Take a Trip and Get Paid: How to Earn Money While Enjoying Your Vacation

With the increased cost of gas, many families are hesitant about taking a vacation; however, with a little careful planning and a lot of research, families can actually make money while traveling. When thought out in advance, and if you are flexible with your travel dates, you can actually get most of your vacation paid for.

One way to save on the budget is to sign up as a mystery shopper. Some mystery shopping assignments I have seen include reimbursement for gas, meals, retail purchases, and hotel rooms. By combining a hotel stay with a meal and a shopping trip, not only will you receive free accommodations and meals, but you will also get paid to evaluate these establishments. The only downside to doing this is that your expenses will be out of pocket at first until you submit your receipts for reimbursement.

Another great way to save on vacation costs, which can be combined with mystery shopping, is to become a product evaluator. Product evaluators are sent samples of snacks, soaps, cleansers, shampoos, sunscreens, hand sanitizers, laundry detergents, and other household goods, and get paid for testing them. Most of theses products, due to their small size, are great for travel. By product testing, you save on having to buy many travel sized items you would normally have to purchase for your vacation. To sign up for product testing, visit you favorite manufacturer's website and perform a search for "product testers". Also, you can sometimes be selected as a product tester if you are a member of a survey panel, so it may be a good idea to register with a few survey sites.

In addition to eating and sleeping, there is the comfort factor to consider. When traveling, you may find yourself doing a significant amount of walking. Wouldn't it be great to have a pair of new, comfortable shoes to walk around in? Some shoe companies hire trial "shoe testers" to experience the feel of a new shoes design and rate it before it appears on the market. The one caveat though is that the shoes must be returned to the manufacturer after you are done using them. To find out if your favorite brand of shoe participates in a program like this, visit their website and perform a search using the terms "product testing".

If all goes well, the entire vacation can be paid for with the money you are reimbursed and the money you make from participating in the mystery shopping and product evaluation. In addition, you can participate in more assignments of the same nature in different cities across the country and have a paid vacation whenever you choose.