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Earn Cash as a Mystery Shopper
You cut back on your expenses, clip coupons, and watch out for clearance sales, but sometimes that's not enough - sometimes you need to bring in a little extra cash. Working as a mystery shopper is a terrific way to score a few extra bucks - it's fun and easy, and, because you choose which assignments to take on, it fits into any schedule. Read on to learn how to get started in this exciting field.
First, the basics - As a mystery shopper, you visit a store and make observations anonymously, which you report back to the agency that hired you. You may be asked to purchase certain products, observe employee's behavior and responses, or survey the general condition of the store. In exchange, you'll receive a small payment and, in most cases, reimbursement for any purchases made. As you gain experience, you may be invited to review hotel stays, nice bars and restaurants or rental car companies - all on the employer's dime.
Sounds too good to be true, right - After all, why would people pay you to go shopping? In fact, businesses and companies gain a great deal of information from a mystery shopper. In an age of increasing competition, businesses must provide the best possible customer service in order to retain customers. By hiring a mystery shopper, businesses get honest feedback on how well they're performing and what needs improvement. The results of a mystery shop may uncover weaknesses that the management was unaware of, allowing them to take action to improve the customer experience.
To get started, you'll need to sign up with a mystery-shopping agency. Check out the forums on the Mystery Shopping Providers Association website for user reviews of the major agencies, or search Google for agencies in your geographic area. Try to identify a number of major national agencies and smaller local groups to ensure that you have a steady flow of jobs in your area. Visit their websites and fill out the application, which will likely ask you for a writing sample and references - just like any other job. A word of caution - stay away from websites that sell you lists of agencies. You can find all that information on your own for free.
Once you've signed up with several agencies, you'll be notified about available jobs that you qualify for. You may receive email notices or phone calls, or you may need to log on to the agency's website and search for jobs manually. Only commit to jobs you're sure you will do - the agency is counting on you to complete the jobs you sign up for. When you sign up for a job, you'll receive complete instructions detailing exactly what you'll need to do during your visit and what paperwork you'll need to turn in. Follow the instructions as closely as possible - you may not be eligible for compensation if you don't complete the assignment correctly.
After you've finished the shop, submit your follow-up paperwork as soon as possible. You'll remember details better and recall your interactions more clearly. Give as much detail as you can on the report, but make sure you're answering the right question! Most mystery shopping agencies use ranking systems based on the quality of your reports and your reliability as a mystery shopper. Your ranking will go up if you regularly submit good quality reports on time. Before you know it, you could be spending the night on the town with dinner and drinks provided by your new employers!
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Wedding Dresses 2011
To be honest, I’ve been having a bit of trouble finding my prom dress . It’s been a mental war of the perfect dress versus how much I’m willing to spend on it. I’ve been hanging out at Yorkdale more than anyone with Grade 12 homework should be and I’m pretty sure the guys at Mendocino think I’m stalking them. (Sorry!) The frantic search leaves me exhausted and that’s where my biggest weakness comes in, the Latte. Even though I haven’t yet found my dress I’ve spent copious amounts of money at either Second Cup, Starbucks or Timothy’s World Coffee buying different variations of the latte. My current favourite: Timothy’s Maple Latte paired with one of their crumble cakes. Yum!
Ok, back to reality.
There have been a couple of dresses , shoes and accessories that I’ve been seriously considering. The first dress I fell head over heels for was peeking out from behind another dress in the back right corner of BCBG. I could tell by the mesh and cut that this dress was the most unique and cool dress I would find. I tried it on two weeks later and that’s when I realized that this dress was stunning, sexy and looked absolutely nothing like a prom dress prom dress . It was also a little price heavy for my budget, coming to around $420.
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0for cheap on sale under $105 BCBGMESHDRESS2
I kept looking.
Recently, I came across a gorgeous peach coloured,
0 at Mendocino. One look, and I knew that it was meant to be. Unfortunately, I was super late and decided that I would have to try it on later. I came back in three days, and to my horror, a girl was buying the last dress in the store!!! As of now, I don’t even remember what the dress looked like Empire Waist Dresses Empire Waist Dresses, the brand or the price (though I know it was in my budget), but I do remember the feeling I had when I first looked at it. Even though the cashier ordered a new dress to the store so I could try it on, I was upset. I was SO upset that I had to visit Holt Renfrew, the one store that usually cheers me up. Though I vowed not to tempt myself with 
1 that were too costly, I decided to browse through the store in hopes of finding something gorgeous for my summer trip to Europe.
To my disbelief, another perfect dress was on display. I quickly tried it on and was amazed. This was the polar opposite of my perfect BCBG Dress! Bright pink and short, something I would not typically go for. The translucence and airy feel of the dress were what really attracted me to it. To offset the budget issue, this dress was totally versatile, which made it a great investment. Holt Renfrew - $348
Finally, I looked for the perfect accessories to go with my dress options and narrowed it down to some basics that weren’t super formal. Since I’m going Europe really soon I want to be able to re-wear everything I buy right now.
I found two cute variations on the nude pump cheap bridal gowns cheap bridal gowns, the first are from Town Shoes - $225. The second are from Feet First on sale for $89.98.
I also happened upon two matching clutches for the shoes! This Matt and Natt clutch from Town Shoes - $90 is cute and environmentally friendly, made out of 100% recycled bottles. The second bag is more of an over the shoulder purse, my favourite kind, which is more useful for carrying important things like make-up, band-aids and your phone. Aldo - $40.
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Finding my prom dress has been a roller coaster ride but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can’t wait to share my final choices with you!
PS. Ahh, decisions, decisions, decisions. Who hasn’t wrestled with trying to find a perfect dress for a wedding/
1/graduation/(insert an important occasion here)...Well, I certainly have, and since the Toronto Star article (have you seen it yet?), I’ve been asked a few prom-related questions. I’ll do my best to address them in this column.
Q: I would really appreciate some suggestions on stores and styles in Yorkdale when shopping with my daughter, 16 years of age. She's a beautiful blonde, 5'-5" with an athletic build. She will, like most girls, want something unique but not too pricey. Any suggestions on the top designs and stores you might recommend?? Your assistance will be most appreciated!! Thank you in advance!
A: Wow! First of all, I think it’s really great that you are trying to help your daughter with one of the most important dress-decisions of her young life. When it comes to the top designs, maxi dresses have been super popular, not only as a prom choice for years, but all over the Spring 2011 runways as well. 70s-inspired dresses in eye-popping colors would be very on-trend, as well as something more flowy and feminine. Shorter dresses have also been very popular in the last few years (
2 is the new black tie), and for someone with an athletic build, bridal dresses I would recommend a fitted bodice with a slightly fuller skirt bridesmaid dresses uk , to give the body more of an hourglass shape.
As for which stores you should hit up. Both Zara and H&M have been putting out some really great maxi-dresses (both in solids and some interesting patterns too). If you are on a budget, those two stores, along with Mango are definitely worth checking out. Stores like BCBG and Holts tend to be on a pricier side, but there’s always some type of a sale going on, so you might want to pay them a visit for a really great selection of dresses.
Make sure to not leave your visit to the last minute, as finding the right size might prove challenging, the closer you are to Prom time.
If you still have more prom-related questions black evening gowns , make sure to check out the rest of our Teen Prom Bloggers’ posts. Best of luck!
Stylishly yours,

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Nelia Belkova
Fashion Blogger
, styleblog.ca
Nelia Belkova is a Toronto-based fashion, lifestyle, and event blogger, who pens www.styleblog.ca. She was one of the 10 Yorkdale Is Me winners, black cocktail dresses black cocktail dresses prom dresses and can be frequently spotted lurking at local H&M and Zara stores. She is a financial analyst by day, but don't tell anyone, as writing about fashion (and shopping) is her one true calling.
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