper Consumer Alert site of the Federal Trade Commission. This informative site can help you avoid the scammers and point you in the direction of legitimate mystery shopping sites.

More by this contributor:
Ten ways to cut food expenses and increase your savings.
How to use found money to jump start your savings.
What not to cut from your budget when times are tough..