Honestly, every mystery shopping advertisement that I have read states that you do not need an investment up front and then goes on to say that if you are interested you need to provide a credit card for billing after 30 days. (Trial Period). Mystery shopping really does not work unless you can devote more hours than originally thought, can travel easily, don't mind "lying" (some say acting) and can afford to pay for the items and wait up to 3 weeks for reimbursement. (I know I couldn't pay $50 for a bar stool at Oak Furniture 'R Us and then only get reimbursed for a portion of that).

There are a lot of employers who would rather pay less for an employee with little experience and straight out of school than for a seasoned employee who wants a little more financially but has a decent to stellar work ethic. But, don't give up because there are employers who would rather pay for the piece of mind that comes with knowing the job will be done correctly by someone who is not afraid to actually work than someone who has spent the last four years drunk as a skunk on a college campus. You just need to find them.